{"id":50646,"date":"2019-04-26T13:44:18","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T20:44:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=50646"},"modified":"2020-04-23T16:47:21","modified_gmt":"2020-04-23T23:47:21","slug":"cook-countys-best-kept-secret","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/cook-countys-best-kept-secret","title":{"rendered":"Cook County’s Best Kept Secret"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the largest\u2014and oldest\u2014forest preserve systems in the nation surrounds Chicago like an evergreen wreath. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hundreds of miles of foot and bike paths are nestled inside the Forest Preserves of Cook County, along with lakes and streams for fishing and boating, meandering disc golf courses, bird sanctuaries, landing strips for model airplanes, horse trails, and secluded campgrounds that make you forget you\u2019re in the city altogether. <\/span><\/p>\n

But the Emerald Necklace, as it’s nicknamed, hasn\u2019t always been recognized as a county jewel. From the preserves\u2019 founding in 1914, for the purpose of protecting the region\u2019s natural flora and fauna, to a history of patronage during the second half of the 20th century, the forest preserves have a long and complicated background.<\/span><\/p>\n

But according to Forest Preserves leadership and citizen-activists who support the protection of these wild lands, a new era has begun, marked by modern efforts to root out corruption, clean up and expand trails, and enhance the activities available at the preserves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Origins of the Forest Preserves of Cook County<\/b><\/h4>\n

Some of Chicago\u2019s most recognizable parks were established by the 1860s, but appreciation for green spaces stalled during the next 30 years. And while parks contained ballfields and playgrounds, there was little in place to focus on preserving Chicagoland\u2019s nature in its purest form: plants, animals and land.<\/span><\/p>\n

That changed in 1914, <\/span>when Cook County residents voted to establish the Forest Preserve District<\/span><\/a>. But for much of their existence, the preserves have been co-opted to serve the needs of administrators who hired politically connected candidates instead of those who were qualified, according to the<\/span> Chicago Tribune.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

A series of federal court orders called <\/span>the Shakman Decrees<\/span><\/a> finally held this culture of patronage accountable starting in the \u201970s by reigning in nepotism and eliminating the distribution of spoils to unqualified beneficiaries. Undoing this system of political influence took decades; in 2010, when Arnold Randall was appointed as the preserves\u2019 new general superintendent, he discovered there was still a lot of cleaning up to do. \u00a0\u201cWhen we got here, we found an organization that wasn\u2019t running very efficiently,\u201d Randall said. \u201cThere was undue political influence on the work, or the lack of work, really. It needed a wholesale change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2013, under the guidance of Toni Preckwinkle (president of the Cook County Board), the Forest Preserves District won a dismissal from the decrees thanks to a court ruling that they had achieved substantial compliance with the ruling. By demonstrating that their hiring practices were now transparent, equitable and based on merit, preserve administrators had made significant strides in earning back public trust.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf your cousin wasn\u2019t employable, they went to work for the Forest Preserves,\u201d said Benjamin Cox, executive director of Friends of the Forest Preserves, a nonprofit that provides accountability and advocates for the Forest Preserves system. \u201cBut that\u2019s changed dramatically. It just isn\u2019t tolerated anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For the health of the city<\/b><\/h4>\n

Why do the Forest Preserves matter? In short, they\u2019re the literal and metaphorical lungs of Chicago. \u201cAn obvious ecological benefit is air quality,\u201d Randall said. \u201cImagine if the were no forest. What would our air be like? How much more pronounced would our stormwater issues be?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also benefits to body and mind. Amid the stress of everyday life in a big city, it\u2019s easy to lose a sense of connection to nature: Trucks belch exhaust. Screens beckon. And green space is sparse in many places. But when you make the effort to get into nature, \u201cyou can feel the tension flowing out of you,\u201d Randall said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got this green necklace around the city and throughout Cook County that is invaluable in terms of quality of life and outdoor opportunities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The importance of the preserves has led to the creation of organizations designed to monitor and support the district, including the Forest Preserve Foundation that raises private funds to aid the preserves mission. \u201cIt\u2019s about ecological health and our health as humans on this planet,\u201d said Shelley Davis, foundation president. \u201cEven if you don\u2019t set foot in the forest preserves but live in Chicago, they\u2019re affecting your life for the better, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to protect them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Spreading awareness\u2014and a plan for the next hundred years<\/b><\/h4>\n

With 70,000 acres of natural land surrounding the city, why don\u2019t more Chicagoans take advantage of the preserves? Davis, who grew up on the South Side six blocks from Lake Michigan, said she would make the journey out to the <\/span>Dan Ryan Woods<\/span><\/a> once a year for her dad\u2019s company cookout, but like most, she and her family rarely ventured farther than the picnic groves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018What do I do when I get there?\u2019 is a question people have if they didn\u2019t grow up with the tradition of hiking and walking and exploring in nature,\u201d she said. \u201cEspecially in communities of color, getting lost anywhere is not the smartest thing to be thinking about it. So it\u2019s about empowering people to know what to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To that end, the Forest Preserve Foundation is campaigning to increase inclusive visitorship in the form of grants to teach outdoor skills and stock a library of camping gear visitors can borrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure everyone has access to those campgrounds,\u201d Davis said, explaining that the cost of equipment at retail outfitters can be prohibitive for many Chicago families. \u201cIt can be really expensive really fast, especially for a new experience you don\u2019t know if you\u2019ll like.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With their legal issues in the rearview mirror, the Forest Preserves administration has turned its attention to the land, with the help of nonprofits like <\/span>Openlands<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Friends of the Forest Preserves<\/span><\/a> as well as corporate partners (including REI).<\/span><\/p>\n

Short term improvements are being made, Randall said: Last year, 60,000 people visited the preserves\u2019 nature centers, RV sites and campgrounds (which were reintroduced in 2015 after a 50-year hiatus). In recent years, the Forest Preserves administration has fortified nearly 300 miles of extensive trails, making it possible for a group of hikers to accomplish<\/span> a 210-mile urban thru-hike around the city<\/span><\/a>. And last summer, the district rolled out a dockless bike share program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Randall and his team also have an eye on the long-term future in the form of the<\/span> Next Century Conservation Plan<\/span><\/a>, which offers a four-pronged approach to preserve and restore the lands. Among the goals: acquiring an additional 21,000 acres, promoting accessibility for a diverse group of visitors, marketing the preserves as a Chicago icon and destination, and fortifying 30,000 acres to the highest possible ecological quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the meantime, Randall, Davis and Cox agree that it\u2019s key to encourage a love of nature and to let Chicagoans know what the preserves have to offer. \u201cPeople always say, \u2018That\u2019s unused land! We should do something with it!\u2019\u201d Cox says. \u201cIn Chicago, green space always turns into a subdivision or a shopping mall. We need to elevate the status of nature in this region to the place where it\u2019s as valuable to us as our food, music, architecture and sports teams.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

6 ways to get involved<\/b><\/h4>\n
    \n
  1. Visit one of the six<\/span> nature centers<\/span><\/a> around Cook County and learn about the history of the land, the arrival of settlers and even the role the preserves played in the Underground Railroad.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Go on a hike with Forest Preserves staff and keep an eye out for bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, coyotes, owls and more.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Put together a self-guided tour with the help of <\/span>this interactive map<\/span><\/a>, which features information about every parcel and its amenities.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Volunteer for the Forest Preserve Foundation\u2019s<\/span> Conservation Corps<\/span><\/a>, which restores the habitat, improves trails and provides job experience.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Consider planning a<\/span> team-building day<\/span><\/a> with the Friends of the Forest Preserve.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Put your money where your values are with a donation to <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Forest Preserve Foundation<\/span><\/a> or<\/span> Friends of the Forest Preserves.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Editor\u2019s note: Over the years, REI has supported several of the nonprofits mentioned in this story with grants, including the Forest Preserve Foundation ($80,000), Friends of the Forest Preserves ($70,000) and OpenLands ($50,000).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    One of the largest\u2014and oldest\u2014forest preserve systems in the nation surrounds Chicago like an evergreen wreath. \u00a0 Hundreds of miles of foot and bike paths are nestled inside the Forest Preserves of Cook County, along with lakes and streams for fishing and boating, meandering disc golf courses, bird sanctuaries, landing strips for model airplanes, horse […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":50775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[588,577,1056],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-50646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-camping","tag-chicago","tag-midwest"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/cook-countys-best-kept-secret","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Cook County’s Best Kept Secret","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/cook-countys-best-kept-secret","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/cook-countys-best-kept-secret"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/Hero_Cook-County_Region-7_McClaughrey-Spring_29.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/Hero_Cook-County_Region-7_McClaughrey-Spring_29.jpg?fit=2000%2C1260"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jessica Bernhard"}],"creator":["Jessica Bernhard"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["camping","chicago","midwest"],"dateCreated":"2019-04-26T20:44:18Z","datePublished":"2019-04-26T20:44:18Z","dateModified":"2020-04-23T23:47:21Z"},"rendered":"