[BCNnet] BCNnet: Action Alert: Urge Cook County not to raid Forest Preserve District

[Birdchris at aol.com]

ACTION  ALERT 
Take action to protect Cook County  Forest Preserves!  
Action: Contact your Cook County  Commissioner on Feb. 6 and tell him or her 
to vote NO on Feb. 7 to taking $11  million from the budget of the Forest 
Preserve District of Cook County to the  county’s budget shortfall. 
Please call, fax or email your Cook  County Commissioner on Tues., Feb. 6 and 
ask for a NO vote. You can find out who  your commissioner is and how to 
contact his or her office at  http://www.fotfp.org/pdf-files/commissioners.pdf 
You may also speak during the public comment period  at the regularly 
scheduled Cook County Board meeting on Weds., Feb. 7 at 10:00  a.m. at the County 
Building at 118 N Clark St, 5th floor.  
Background: 
On Jan. 11, the Cook County Board of Commissioners  announced its plan to 
take $11 million from the budget of the Forest Preserve  District of Cook County 
to help balance the Cook County budget shortfall.  
Commissioners will vote on this proposal  at the regular meeting on Feb. 7. 
While other county departments are being asked to  reduce their budgets by 
17%, the Forest Preserve District is being asked to cut  its budget by 25%. This 
sort of budget maneuvering is especially egregious,  given that the Forest 
Preserve District of Cook County is a separate  governmental agency established 
by state statute: It is not a department of Cook County.  
The proposal to take $11 million from  the Forest Preserve District would not 
go far toward solving the county’s $500  million budget shortfall, but would 
greatly restrict the Forest Preserve  District’s ability to properly manage 
the 68,000 acres of public lands within  its care for wildlife and human use.  
Cook County Commissioners have other  means at their disposal to reduce the 
budget deficit and should not raid the  budget that enables the county to 
preserve, protect and manage precious natural  areas. 
Please take five minutes and phone,  email or fax your Cook County 
Commissioner or come to the Feb. 7 meeting and let  Commissioners express your 
opposition to this $11 million raid on Forest  Preserve District budget. 
Questions? Please contact COS  Conservation Chair, Christine Williamson, at 
birdchris at aol.com or 773.935-8439.   

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