[BCNnet] FYI: Meeting with FPDCC Supt Bylina
Rbdoeker@aol.com
Rbdoeker@aol.com
Sat, 10 Jan 2004 13:11:30 EST
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FYI
I was with a group of Sierra Club members who met this week with the new Cook
County FP General Supt, Steve Bylina. Here are my personal impressions -
totally FYI.
We went to the meeting expecting to be there for less than 30 minutes; we
left 2 hours later.
It appears that they are inexperienced having groups like the Sierra Club as
allies. I assume that Bylina's job in Forestry within the City of Chicago did
not expose him to much public contact, at least not the kind that the FP staff
has experienced.
We left feeling great about the changes Bylina is making. I hope they were
happy with the meeting too -- that they understand that environmentalists can
be supportive too.
As you may know from the newspapers, the FPs personnel roster is known for
being filled with non-workers. Mr. Bylina has every employee's name posted on a
jumbo whiteboard near his office. Every day it is marked with the person's
status (day off, military leave, etc.) It was stated that every employee now
knows that his or her name is posted on the board for all to see. Bylina
also makes surprise inspections and phone calls to check on random workers.
The FP's current focus is to clean up the areas that visitors see first,
Problems with graffiti, garbage and potties are being addressed. Trails are
getting new signs (using IL First funds). FP employees will be wearing vests so
the public can ID them from afar. (They will use some existing orange vests to
start and switch to something more appropriate when possible.)
There is also a new/revised/revitalized (?) Volunteer Program that Bill
Koenig is heading out of the Edgebrook FP. Probably many BCNers are already
involved. Bylina must be very aware of the successful volunteer effort of the North
Park NC under DOE.
They have tripled the number of acres burned since Bylina arrived.
They plan to look for sponsors for FP areas -- like along the highways. (
'This grove is sponsored by the Blurf Kiwanis Club.' )
When he joined the FP last fall, Bylina was only the 2nd certified arborist
on staff. Now there are more than 10 with others in the educational-pipeline.
Bylina has put the FP in the mainstream discussions about available land in
the Lake Calumet area. (This is a big change.)
As you may have noted earlier from my posting, he wants to introduce wild
turkeys ASAP . [ Wes Serafin has dibs on the first ones for Palos. :) ]
One challenge he faces is how to use the $50mil bond money that was finally
approved. There is a big concern that the press, and thus the commissioners,
will focus on some problems that are visible but not the most critical. (Ex:
Do you spend a million dollars fixing a bridge that needs work, and has been
featured in the paper several times, or do you put new roofs on maintenance
facilities to protect the equipment. The number of people who actually use the
bridge is minuscule. The value of the equipment in danger of rusting, etc., is
great. But lawn mowers don't complain to their commissioner.)
One final comment: When the search was happening for a new Gen Supt, I
wondered who in their right mind would take a job that appears to be directly
between a rock and a hard place --- John Stroger somehow representing both sides
(he's special that way). When Steve Bylina was appointed I didn't have enough
info to form any particular opinion. (He's a forester = good. He has to work
for Stroger = still bad.)
After listening to him I am very enthusiastic that he has the clout to do the
job. We still have to recognize that he works for 17 politicians ---and he
very much wants us all to understand and deal with that. That sometimes ties
his hands in the way he has to approach issues and means that he will need the
help of the BCN community to push for actions that support conservation.
Randi Doeker
Chicago
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<DIV>FYI </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I was with a group of Sierra Club members who met this week with the ne=
w Cook County FP General Supt, Steve Bylina. Here are my personal impr=
essions - totally FYI.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We went to the meeting expecting to be there for less than 30 minutes;&=
nbsp; we left 2 hours later.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It appears that they are inexperienced having groups like the Sierra Cl=
ub as allies. I assume that Bylina's job in Forestry within the City of=
Chicago did not expose him to much public contact, at least not the kind th=
at the FP staff has experienced.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We left feeling great about the changes Bylina is making. I hope=20=
they were happy with the meeting too -- that they understand that environmen=
talists can be supportive too.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As you may know from the newspapers, the FPs personnel roster is known=20=
for being filled with non-workers. Mr. Bylina has every employee's nam=
e posted on a jumbo whiteboard near his office. Every day it is marked=
with the person's status (day off, military leave, etc.) It was=
stated that every employee now knows that his or her name is posted on the=20=
board for all to see. Bylina also makes surprise inspectio=
ns and phone calls to check on random workers.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The FP's current focus is to clean up the areas that visitors see first=
, Problems with graffiti, garbage and potties are being addressed.&nbs=
p; Trails are getting new signs (using IL First funds). FP employees w=
ill be wearing vests so the public can ID them from afar. (They w=
ill use some existing orange vests to start and switch to something more app=
ropriate when possible.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There is also a new/revised/revitalized (?) Volunteer Program that Bill=
Koenig is heading out of the Edgebrook FP. Probably many BCNers are a=
lready involved. Bylina must be very aware of the successful =
volunteer effort of the North Park NC under DOE.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>They have tripled the number of acres burned since Bylina arrived.</DIV=
>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>They plan to look for sponsors for FP areas -- like along the highways.=
( 'This grove is sponsored by the Blurf Kiwanis Club.' )</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>When he joined the FP last fall, Bylina was only the 2nd certified arbo=
rist on staff. Now there are more than 10 with others in the=
educational-pipeline.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Bylina has put the FP in the mainstream discussions about available lan=
d in the Lake Calumet area. (This is a big change.) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As you may have noted earlier from my posting, he wants to introduce wi=
ld turkeys ASAP . [ Wes Serafin has dibs on the first ones=20=
for Palos. :) ] </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One challenge he faces is how to use the $50mil bond money that was fin=
ally approved. There is a big concern that the press, and th=
us the commissioners, will focus on some problems that are visible but not t=
he most critical. (Ex: Do you spend a million dollars fixing a b=
ridge that needs work, and has been featured in the paper several times, or=20=
do you put new roofs on maintenance facilities to protect the equipment. &nb=
sp;The number of people who actually use the bridge is minuscule. The=20=
value of the equipment in danger of rusting, etc., is great. But lawn=20=
mowers don't complain to their commissioner.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One final comment: When the search was happening for a new Gen Su=
pt, I wondered who in their right mind would take a job that appears to be d=
irectly between a rock and a hard place --- John Stroger somehow representin=
g both sides (he's special that way). When Steve Bylina was appointed=20=
I didn't have enough info to form any particular opinion. (He's a fore=
ster =3D good. He has to work for Stroger =3D still bad.) =20=
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>After listening to him I am very enthusiastic that he has the clout to=20=
do the job. We still have to recognize that he works for 17 poli=
ticians ---and he very much wants us all to understand and deal with th=
at. That sometimes ties his hands in the way he has to approach issues=
and means that he will need the help of the BCN community to push for actio=
ns that support conservation.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Randi Doeker</DIV>
<DIV>Chicago</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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