Separate governance for
county, forest preserves

Our elected stewards of the Forest Preserve District have once again succumbed to pressures to give away the Cook County public’s forest preserve land, even though state law and their own ordinance prohibit it.

At a Sept. 2 meeting, commissioners voted against their staff’s recommendation to negotiate leasing to the village of Hinsdale 30 acres of forested land to be cleared for a park. That isn’t final approval, but it’s disturbing.

It is not legal for the district to sell land without approval from the Illinois General Assembly, a difficult task at best. So now, in order to circumvent the law, district commissioners have begun to approve long-term and permanent easements, effectively giving the land away.

Hinsdale claims not to have undeveloped land available for parks. And yet the district routinely buys land with homes on it and converts it to forest preserve.

Why can’t Hinsdale do the same for a park if they need it? Instead, our Cook County representatives gave nearly $12 million worth of land given to Hinsdale, which is almost entirely in DuPage County.

Historically, the district has fought off land grabs tooth and nail. Soon, every community will be land-locked as the county is now nearly built out and soon every community will come asking for land. Once it starts, where does it stop?

Last year, Friends of the Forest Preserves and the Civic Federation released a report calling for a separately elected board for the district. The current set-up creates an inherent conflict of interest and inhibits proper oversight, which has resulted in numerous incidents of mismanagement, such as giving away forest land.

A Forest Preserve District has to put top priority on the ecosystem and the people who depend on it for beauty, clean air, clean water, wildlands recreation and peace. A separate board will allow voters to elect commissioners on the basis of positions, credentials, experience and interest in forest preserve governance.

If you want forest preserves to be protected for today, please call your elected officials and tell them to support the separation of the Cook County and Forest Preserve District boards.

Benjamin Cox, executive director, Friends of the Forest Preserves