ILLINOIS
FEDERATION FOR OUTDOOR RESOURCES
P. O. BOX
5 – GODFREY, IL. 62035
October 23,
2007
ATTENTION: Editor
SUBJECT: Chicago 2016 Olympic
Equestrian Venue - County Commissioners Just Don’t Get
It.
IFOR is the acronym for
Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources, a not-for-profit statewide
organization with over 100 Conservation groups as members. We currently enjoy a
statewide membership of over 78,000 strong outdoorsmen & women who enjoy a
variety of outdoor recreational activities – especially hunting, fishing and
trail riding equestrians. We
promote the “responsible” use of public land and help protect private landowner
rights.
It is our observation that some of our county board members and especially the leadership of certain Forest Preserve Districts continue to implement policies that trample many responsible, recreational activities that have historically been enjoyed throughout Lake County, Illinois and other nearby Districts.
Our membership in Northern
Illinois is expanding rapidly, particularly in the Northwest Suburbs and in Lake
and McHenry Counties. We are not
anti-Olympic! In fact, many equestrians within our organization share our
concern. We do not support the
commercialization of “public lands” for “private” ventures, self-promotion and
personal agendas, i.e., economic development.
I would like to go on record
regarding this issue on behalf of our
membership.
We have been closely
monitoring The Lake County Forest Preserve Districts Board and the County's
Board of Commissioners caving in to pressure from their current leadership with
regards to the intended use of “publicly” owned Forest Preserve Land for the
Olympic Equestrian event slated for Chicago in 2016. The LCFPD has railroaded at the
11th hour a bad proposal at Lakewood and is now proving that they don’t get it -
by implementing another bad proposal at Raven Glen.
This is alarming because it
sets a very bad precedence. This very closely parallels what happened earlier
this year at Pyramid State Park near Pinckneyville, IL.
Some Illinois legislators, bureaucrats and entrepreneurs
had been plotting behind the scenes to once again try to “take away” public land
for private gain. Some public officials and developers devised a scheme to take
2,000 acres of public land from Pyramid State Park to build a resort/recreation
complex similar to Branson, Missouri. Senator Luechtefeld introduced an
amendment to HB 29 to give up 2,000 acres at Pyramid State Park in exchange for
a 2,000 acre parcel of strip-mined land. This reminds us of a developer's scheme
a few years ago to lease the public land around Kinkaid Lake and then use it to
sell – “lakefront property” homes.
These proposed land swaps
are not fair to the public. The land supports many rare nesting grassland birds,
tens of thousands of wintering ducks and geese, bald eagles, and a variety of
shore birds. Lakewood by their own admission is currently home to 17 (known)
endangered species of plants, animals, and
birds.
We encourage the residents of
Lake County to be very wary of their public officials because this sets a
dangerous precedent. If we as constituents allow these land swaps/deals to take
place, what park will developers covet next? Illinois currently ranks 48th compared to other
States, when it comes to setting aside public land for conservation and
preservation. If you enjoy living
next to a Forest Preserve or a State Park you should be very concerned. These swaps destroy public trust. How
can we feel confident in voting for referenda and spending money to buy,
restore, and manage county/state land, if that land can be traded, dealt or sold
off by our politicians. "Keep
Public Lands for the Public’s enjoyment"
WHAT CAN YOU
DO?
· Vote
· Vote responsibly, check your
county District Commissioner’s voting record.
In our opinion some members of
your County Board of Commissioners have ignored their fiduciary responsibility
to protect/preserve the public lands they manage in favor of economic
development.
IFOR strongly opposes the Olympic equestrian stadium development at Lakewood Forest Preserve or in any other Forest Preserve for that matter. We support the dedication of groups like VotersForPreservation, The Illinois Riparians, and TakeTheTimeMundelein to protect your rights to public lands and water for all generations to enjoy now and in the future.
We call upon the Chicago 2016
Olympic Site Selection Committee, Mayor Daley, and the Lake County Board to put
the issue to rest by removing all Olympic stadium plans from any and all PUBLIC
Forest Preserves. This is misuse of PUBLIC land.
For further information about
IFOR please visit our website at:
C. E. (Bob) Becker, President – Phone/Fax (618)-466-2582