Question on Cook County Forest Preserves (Chicago, Anna: houses, quality of life, tax)

[doublenickels]

Some the Cook County Forest Preserves are so huge, and much of it, totally unused, else inaccesible to the public. Does the county ever sell any of that land? Should it sell any? Just wondering, because there are so many "Do not enter" road signs, INSIDE those geographically huge forest preserves.

[chet everett]

You are not supposed to DRIVE in the Forest Preserves. If you drive to get there you park your car and WALK or bicycle around the thing. It is only inaccessible if you have mobility issues and even then I think ADA. Would require somebody to give you an off road wheel chair.

If the Do Not Enter sign is on a road that is used to service some other facility inside the Forest Preserve why would that be an indication that the land should be sold???

State law makes it very complicated for any land owned by Park Distocts or Forest Preserves to be sold. The potential for corrupt insider deals would otherwise be OFF THE CHARTS -- you want to turn the Stroger family I tomthe next Pulte Builders or strip mall billionaties??

Pull you head out and think what sort of shenanigans that would lead to!!!!

4-1-5:* PROHIBITED AND RESTRICTED ACTS.
A.***Driving on Walks, Paths, Trails or Woodlands:* It shall be unlawful for the operator of any automobile, motorcycle, motor scooter or other motor vehicle to drive or cause to be driven such motor vehicle through any woodland or upon any walk, sidewalk, path or trail, whether marked or unmarked, within the property of the Forest Preserve District; or upon any road or drive or parking space within said District, except in the manner and according to the regulations prescribed by the District Board of Commissioners.*
B.***Hill Climbing:* It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motor vehicle to drive or climb or to attempt to drive or climb any hill, dune or other elevation within the limits of any forest preserve, except upon roads or highways of the Forest Preserve District.*

[chitown85]

No more Stroger in office! His last day was Friday.

[chet everett]

...let's see how quickly all the Stroger kin folks stay on the payroll too.

Anyone who does not grasp the fact that once insiders get their hooks into a organization like the County Board it is a license to take advantage of tax payees hasn't lived on the region long enough.

[chitown85]

Preckwinckle said she was going to fire all of Stroger's patronage employees. Apparently they had a meeting and Stroger left after 5 minutes because of this.

[ekulio]

Chicago's motto is "city in a garden." Keeping lots of parks and forest preserves around is fitting. No one wants to live in a concrete desert.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by doublenickels

Some the Cook County Forest Preserves are so huge, and much of it, totally unused, else inaccesible to the public. Does the county ever sell any of that land? Should it sell any? Just wondering, because there are so many "Do not enter" road signs, INSIDE those geographically huge forest preserves.

The fact that you would think this is "totally unused and inaccesible" kind of scares me. There are many trails to explore. The fact you even would think of selling forest preserve land.

The 68,000 acres of Cook County forest preserves are the greatest treasure in the area. It gives so much quality of life to have that much nature, and there are many healthy-minded people who enjoy them and cherish them.

If they did start selling I would move somewhere else, and be in total support of just evacuating people and the nuking the place. Just kidding. That obviously facetious but you get the point.

While we are at, lets sell the federal land mountains Santa Monica, San Gabriel, and Santa Anna mountain surrounding LA?

No, nature close to cities are healing to the soul and absolutely precious. I know that sounds cheesy, but it seriously can be.

[Mr Downtown]

You understand what the word preserve means, right?

Some people are so bold as to imagine that other generations might come after ours.

[grapico]

If anything they should take back some of the corn fields than were previously preserves and protect them ... as well as some of the abandoned houses, just demolish them and build up park space.
There are some other lots that have been sitting for ages waiting for property values to rise, I say if just sitting on it in the middle of the city, just make it a park and donate your name to it instead.

[ToriaT]

I agree with Tex. Its frightening to think someone would want to sell the preserves. To educate yourself, take a look at the website of Chicago Wilderness. The preserved land around Chicago is such a rare thing and a great thing that other cities do not necessarily have.

Chicago Wilderness