[BCNnet] fencing FP areas; questions and important article
judymellin
judymellin@netzero.net
Sun, 9 Nov 2003 12:48:26 -0800
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Hi Jane- Thanks for summarizing this so succinctly. We should thank =
Alan Anderson who introduced this subject to the BCN listserv since I, =
for one, was unaware of it until he did. Thanks, AA!
I think this is an appropriate subject to introduce to the Stewards' =
listserv. We mobilized in 1995-1996 against a real threat to our =
restoration efforts and I would bet that lots of folks would be willing =
to write letters, make phone calls, etc. Special land use like this is =
a threat to all of our efforts.=20
I think we need to approach this as a land use issue since it is =
something that affects all the residents of Cook County, no matter how =
they use their preserves. If we don't do something now, we may be too =
late.
Judy Mellin
----- Original Message -----=20
From: John & Jane Balaban=20
To: BCNnet@ece.iit.edu=20
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 9:34 AM
Subject: Re: [BCNnet] fencing FP areas; questions and important =
article
"(2) Please consider that no person ran for office to be a =
commissioner of the Cook County Forest Preserve. It's just something =
they have to do. And the only commissioner who really cares about the =
environment is Quigley -- the same one quoted in the Pioneer article =
encourging the Thatcher Dog group. There are a handful of others =
considered to be 'good' by the Sierra Club but even those commissioners =
cast what they call pragmatic votes -- like building a parking lot on FP =
land for the new Jewish museum in Skokie."
For the record, Randi, the FP District agreed to build a parking lot =
for the museum when Cal Sutker was still a Commissioner for the 13th =
District (including Skokie). He was defeated by now Commissioner Larry =
Suffredin, who made the Forest Preserves a central part of his campaign =
for election and who indeed cares about and is working hard on Forest =
Preserve issues.
I very much agree with Walter and Judy that it would be a mistake to =
simply write this off as a "done deal". Commissioners can be educated on =
issues but it takes citizens who are willing to take the time to get to =
know their Commissioners and give input on important issues. There will =
never be a better time than now to try and influence the Board on the =
question of appropriate kinds of recreation and the best use of the =
District's limited resources.
And the most important message the Commissioners and the public need =
to hear is the need to focus on the core mission of the District, which =
is to preserve, protect and restore the natural land. Any and all =
requests should be judged against that benchmark first. I am not against =
dog areas or other such special uses in general, but they are more =
appropriate to park districts not Forest Preserve lands. On the other =
hand, passive recreational uses such as bird watching, hiking, or family =
picnicking in designated areas are examples of excellent ways for the =
public to enjoy the beautiful preserves without adversely affecting the =
plants and animals that live there.
Jane Balaban
North Branch Restoration Project
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Gill Sans MT" size=3D3>Hi Jane- Thanks for =
summarizing this so=20
succinctly. We should thank Alan Anderson who introduced this =
subject to=20
the BCN listserv since I, for one, was unaware of it until he did. =
Thanks,=20
AA!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Gill Sans MT" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Gill Sans MT" size=3D3>I think this is an appropriate =
subject to=20
introduce to the Stewards' listserv. We mobilized in 1995-1996 =
against a=20
real threat to our restoration efforts and I would bet that lots of =
folks would=20
be willing to write letters, make phone calls, etc. Special land =
use like=20
this is a threat to all of our efforts. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Gill Sans MT" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Gill Sans MT" size=3D3> I think we need to =
approach this as=20
a land use issue since it is something that affects all the residents of =
Cook=20
County, no matter how they use their preserves. If we don't do =
something=20
now, we may be too late.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Gill Sans MT" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Gill Sans MT" size=3D3>Judy Mellin</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbalx2@comcast.net href=3D"mailto:balx2@comcast.net">John =
& Jane=20
Balaban</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3DBCNnet@ece.iit.edu=20
href=3D"mailto:BCNnet@ece.iit.edu">BCNnet@ece.iit.edu</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, November 09, 2003 =
9:34=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [BCNnet] fencing =
FP areas;=20
questions and important article</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>"(2) Please consider that no person ran for office to be a=20
commissioner of the Cook County Forest Preserve. It's =
just=20
something they have to do. And the only commissioner who really =
cares=20
about the environment is Quigley -- the same one quoted in the Pioneer =
article=20
encourging the Thatcher Dog group. There are a handful of =
others=20
considered to be 'good' by the Sierra Club but even those =
commissioners cast=20
what they call pragmatic votes -- like building a parking lot on FP =
land for=20
the new Jewish museum in Skokie."</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff>For the record, Randi, the FP District =
agreed to=20
build a parking lot for the museum when Cal Sutker was still a =
Commissioner=20
for the 13th District (including Skokie). He was defeated by now =
Commissioner=20
Larry Suffredin, who made the Forest Preserves a central part of his =
campaign=20
for election and who indeed cares about and is working hard on Forest =
Preserve=20
issues.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff>I very much agree with Walter and Judy that =
it would=20
be a mistake to simply write this off as a "done deal". Commissioners =
can be=20
educated on issues but it takes citizens who are willing to take the =
time to=20
get to know their Commissioners and give input on important=20
issues. </FONT><FONT color=3D#0000ff> There will never be a =
better time=20
than now to try and influence the Board on the question of =
appropriate=20
kinds of recreation and the best use of the District's limited=20
resources.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff>And the most important message the =
Commissioners and=20
the public need to hear is the need to focus on the <STRONG>core=20
mission</STRONG> of the District, which is to <STRONG>preserve, =
protect and=20
restore the natural land</STRONG>. Any and all requests should be=20
judged against that benchmark first. I am not against dog areas =
or other=20
such special uses in general, but they are more appropriate to park =
districts=20
not Forest Preserve lands. On the other hand, passive recreational =
uses such=20
as bird watching, hiking, or family picnicking in designated areas are =
examples of excellent ways for the public to enjoy the beautiful =
preserves=20
without adversely affecting the plants and animals that live=20
there.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Jane Balaban<BR>North Branch Restoration=20
Project</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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