Forest preserve is acting properly

In the race to win public benefits from Chicago potentially hosting the Olympic and

Paralympic Games in 2016, Lake County residents have been given an incredible head-start.

With the help of private funding, a small farm field owned by the Lake County Forest

Preserve District would become a world-class equestrian facility during the 2016 Games, and

afterward be converted into a unique community asset.

The equestrian center at Lakewood Forest Preserve would provide an incredible positive

legacy that would benefit future generations, and cost taxpayers nothing. It would maintain

and improve public access to miles of existing horse trails, and offer people, young and old,

the opportunity to enjoy a classic Olympic sport. The center would also host therapeutic and

adaptive riding programs to better serve the needs of area children and adults.

All of this will be done while maintaining the precious environmental balance of Lakewood

Forest Preserve and showcasing the beauty of Lake County to the rest of the world. LCFPD

has been honored with regional and national awards for its ability to properly balance its

multipurpose mission of preservation, restoration, education and recreation.

As part of planning for renovation of Lakewood, the District had conducted an environmental

assessment long before being contacted about the Olympics. The District had determined

that the specific site proposed was not sensitive ecologically and was available for public use.

Preliminary designs showed that the center could be created in a responsible fashion that

would include buffers and other protections for the species in the area.

For these reasons and more, the proposal has received widespread support from people all

over Lake County. Now that we are confirmed as the United States’ nominee, detailed

planning can determine more completely how we will protect the environment and mitigate

traffic and other concerns.

However, a small, but vocal minority who oppose bringing the Games to Lake County are

attempting to derail the project. Some have made misleading statements.

Some are opposed to any changes. Others have raised issues that the Chicago 2016

Olympic Committee and the LCFPD already identified during our initial planning, or that our

detailed planning will answer going forward.

We take all of these issues seriously and are accelerating our normal assessment process to

get answers to key questions as soon as possible.

Both the LCFPD and Chicago 2016 are committed to respecting the Forest Preserve

environment while bringing positive benefits to the community. We look forward to working

with all interested parties to develop a proposal that showcases the greatness of Lake

County and leaves a positive legacy for decades to come.

                    Bonnie Thomson Carter

                    (LCFPD President)