Where private land meets public land, there are often issues with encroachment. Examples include mowing a little farther than a property line to extend a yard a bit, dumping landscape waste in the woods, planting a garden in the prairie, storing your boat in the park, creating access to a park by cutting a path or removing fencing, or even irrigating your yard with pond water. All of these things are encroachment and all are illegal. All have been done within our public parks.
Depending upon the area and the violation, homeowners may be asked to remove the offending garden or item and restore the land to its original state, or may be faced with more frightening consequences. In the case of wetland infringement, a homeowner may be faced with fines up to $25,000 per day from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the US Environmental Protection Agency, or all three.
Please be aware that if we ask you to remove something, it is in the best interest of the community,
since we are protecting public lands.
If you have any questions regarding encroachment, please contact the Natural Resources Department at (630) 783-6570.
