[BCNnet] DuPage sets fees for off-leash dog exercise areas

Fri, 4 Jun 2004 11:49:41 EDT

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FYI:  There is some expectation that this will drive more Cook County dog 
owners to request dog parks in the FP.

Randi Doeker

> This story was sent to you by: Chris Oszak
> 
> Somehow I missed this announcement at Tuesday's DuPage FPD board meeting.
> 
> --------------------
> DuPage sets fees for off-leash dog exercise areas 
> --------------------
> 
> By Lynn Van Matre
> Tribune staff reporter
> 
> June 3, 2004
> 
> Dog owners who want to use off-leash exercise areas at DuPage County forest 
> preserves should plan on obtaining a permit and paying an annual fee starting 
> July 1.
> 
> "We hope to have application information available by the end of the week," 
> district Executive Director Brent Manning said Wednesday.
> 
> "We're still working on the logistics of how people can get the permits and 
> doing some fine-tuning," added Manning, who set the fees with input from 
> forest preserve commissioners. "But we're looking at July 1 as the target date to 
> start implementing the policy."
> 
> DuPage residents will pay $35 per person for an annual use permit and 
> non-residents will be charged $150 per person, with fees prorated for 2004.
> 
> Dog owners 65 and older and honorably discharged military veterans will 
> receive free permits. Plans call for the permit policy to be enforced primarily 
> through spot checks by district ranger police.
> 
> A proposal to charge an additional $5 per animal for those with more than 
> one dog is being considered.
> 
> "We're still having meetings on that one," Manning said. "We do know there 
> will be a three-dog limit per person in the exercise areas. We don't feel that 
> most folks can adequately control more than that at one time."
> 
> Earlier this year, citing costs of staff and maintenance at the district's 
> six dog parks, forest preserve staff recommended annual fees of $40 per dog 
> for county residents and $250 per dog for non-residents.
> 
> The staff also recommended closing an off-leash area at Blackwell Forest 
> Preserve in Warrenville because of fights and neighbors' complaints about unruly 
> dogs; and shutting down a little-used exercise area at Mallard Lake in 
> Hanover Park.
> 
> The proposals prompted hundreds of calls, faxes, e-mails and letters from 
> area residents to commissioners and staff in recent months, Manning said.
> 
> 

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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT  SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10>FYI:&nb=
sp; There is some expectation that this will drive more Cook County dog owne=
rs to request dog parks in the FP.<BR>
<BR>
Randi Doeker<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3DCITE style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT=
: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">This story was sent to you by:=20=
Chris Oszak<BR>
<BR>
Somehow I missed this announcement at Tuesday's DuPage FPD board meeting.<BR=
>
<BR>
--------------------<BR>
DuPage sets fees for off-leash dog exercise areas <BR>
--------------------<BR>
<BR>
By Lynn Van Matre<BR>
Tribune staff reporter<BR>
<BR>
June 3, 2004<BR>
<BR>
Dog owners who want to use off-leash exercise areas at DuPage County forest=20=
preserves should plan on obtaining a permit and paying an annual fee startin=
g July 1.<BR>
<BR>
"We hope to have application information available by the end of the week,"=20=
district Executive Director Brent Manning said Wednesday.<BR>
<BR>
"We're still working on the logistics of how people can get the permits and=20=
doing some fine-tuning," added Manning, who set the fees with input from for=
est preserve commissioners. "But we're looking at July 1 as the target date=20=
to start implementing the policy."<BR>
<BR>
DuPage residents will pay $35 per person for an annual use permit and non-re=
sidents will be charged $150 per person, with fees prorated for 2004.<BR>
<BR>
Dog owners 65 and older and honorably discharged military veterans will rece=
ive free permits. Plans call for the permit policy to be enforced primarily=20=
through spot checks by district ranger police.<BR>
<BR>
A proposal to charge an additional $5 per animal for those with more than on=
e dog is being considered.<BR>
<BR>
"We're still having meetings on that one," Manning said. "We do know there w=
ill be a three-dog limit per person in the exercise areas. We don't feel tha=
t most folks can adequately control more than that at one time."<BR>
<BR>
Earlier this year, citing costs of staff and maintenance at the district's s=
ix dog parks, forest preserve staff recommended annual fees of $40 per dog f=
or county residents and $250 per dog for non-residents.<BR>
<BR>
The staff also recommended closing an off-leash area at Blackwell Forest Pre=
serve in Warrenville because of fights and neighbors' complaints about unrul=
y dogs; and shutting down a little-used exercise area at Mallard Lake in Han=
over Park.<BR>
<BR>
The proposals prompted hundreds of calls, faxes, e-mails and letters from ar=
ea residents to commissioners and staff in recent months, Manning said.<BR>
<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
<BR>
</FONT></HTML>
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