[BCNnet] FYI: Northerly Island update
Rbdoeker@aol.com
Rbdoeker@aol.com
Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:37:02 EST
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Background:
Donnie Dann and I represent the birding community on a coalition of 'green'
groups that has formed to work with the Chicago Park District on the creation
of the park at what was Meigs Field. Other members are the Sierra Club,
Openlands Project, Friends of the Park, Lake Michigan Federation and the Grant Park
Conservancy.
Last summer we met with the park district senior staff to stake our claim as
"the" group that drives the new design. Realistically this wasn't an issue
since what we want to happen matches the park district's (ie Mayor's) wishes.
At that time all the park staff knew was that their lawyers wouldn't let the
general public on the island until the environmental remediation work being done
by the Aviation Dept was completed.
News:
This week the coalition met again with the park staff, kicking off the
official process to design a new park. Throughout 2004 there will be many more
meetings --open to the public-- to discuss specific ideas.
Here's where things stand right now:
Ground plantings will start as soon as the weather allows.
All of the work to return the land to a park-like state is being paid by
Aviation funds, which puts many restrictions on how the funds can be spent.
Example: the funds can be used for grass (even prairie grasses) but may be not for
bushes or trees. The park staff is clearly working every angle.
There are still some environmental hot-spots but it is sufficiently under
control that the island will be opened as soon as the the plantings are stable
enough to contend with humans. The guess is sometime in June-July.
We can look forward to a new migration spot in the fall.
Randi Doeker
Chicago
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<DIV>Background: </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Donnie Dann and I represent the birding community on a coalition of 'gr=
een' groups that has formed to work with the Chicago Park District on=20=
the creation of the park at what was Meigs Field. Other members are th=
e Sierra Club, Openlands Project, Friends of the Park, Lake Michigan Federat=
ion and the Grant Park Conservancy.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Last summer we met with the park district senior staff to stake our cla=
im as "the" group that drives the new design. Realistically this wasn'=
t an issue since what we want to happen matches the park district's (ie Mayo=
r's) wishes. At that time all the park staff knew was that their lawye=
rs wouldn't let the general public on the island until the environmental rem=
ediation work being done by the Aviation Dept was completed.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>News:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This week the coalition met again with the park staff, kicking off the=20=
official process to design a new park. Throughout 2004 there will=
be many more meetings --open to the public-- to discuss specific ideas.</DI=
V>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here's where things stand right now:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ground plantings will start as soon as the weather allows.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>All of the work to return the land to a park-like state is be=
ing paid by Aviation funds, which puts many restrictions on how the fun=
ds can be spent. Example: the funds can be used for grass (even=20=
prairie grasses) but may be not for bushes or trees. The park sta=
ff is clearly working every angle.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There are still some environmental hot-spots but it is sufficiently und=
er control that the island will be opened as soon as the the plantings are s=
table enough to contend with humans. The guess is sometime in June-Jul=
y.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We can look forward to a new migration spot in the fall.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Randi Doeker</DIV>
<DIV>Chicago</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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