[BCNnet] Protest Olympics tennis venue in Lincoln Park

[Carolyn A. Marsh]

Action alert

 

Lincoln Park and other bird sanctuaries threatened by Olympics 2016

 

          The Chicago Audubon Society opposes construction of Olympic
facilities on or near any lakefront sites; in particular, we oppose any
facilities being constructed at Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary and
Montrose Harbor in Lincoln Park. The shore of Lake Michigan, including
Lincoln Park, is designated the "Chicago Lakefront Important Bird Area" by
the National Audubon Society, and the City of Chicago acknowledges the
significance of the description. More than three-fourths of all bird species
seen in Illinois have passed through or paused to rest and feed along the
Chicago lakefront.

 

          The Chicago Olympics 2016 is proposing the construction of a $25.8
million tennis complex just 100 feet from the Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird
Sanctuary fence.  The tennis complex would include a stadium, viewing areas
and approximately 15 practice courts. The development, construction
activities, increased human presence, stadium lights and glass associated
with the tennis complex pose potential short and long-term hazards to birds
before, during and following the Olympics.

 

          Construction of a tennis complex as described above would be
counter-intuitive to any claims of commitment to protection of the existing
environment. The Chicago Audubon Society, a City of Chicago Bird Agenda
partner, along with many other organizations, has not been given the
opportunity to adequately evaluate the Chicago 2016 environmental impact
assessments for the games.

 

          Chicago Audubon Society believes that construction of the tennis
complex or any other such facility in an Audubon Important Bird Area would
be harmful to the existing environment and counter-intuitive to the
protection of birds and their habitat. Other viable options situated away
from the lakefront and away from Lincoln Park should be investigated by
Chicago Olympics 2016. 

 

Please contact Mayor Daley's office and request that the proposed tennis
complex be moved to protect lakefront bird sanctuaries. 

E-mail Sarah Beazley at  <mailto:sbeazley at cityofchicago.org.>
sbeazley at cityofchicago.org.

 

"Lake Michigan's shoreline is acknowledged as one of the most important
flyways for migrant songbirds in the United States by ornithologists and
bird watchers worldwide.  In all, more than 300 species of birds have been
recorded in the Chicagoland area since 1970." The Lake Michigan Flyway:
Chicagoland's Role in the Miracle of Bird Migration - A Green Paper by the
Bird Conservation Network

 

For more information, please contact Chicago Audubon Society, Joe Lill, at 

 <mailto:TrptJoe at aol.com> TrptJoe at aol.com

 

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