[BCNnet] birding at HE DTA - friendly, co-exist; at Beck Lake? - Pay up!

Thu, 6 Nov 2003 22:27:21 -0600

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Funny thing about the timing of this request for information. I had just =
birded at Beck Lake on October 27th, and reported my bird sightings to =
IBET.=20

What I didn't report was that there was a fence around areas that I =
birded in the past. This includes the area where the current Dog Area is =
at Beck Lake FP, and the proposed enlarged area.

Some of the habitat inside the fenced in area includes grassland, woods, =
a pond and other wetlands, including a cattail marsh. Last fall I had a =
few snipe in those marshes, as well as sparrows, wrens and other birds =
etc. I would've liked to go check those areas out again this fall, but =
couldn't of course since it was fenced in.

I contacted the Cook County Forest Preserve District afterwards to find =
out if I could still enter this area just to go birding there. Yesterday =
I found out that I couldn't - I would have to pay the $50 fee to join =
the dog group to be able to enter. (I don't know if you HAVE to own a =
dog to join the group, but since I do own a dog, that point is moot*).

Of course this area is not just now closed to birders, but to those who =
might want to observe dragonflies, butterflies, herps or plants inside =
the fenced area also.

Ever since the Breeding Bird Atlas began in 1985, one of my favorite =
birding areas in the summer has been the Dog Training Area in Hoffman =
Estates. This area is a large forest preserve with a variety of =
habitats, including woods, grassland, large cattail marsh, shrubland and =
other wetlands. This is of course an area where many dog-owners go to =
walk and train their dogs. I have been there many times when people are =
there with there dogs, and birders (I've led many trips there too) and =
dog-owners are always friendly and cordial to each other, and we each =
'do our own thing'. There is no fee (or fenced in area) here.

There are other forest preserves with areas for dog training, and other =
forest preserves (such as at Busse Woods, Deer Grove and north of Bartel =
Grasslands) have areas for model airplane flying. But the difference in =
these areas, as compared to the new fenced in area at Beck Lake, is that =
all the others are not fenced in, and open to all to use (just stay away =
from the area closest to where the planes are flying) or walk in and =
around. At Beck, now an area is totally closed to all but those who pay =
the $50 fee.

Something is wrong here. I haven't heard of any legal challenges yet, so =
I don't know if this is legal or not, but it certainly doesn't seem =
right to have a 'public' forest preserve that is open to only those who =
pay a yearly fee.

But it certainly opens 'Pandora's door' to other groups who want to use =
part of a forest preserve for their own use. Whether this is fought on =
legal grounds (what do the Sierra Club lawyers say?), in the media, or =
elsewhere, I think we should watch out for situations like this.

Do we have to have all the area birding groups and conservation =
organizations each come up with a proposal to have an area set aside for =
our own personal use for a fee to get the FPD commissioners to see what =
could happen with many other groups 'demanding ours'? I really don't =
think that would work (especially if the FPD sees only dollar signs - =
just kidding!) of course, but how do we get the FPD to see the =
implications - or act?

I would hope that all forest preserve land would remain open to all who =
pay taxes and not certain areas set aside for 'special groups' - not =
even birders. Yes, I'm being a bit selfish here, but so would most of =
us.

I would prefer not seeing the forest preserve areas fenced in, but at =
the very least, the general public should not be kept out of those areas =
unless they have to pay a fee.

That's just my opinion.=20

Alan Anderson

casresearch@comcast.net

Des Plaines

* disclaimer: I do own a dog, and I do take her for walks in area forest =
preserves (Axehead Lake, Northwestern Woods etc.) at times, but always =
on a leash, as that is what the signs say (although making sure she =
doesn't run too far away or have confrontations with other dogs plays a =
role there too).

----- Original Message -----=20

From: <Rbdoeker@aol.com <mailto:Rbdoeker@aol.com>>=20

To: <BCNnet@ece.iit.edu <mailto:BCNnet@ece.iit.edu>>=20

Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 5:20 PM=20

Subject: [BCNnet] FYI: dog area at Beck Lake=20

>=20
>=20
> FYI: The dog area at Beck Lake (in the Cook Co FP) will be enlarged to =
the area originally approved by the Cook County Commissioners in 2002 =
(which is 26 acres in total and includes a pond).
>=20
> If anyone has experience with this area vis a vis birds, please send =
me the info. It may help influence the location of dog parks in other =
forest preserve areas.
>=20
> Randi Doeker
> rbdoeker@aol.com <mailto:rbdoeker@aol.com>
> Chicago

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<DIV>
Funny thing about the timing of this request for information. I had =
just=20
birded at Beck Lake on October 27th, and reported my bird sightings to =
IBET.=20

What I didn't report was that there was a fence around areas that I =
birded in=20
the past. This includes the area where the current Dog Area is at Beck =
Lake FP,=20
and the proposed enlarged area.
Some of the habitat inside the fenced in area includes grassland, =
woods, a=20
pond and other wetlands, including a cattail marsh. Last fall I had a =
few snipe=20
in those marshes, as well as sparrows, wrens and other birds etc. I =
would've=20
liked to go check those areas out again this fall, but couldn't of =
course since=20
it was fenced in.
I contacted the Cook County Forest Preserve District afterwards to =
find out=20
if I could still enter this area just to go birding there. Yesterday I =
found out=20
that I couldn't - I would have to pay the $50 fee to join the dog group =
to be=20
able to enter. (I don't know if you HAVE to own a dog to join the group, =
but=20
since I do own a dog, that point is moot*).
Of course this area is not just now closed to birders, but to those =
who might=20
want to observe dragonflies, butterflies, herps or plants inside the =
fenced area=20
also.
Ever since the Breeding Bird Atlas began in 1985, one of my favorite =
birding=20
areas in the summer has been the Dog Training Area in Hoffman Estates. =
This area=20
is a large forest preserve with a variety of habitats, including woods,=20
grassland, large cattail marsh, shrubland and other wetlands. This is of =
course=20
an area where many dog-owners go to walk and train their dogs. I have =
been there=20
many times when people are there with there dogs, and birders (I've led =
many=20
trips there too) and dog-owners are always friendly and cordial to each =
other,=20
and we each 'do our own thing'. There is no fee (or fenced in area) =
here.
There are other forest preserves with areas for dog training, and =
other=20
forest preserves (such as at Busse Woods, Deer Grove and north of Bartel =

Grasslands) have areas for model airplane flying. But the difference in =
these=20
areas, as compared to the new fenced in area at Beck Lake, is that all =
the=20
others are not fenced in, and open to all to use (just stay away from =
the area=20
closest to where the planes are flying) or walk in and around. At Beck, =
now an=20
area is totally closed to all but those who pay the $50 fee.
Something is wrong here. I haven't heard of any legal challenges yet, =
so I=20
don't know if this is legal or not, but it certainly doesn't seem right =
to have=20
a 'public' forest preserve that is open to only those who pay a yearly =
fee.
But it certainly opens 'Pandora's door' to other groups who want to =
use part=20
of a forest preserve for their own use. Whether this is fought on legal =
grounds=20
(what do the Sierra Club lawyers say?), in the media, or elsewhere, I =
think we=20
should watch out for situations like this.
Do we have to have all the area birding groups and conservation =
organizations=20
each come up with a proposal to have an area set aside for our own =
personal use=20
for a fee to get the FPD commissioners to see what could happen with =
many other=20
groups 'demanding ours'? I really don't think that would work =
(especially if the=20
FPD sees only dollar signs - just kidding!) of course, but how do we get =
the FPD=20
to see the implications - or act?
I would hope that all forest preserve land would remain open to all =
who pay=20
taxes and not certain areas set aside for 'special groups' - not even =
birders.=20
Yes, I'm being a bit selfish here, but so would most of us.
I would prefer not seeing the forest preserve areas fenced in, but at =
the=20
very least, the general public should not be kept out of those areas =
unless they=20
have to pay a fee.
That's just my opinion. 
Alan Anderson
casresearch@comcast.net
Des Plaines
* disclaimer: I do own a dog, and I do take her for walks in area =
forest=20
preserves (Axehead Lake, Northwestern Woods etc.) at times, but always =
on a=20
leash, as that is what the signs say (although making sure she doesn't =
run too=20
far away or have confrontations with other dogs plays a role there =
too).
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
----- Original Message ----- 
From: &lt;Rbdoeker@aol.com=20
&lt;mailto:Rbdoeker@aol.com&gt;&gt; 
To: &lt;BCNnet@ece.iit.edu=20
&lt;mailto:BCNnet@ece.iit.edu&gt;&gt; 
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 5:20 PM 
Subject: [BCNnet] FYI: dog area at Beck Lake 
 &gt; &gt; &gt; FYI: The dog area at Beck Lake (in the =
Cook Co FP)=20
will be enlarged to the area originally approved by the Cook County=20
Commissioners in 2002 (which is 26 acres in total and includes a =
pond). &gt;=20
 &gt; If anyone has experience with this area vis a vis birds, please =
send me=20
the info. It may help influence the location of dog parks in other =
forest=20
preserve areas. &gt; &gt; Randi Doeker &gt; <FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff>rbdoeker@aol.com=20
&lt;mailto:rbdoeker@aol.com&gt; &gt;=20
Chicago </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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