[BCNnet] Finding common ground
Jane & John
balx2@comcast.net
Sat, 24 Jan 2004 11:15:39 -0600
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All, here are some thoughts we would like to add in the spirit of open =
discussion of DFAs. We thought it might be a way of helping clarify to =
others why we take the position we do. We've been having a discussion =
with a few people off list, and it was suggested that some of the =
thoughts below might be of interest to the larger group.
John and Jane Balaban
North Branch Restoration Project
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Please consider the following scenarios. All of these are currently =
happening or will happen shortly or could conceivably happen at some =
near future date. How do you think a FP Commissioner should answer =
these requests and on what basis?
1) A group of Chicago Native Americans requests that FPDCC fence off 100 =
acres so that they can create historical native american buildings and =
exhibits. This would be primarily to allow them to experience nature =
and teach traditions and culture to their children, but they would =
welcome visitors as well. They ask to be in control of scheduling who =
can come in and when, and would install locks, in order to protect their =
buildings and displays. They would raise money to pay for the fence. =
They would charge a small admission fee to pay for the time of the =
docents.
2) A group of paintball players requests that FPDCC fence off 50 acres =
of degraded woodland for them so their group can enjoy the sport of =
paintball wars in a natural setting. The fence would be required so =
that the public doesn't wander in and maybe be hurt by flying =
paintballs. They would welcome other groups but ask to be in control of =
scheduling who can come and when, in order to avoid conflicts and having =
too many people on the range at one time. They would ask for locks and =
key card readers to be installed and would limit the number of key card =
holders in order to avoid conflicts and having too many people on the =
range at one time. They would raise money to pay for the fence through =
the sale of key cards. They might charge a small admission fee to help =
pay for regular woodland cleanup.
3) A group of motocross bike riders requests that the FPDCC fence off =
some 80 acres of Palos hill country for riding, training and =
competition. There is no better way to ride motocross than flying =
through nature enjoying the hills and the trees. The fence would be =
required so that the public doesn't wander in and maybe be hurt by =
speeding bikers. They would welcome other groups but ask to be in =
control of scheduling who can come and when, in order to avoid conflicts =
and having too many people on the range at one time. They would raise =
money to pay for the fence. They would charge a small admission fee to =
help pay for regular course maintenance.
4) A group of dog owners requests that the FPDCC fence off some 40 acres =
of field and woodland and wetland as an area where they can enjoy nature =
with their pets off leash. The fence would be required so that the =
public doesn't wander in and maybe be hurt by unleashed dogs and also to =
keep unleashed dogs from running out into traffic. They would ask for =
locks and key card readers to be installed and would limit the number of =
key card holders in order to avoid conflicts and having too many people =
on the range at one time. They would raise money to pay for the fence =
through the sale of key cards.
5) A group of soccer players requests that the FPDCC fence off 5 acres =
for several soccer fields. The fence would be required so that the =
public doesn't wander in and maybe be hurt by players more intent on the =
game than looking for visitors. They would welcome other groups but ask =
to be in control of scheduling who can come in and when, in order to =
avoid conflicts and having too many people on the fields at one time. =
They would raise money to pay for the fence. They would charge a small =
admission fee to help pay for regular field maintenance.
6) A group of birdlovers and birdwatchers asks the FPDCC to fence off =
200 acres in the center of a square mile of grassland to protect =
grassland nesting birds. The fence would be required so that the public =
doesn't wander in and disrupt the breeding habits of the nesting birds. =
They would ask for locks and key card readers to be installed and would =
limit the number of key card holders in order to avoid conflicts and =
having too many birdwatchers on the main nesting range at one time. =
They would raise money to pay for the fence through the sale of key =
cards.
7) A group of campers asks the FPDCC to fence off an existing building =
and 40 acres of nearby woodlands and fields. They enjoy nature by =
camping out with their children and friends and would use the area to =
teach critical environmental skills to a new group of adolescents and =
young adults. They would welcome other groups but the fence would be =
required so that they can be in control of scheduling who can come and =
when, in order to avoid conflicts and having too many people in the =
campsites at one time. They would raise money to pay for the fence. =
They would charge a small admission fee to help pay for regular site =
maintenance.
We believe that this issue is really not about dogs or dog owners. It's =
about the fact that a couple of hundred people essentially were able to =
buy 22 acres of forest preserve land for $50 apiece -- and then got to =
use that money to build a fence around it and lock the rest of us out! =
Everyone screamed when Rosemont Mayor Don Stephens bought 3 acres for =
millions of dollars, but no one seems to care about this sale. In fact =
people are talking about giving exclusive rights to even more groups. =
Those groups just happen to be dog owners at present, but there's no =
telling who the next group will be once people learn they can buy =
exclusive rights to acres of forest preserve land.
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<DIV><FONT face=3Dti>All, here are some thoughts we would like to add in =
the=20
spirit of open discussion of DFAs. We thought it might be a way of =
helping=20
clarify to others why we take the position we do. We've been having a =
discussion=20
with a few people off list, and it was suggested that some of the =
thoughts below=20
might be of interest to the larger group.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Dti>John and Jane Balaban</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Dti>North Branch Restoration Project</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>
<HR>
<BR>Please consider the following scenarios. All of these are =
currently=20
happening or will happen shortly or could conceivably happen at some =
near future=20
date. How do you think a FP Commissioner should=20
answer these requests and <STRONG><U>on what =
basis?</U></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>1) A group of Chicago Native Americans requests that FPDCC fence =
off 100=20
acres so that they can create historical native american buildings and=20
exhibits. This would be primarily to allow them to experience =
nature and=20
teach traditions and culture to their children, but they would welcome =
visitors=20
as well. They ask to be in control of scheduling who can come in =
and when,=20
and would install locks, in order to protect their buildings and =
displays. =20
They would raise money to pay for the fence. They would charge a =
small=20
admission fee to pay for the time of the docents.<BR><BR>2) A group of =
paintball=20
players requests that FPDCC fence off 50 acres of degraded woodland for =
them so=20
their group can enjoy the sport of paintball wars in a natural =
setting. =20
The fence would be required so that the public doesn't wander in and =
maybe be=20
hurt by flying paintballs. They would welcome other groups but ask =
to be=20
in control of scheduling who can come and when, in order to avoid =
conflicts and=20
having too many people on the range at one time. They would =
ask for=20
locks and key card readers to be installed and would limit the number of =
key=20
card holders in order to avoid conflicts and having too many people on =
the range=20
at one time. They would raise money to pay for the fence through =
the sale=20
of key cards. They might charge a small admission fee to help pay =
for=20
regular woodland cleanup.<BR><BR>3) A group of motocross bike riders =
requests=20
that the FPDCC fence off some 80 acres of Palos hill country for riding, =
training and competition. There is no better way to ride motocross =
than=20
flying through nature enjoying the hills and the trees. The fence would =
be=20
required so that the public doesn't wander in and maybe be hurt by =
speeding=20
bikers. They would welcome other groups but ask to be in control =
of=20
scheduling who can come and when, in order to avoid conflicts and having =
too=20
many people on the range at one time. They would raise money to =
pay for=20
the fence. They would charge a small admission fee to help pay for =
regular=20
course maintenance.<BR><BR>4) A group of dog owners requests that the =
FPDCC=20
fence off some 40 acres of field and woodland and wetland as an area =
where they=20
can enjoy nature with their pets off leash. The fence would be =
required so=20
that the public doesn't wander in and maybe be hurt by unleashed dogs =
and also=20
to keep unleashed dogs from running out into traffic. They would =
ask for=20
locks and key card readers to be installed and would limit the number of =
key=20
card holders in order to avoid conflicts and having too many people on =
the range=20
at one time. They would raise money to pay for the fence through =
the sale=20
of key cards.<BR><BR>5) A group of soccer players requests that the =
FPDCC fence=20
off 5 acres for several soccer fields. The fence would be required =
so that=20
the public doesn't wander in and maybe be hurt by players more intent on =
the=20
game than looking for visitors. They would welcome other groups =
but ask to=20
be in control of scheduling who can come in and when, in order to avoid=20
conflicts and having too many people on the fields at one time. =
They would=20
raise money to pay for the fence. They would charge a small =
admission fee=20
to help pay for regular field maintenance.<BR><BR>6) A group of =
birdlovers and=20
birdwatchers asks the FPDCC to fence off 200 acres in the center of a =
square=20
mile of grassland to protect grassland nesting birds. The fence =
would be=20
required so that the public doesn't wander in and disrupt the breeding =
habits of=20
the nesting birds. They would ask for locks and key card readers =
to be=20
installed and would limit the number of key card holders in order to =
avoid=20
conflicts and having too many birdwatchers on the main nesting range at =
one=20
time. They would raise money to pay for the fence through the sale =
of key=20
cards.<BR><BR>7) A group of campers asks the FPDCC to fence off an =
existing=20
building and 40 acres of nearby woodlands and fields. They enjoy =
nature by=20
camping out with their children and friends and would use the area to =
teach=20
critical environmental skills to a new group of adolescents and young =
adults.=20
They would welcome other groups but the fence would be required so that =
they can=20
be in control of scheduling who can come and when, in order to avoid =
conflicts=20
and having too many people in the campsites at one time. They =
would raise=20
money to pay for the fence. They would charge a small admission =
fee to=20
help pay for regular site maintenance.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We believe that this issue is really not about dogs or dog=20
owners. It's about the fact that a couple of hundred people =
essentially=20
were able to buy 22 acres of forest preserve land for $50 apiece -- and =
then got=20
to use that money to build a fence around it and lock the rest of us =
out! =20
Everyone screamed when Rosemont Mayor Don Stephens bought 3 acres for =
millions=20
of dollars, but no one seems to care about this sale. In fact =
people are=20
talking about giving exclusive rights to even more groups. Those =
groups=20
just happen to be dog owners at present, but there's no telling who the =
next=20
group will be once people learn they can buy exclusive rights to acres =
of forest=20
preserve land.</DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Dti></FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><BR></FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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