[BCNnet] FW: [openspace] News-Sun Article

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 06:09:04 -0500

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BCN friends:

Just to give you one example of the importance of the recent OSLAD/NAAF
victory, see this recent article from the News-Sun, as to the impact of this
in Lake County.   Thanks again for all your hard work that made it possible
and please don’t forget to thank your legislators for their crucial support!

Donnie

Donald R. Dann
Highland Park/Lake County

OSLAD budgeting relieves county

By Jim Newton
<mailto:jnewton@scn1.com?Subject=SuburbanChicagoNews.com.Story.Response>
STAFF WRITER
The eleventh-hour restoration of the Open Lands Acquisition and Development
(OSLAD) matching grant program in the state budget is being praised by Lake
County officials as a crucial victory for local open-space initiatives.
The Lake County Forest Preserve District has been especially successful in
leveraging OSLAD grants to help fund the purchase of new preserves. The
district has received $2.1 million in OSLAD matching grants since the year
2000.
Full funding was also restored to the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund, which
helps protect some of the state's most pristine areas.
Earlier this year, Gov. Rod Blagojevich had said the programs would take a
"holiday" to save the state about $34 million. But following a flurry of
lobbying by conservation and land preservation groups, the funding was
restored before approval of the budget over the weekend.
"I'm really thrilled," said Forest Preserve Board President Bonnie Thomson
Carter. "This has served as a huge benefit to Lake County and will continue
to be very crucial here, where we are under so much development pressure."
Carter said she told legislators that while cutting the program would save
money in the short term, it would prove detrimental once land that would
have been preserved was developed "at huge expense to taxpayers."
Tom Hahn, director of land preservation for the forest preserve district,
said the proposed cuts sparked an uproar among open-space groups across the
state.
"We worked with all of our legislators in Lake County and attended coalition
meetings with groups statewide," Hahn said. "It's one of the only grant
funds left out there, and any additional funding we can get is welcome,
especially with our open-space funds getting low. In all likelihood, we'll
be putting in a grant request for this fiscal year."
The forest district recently received OSLAD grants of $750,000 each toward
the purchase of the Hastings Lake and Lake Carina preserves, as well grants
to help develop the Raven Glen and Middlefork Savanna preserves.
"This is a crucial victory for land preservation and conservation in
Illinois," said L. Blake Lynch, policy coordinator of the Chicago-based
Openlands Project. "This reaffirms the General Assembly's dedication to land
conservation in Illinois. In the midst of a fiscal crisis, the General
Assembly stood up and showed they care about land conservation, preservation
and park districts across the state."
Lynch also praised the coordinated lobbying efforts by forest and park
districts, conservation groups and civic organizations across the state. Led
by the Illinois Environmental Council, about 180 conservation and civic
groups joined to mount the Partners for Parks and Wildlife campaign after
the proposed cuts were announced in February.
"This was an unprecedented grassroots organized effort on behalf of
open-space interests statewide," Lynch said.
07/28/04

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<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>BCN
friends:<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Just
to give you one example of the importance of the recent OSLAD/NAAF =
victory, see
this recent article from the News-Sun, as to the impact of this in Lake
County.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span><span =
style=3D"mso-spacerun:
yes">&nbsp;</span>Thanks again for all your hard work that made it =
possible and
please don&#8217;t forget to thank your legislators for their crucial =
support!<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Donnie<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
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face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
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!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Donald
R. Dann<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Highland
Park/Lake County<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
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<h2><b><font size=3D5 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
18.0pt;color:black'>OSLAD budgeting relieves county </span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/b></h2>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>By <a
href=3D"mailto:jnewton@scn1.com?Subject=3DSuburbanChicagoNews.com.Story.R=
esponse">Jim
Newton</a> </span></font><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:
windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>STAFF WRITER</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<meta content=3DWTOP name=3Dsection>

<meta content=3D2004-07-28 name=3D"pub_date">
<meta content=3DNOARCHIVE name=3DROBOTS>
<meta content=3D"SCNmedia, Chicago" name=3Dkeywords>
<meta
content=3D"The eleventh-hour restoration of the Open Lands Acquisition =
and Development (OSLAD) matching grant program in the state budget is =
being praised by Lake County officials as a crucia... "
name=3Dsummary>
The eleventh-hour restoration of the Open Lands Acquisition and =
Development
(OSLAD) matching grant program in the state budget is being praised by =
Lake
County officials as a crucial victory for local open-space initiatives. =
<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

The Lake County Forest Preserve District has been =
especially
successful in leveraging OSLAD grants to help fund the purchase of new
preserves. The district has received $2.1 million in OSLAD matching =
grants
since the year 2000. <o:p></o:p>

Full funding was also restored to the Natural Areas =
Acquisition
Fund, which helps protect some of the state's most pristine areas. =
<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

Earlier this year, Gov. Rod Blagojevich had said the =
programs
would take a &quot;holiday&quot; to save the state about $34 million. =
But
following a flurry of lobbying by conservation and land preservation =
groups,
the funding was restored before approval of the budget over the weekend. =
<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

&quot;I'm really thrilled,&quot; said Forest Preserve Board
President Bonnie Thomson Carter. &quot;This has served as a huge benefit =
to
Lake County and will continue to be very crucial here, where we are =
under so
much development pressure.&quot; <o:p></o:p><=
/p>

<p><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>Carter said she told legislators that while cutting the =
program
would save money in the short term, it would prove detrimental once land =
that
would have been preserved was developed &quot;at huge expense to
taxpayers.&quot; </span></font><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;
mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

Tom Hahn, director of land preservation for the forest =
preserve
district, said the proposed cuts sparked an uproar among open-space =
groups
across the state. <o:p></o:p>

&quot;We worked with all of our legislators in Lake County =
and
attended coalition meetings with groups statewide,&quot; Hahn said. =
&quot;It's
one of the only grant funds left out there, and any additional funding =
we can
get is welcome, especially with our open-space funds getting low. In all
likelihood, we'll be putting in a grant request for this fiscal =
year.&quot; <o:p></o:p><=
/p>

The forest district recently received OSLAD grants of =
$750,000
each toward the purchase of the Hastings Lake and Lake Carina preserves, =
as
well grants to help develop the Raven Glen and Middlefork Savanna =
preserves. <o:p></o:p><=
/p>

&quot;This is a crucial victory for land preservation and
conservation in Illinois,&quot; said L. Blake Lynch, policy coordinator =
of the
Chicago-based Openlands Project. &quot;This reaffirms the General =
Assembly's
dedication to land conservation in Illinois. In the midst of a fiscal =
crisis,
the General Assembly stood up and showed they care about land =
conservation,
preservation and park districts across the state.&quot; =
<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

Lynch also praised the coordinated lobbying efforts by =
forest and
park districts, conservation groups and civic organizations across the =
state.
Led by the Illinois Environmental Council, about 180 conservation and =
civic
groups joined to mount the Partners for Parks and Wildlife campaign =
after the
proposed cuts were announced in February. <o:p></o:p><=
/p>

&quot;This was an unprecedented grassroots organized effort =
on
behalf of open-space interests statewide,&quot; Lynch said. =
<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>07/28/04</span></font><font =
color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>&nbsp;</span></font><font =
color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

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