Cook County United

Cook County United is a tri-group effort by the Chicago, Northwest Cook and Sauk-Calumet Groups to bring activists together who are interested in working on environmental issues at the county level. A little less than half – about 12,000 - of the entire membership of the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club live in Cook County. We are rich in public lands with 67,000 acres in county control, but are poor when it comes to having enough county-level politicians who care about the environment.

2005 is the year of the County. Cook County, that is. The three united Sierra Club groups have ambitious plans for improving land management and protection, nature education and stewardship in the Cook County forest preserves and are looking for a core of volunteers interested in making these plans happen.

For more information about Cook Count United or to get involved contact Douglas Chien in the Chapter office at doug.chien@sierraclub.org or (312)251-1680 (days).

Our goals include:

Illinois Nature Preserve Status - Identify Cook County Forest Preserve District (CCFPD) properties that deserve Illinois Nature Preserve status, like Powderhorn Prairie, and plan a campaign to make it happen. Plan to get one property designated on Earth Day 2005.

Volunteer Work Days – Expand current schedule of regular series of volunteer work days of all kinds – from restoration to clean-ups to education - throughout the county run by each group in their territory, with input and support by outings leaders in each group (or from the state Outings committee). Aim to set the calendar of work days six to 12 months ahead of time.

Public Education – Develop public outreach programs to increase the perceived value of the forest preserves for members and non-members. Explain why public lands matter. Educational and recruitment tabling scheduled at Chicago Wilderness Habitat Conference at Northeastern Illinois University on Feb. 25.

Educational Programs – The budget for educational programming has been cut by the County. Assess current CCFPD educational offerings and come up with a practical proposal to improve them, possibly using volunteers from Sierra Club and other groups.

Grassroots Lobbying - Plan a campaign to get storm water and wetlands ordinances passed by the Cook County Board and the City of Chicago and if necessary, by the Illinois legislature. Develop rally points on issues like the latest Lake Calumet land fill proposal, cessation of land management moratorium on all CCFPD lands, restoration of CCFPD educational program, trails advocacy (with Outings leaders).

Elections 2006 – All Cook County Board/Forest Preserve District Commissioners are up for reelection. Contests likely will be decided in the March primary. Start assembling information about incumbents, including voting records (difficult, since roll call votes are rare and no minutes are available for meetings for the past three or more years) and writing endorsement questionnaires. Identify and start courting potential candidates. Strategic plan to accomplish should be set by Sept. 2005.

Quarterly Member Communication - Quarterly mailings are planned to go to all 12,000 plus Cook County SC members containing action alerts, events, news and activities. Additional postcard mailings to all Cook County members on hot button issues when needed.

Lake Calumet – Recruit a core committee of members willing to work on Lake Calumet issues to work on protections for the area as well as proactive activities, such as working with the City on educational programs at its new Nature Center at Hegewisch Marsh. First issue on the year’s agenda - the proposal by Waste Management to resume dumping at O’Brien Lock and Dam. Continue issues work regarding the Chicago City Council review of the ordinance prohibiting dumping in the city, scheduled for February 2005. Monitor progress of master plan for restoration of the Lake Calumet eco-system.

This page last revised on September 6, 2008

Copyright© 2008 Northwest Cook County Group, Illinois Chapter, the Sierra Club.
The Northwest Cook County Group website designed and maintained by Joyce May.
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