Friends of the Parks

Forest Preserve Initiative – Goal 1:

“Ensure Forest Preserve land and other open spaces remain protected through advocacy for sound land policies and guardianship by the agencies entrusted with their care.”

Open space policy decisions by public officials can be enormously beneficial (we owe the founding of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County in 1916 to forward thinking policy-makers), or they can be disastrous (several acres of forest preserve were lost forever when Forest Preserve District Commissioners agreed in 1999 to sell parts of a preserve near the Rosemont Convention Center to a developer planning to build a casino).

In order to maintain the health and integrity of the forest preserves amidst the pressures that modern urban life exerts on them – from developers prospecting for their next housing project to invasive plants spreading through preserves and choking out native species – it is essential that organizations and individuals who care about preserving our amazing natural legacy speak out and play an active role in the political processes that impact that legacy.

Over the past decade, the forest preserves have faced a number of serious policy issues, including many land grab attempts, efforts to halt the standard restoration practices employed by the Forest Preserve District to keep the preserves healthy, rapid loss of potential additions to forest preserve holdings due to development of remaining open spaces, and misuse of land from dumping and poor stormwater management practices.

Since 2000, Friends of the Parks has made key contributions to the efforts to head off many of these threats and address other policy issues, including:

Land Acquisition

• Secured the allocation of an additional $6 million over 3 years for land acquisition in the Forest Preserve District
• Pushed for a speed-up of the land acquisition.  As a result, a key staff person was hired to move acquisitions to closure before the land opportunity is lost.

Land Protection from Land Grabs

• Drafted the Land Policies Ordinance that was adopted by the Forest Preserve Board of Commissioners in 2005
• Prevented the sale of 16 acres of forest preserves to the Illinois Tollway Authority
• Prevented the transfer of 10 acres of Whistler Woods to a private corporation

Improved Administration of the Forest Preserves

• Forest Preserve District budget process: Every year the Friends of the Parks participates in the District’s yearly budget development process. We evaluate the effectiveness of the District’s administration of its resources, especially relating to ecological restoration, human resources, finances and public relationship. We make budget recommendations – generally advocating for sufficient resources to be allocated to restoration, outreach, and volunteer service – and testify accordingly at the District’s annual budget hearings.  
• Separating the Boards: Currently, Cook County Commissioners automatically serve as Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District as well. This organizational structure creates an inherent conflict of interest and inhibits proper oversight, which causes the District to suffer from numerous problems that may be improved by installing a separate governing body. Friends of the Parks supports the creation of a separately-elected Board of Commissioners to govern the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.