Criteria used in selecting a Lake County Research and Demonstration Area (LCRDA) associated with a transmission line right-of-way were established in 2007. The criteria were: 1) adequate length, 2) ownership of land contiguous to a ROW, 3) adequate width to develop the wire-border zone method of vegetative maintenance, and 4) accessibility of the site to researchers and the public for research and demonstration purposes. The LCRDA traverses a 2-mile sector of the ROW; the ROW extends from 2 units south of Rt. 120 (referred to as 120 S units) to 4 units north of West Washington St. (referred to as Gurnee W sites). Other sites in the vicinity were not used because these were wetlands, rivers, farmland, cornfields, or residential. The LCRDA is in Lake County, Illinois, just west and south of the town of Gurnee and about 35 miles north of Chicago.

Currently (in 2007), a border zone is non-existent and a forb-grass-shrub cover is prominent on the LCRDA, but the cover type varies with location and depends on data collected on vegetation the next few years. Before beginning any maintenance of the LCRDA, breeding bird populations and vegetation will be monitored in 2008 and possibly 2009. The intent of this long-term project is to establish a research and demonstration area comparable to 2 sites in Pennsylvania (State Game Lands 33 and Green Lane).