Thank you to all the volunteers that have helped us clean the trails for 29 years!
The 2025 Annual Trails Cleanup
of the Great Western Trails
& Illinois Prairie Path
will be on
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Starting at 9:00AM*
*9:00AM is the approx. start time. Times set by the local coordinators.
In Sycamore the Lions club will be cleaning the trail on a date to be determined.
Contact them at Lions@sycamorelions.org
In 1995 we started with 4 volunteers cleaning the Great Western Trail in Lombard, IL. We remain an all volunteer group dedicated to protecting the trails and it's users. Saturday, April 26th will be the 30th anniversary cleanup. Over the years thousands have joined us and helped clean the trails from Sycamore to Villa Park. On 4/26/25 we welcome volunteers to join us cleaning the GWT and the IL Prairie Path. See the flyer linked in the box below for the cleanup. Please distribute it via email and social media. You are also encouraged to print copies to post on bulletin boards at your place of worship, work and any local coffee shops. Thank you to everyone for your support!
Don Kirchenberg
Voluntary Chairman
Friends of the Great Western Trails
Email address: frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com
> Join us on Instagram @
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We are very lucky to have a great sponsor of the 2025 annual trails cleanup flyer.
Kathy Slovick a long time trails supporter and award winning realtor is returning as a sponsor. Thank you Kathy for your continued support !
The flyer is linked in the box to the right. Please pass along copies to other trail users.
And special thanks to Maximum Printing of Downers Grove for their continued support, excellent prices and exceptional service.
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2 page flyer for the 2025 trails cleanup sponsored by Kathy Slovick |
Please remember the trail cleanups
are rain or shine events
because of the scheduling of
all the pickups of the trash collected.
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| THANK YOU to all our volunteers! |
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Recommended rules for all trail users:
- SPEED LIMIT 15
- NO MORE THAN 2 ACROSS
- SIGNAL WHEN PASSING SAY “ON YOUR LEFT”
- DOGS ON A 6’ LEASH
- SCOOP THE POOP
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For more up to date information please follow us on FACEBOOK at:
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The Friends of the Great Western Trails is grateful and most appreciative of the ongoing support we receive from the City of West Chicago and its residents in relation to our Annual Trails Cleanup program. We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to West Chicago and the residents who have devoted their time and efforts to maintain and promote the GWTs and IPP these last 30 years.
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Here is the proclamation just released by the City of West Chicago...
PROCLAMATION
RECOGNIZING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ANNUAL TRAILS CLEANUP OF THE GREAT WESTERN TRAIL & THE ILLINOIS PRAIRIE PATH
APRIL 26, 2025
WHEREAS, the Great Western Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path are treasured regional assets that provide West Chicago residents and visitors with access to scenic natural areas, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and alternative transportation routes; and
WHEREAS, these multi-use trails promote physical activity, foster environmental appreciation, and contribute to the overall quality of life in West Chicago and beyond; and
WHEREAS, the Friends of the Great Western Trails have demonstrated outstanding dedication and stewardship by organizing the Annual Trails Cleanup for 30 consecutive years, ensuring that the trails remain clean, safe, and beautiful for all who use them; and
WHEREAS, the Annual Trails Cleanup is a shining example of civic engagement, bringing together volunteers, local organizations, and community leaders to collaborate in preserving these vital public amenities; and
WHEREAS, the City of West Chicago’s Comprehensive Plan identifies the importance of trails and open space in shaping the community’s future, emphasizing the City’s commitment to leveraging trails and open space with a focus on trail-oriented development to increase trail use by West Chicagoans and visitors; and
WHEREAS, by supporting and promoting events such as the Annual Trails Cleanup, the City of West Chicago underscores its dedication to enhancing the accessibility, connectivity, and enjoyment of these trails for generations to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ruben Pineda, Mayor of the City of West Chicago, do hereby extend our congratulations to the Friends of the Great Western Trails in recognition of 30 years of devotion and protection of the trails in the City of West Chicago and encourage all residents, businesses, and visitors to join in celebrating this milestone by participating in or supporting the efforts to maintain and promote the Great Western Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path on April 26, 2025.
Proclaimed this 25th day of March, 2025.
Ruben Pineda
Mayor, City of West Chicago
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| Volunteers from Deb Conroy's office, the Mendrick and Hebreard families |
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| Here is a great article about the Great Western Trail
and the Friends of the Great Western Trails.
Community spirit pushes the
Great Western Trail forward
Click on the link for the article:
https://activetrans.org/blog/community-spirit-pushes-the-great-western-trail-forward
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GWT users are endangered at the crossing
of the high speed multilane County Farm Rd!
We are asking DuPage County to provide improvements to protect the trail users. An engineer with the Div. of Transportation has said no changes are needed despite a serious injuries to 2 bicyclist and 1 pedestrian trying to cross County Farm Road.
EDITORIAL in the DAILY HERALD supporting a safer Great Western Trail crossing
at County Farm Rd.
Another bike trail danger to eliminate
The Great Western Trail crossing at County Farm Road indeed does need to be made safer
The Great Western Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path through DuPage County is a remarkable system that can take you from suburb to suburb with long stretches of peaceful forest in between each one. Unfortunately, there also are busy roads in the way. It’s one reason we have said in our periodic bike trail listings that you should be careful, especially with children, on these trails.
The Friends of the Great Western Trails, a community group, is calling for a solution to one especially dangerous crossing: the Great Western Trail at County Farm Road in Winfield. We know what they mean. You can be riding along the trail, endorphins flowing as you let go of your stress or as you’re just enjoying the nature, and suddenly, with no gates or fence or barricade or anything but a little sign, you’re at the curb along four-lane County Farm Road, and heaven forbid it’s rush hour. You’d better be paying attention.
Riders and walkers actually must cross several streets on the Great Western Trail and Illinois Prairie Path. Many are not too bad, like neighborhood side streets or otherwise less-busy thoroughfares (you still must look both ways). But County Farm Road takes the traffic up a notch, with vehicles zooming at 45 mph, if that slow, in both directions. Overhanging signs and a crosswalk do note the trail crossing, but there’s no requirement to stop nor even a flashing light to encourage stopping.
A DuPage County Board member, Greg Schwarze, has put forth an idea: Install a traffic light just a couple hundred feet south on County Farm Road at Timber Creek Drive/Hawthorne Lane. The idea is to slow down traffic, as well as provide a safe way for cyclists and pedestrians to cross.
We also know another traffic light on County Farm Road can inhibit traffic flow. But we also hear people have been hurt at this crossing. And we remember how a cyclist was killed at another trail’s intersection with a busy road, off Busse Woods just east of the Schaumburg border, before a bridge was built over Higgins Road there.
So we call for some measure to make this crossing safer. (And while we’re at it, we see the same problem at the Great Western Trail crossing at Bloomingdale Road.) At the very least, a flashing beacon would be helpful as we’ve seen elsewhere in the suburbs, if not the traffic light. Anything, before more people flock to this pretty trail in the fall and risk getting seriously hurt. ###
Please contact the DuPage County Board supporting a safer GWT crossing at County Farm Rd w/Greg Schwarze’s traffic signal proposal via email at cbtransportcommittee@dupagecounty.gov, cbjpscommittee@dupagecounty.gov & chair@dupagecounty.gov and please copy us at frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com
Get more up to date info about the Friends of the GWTs ongoing efforts to protect trail users at this dangerous crossing at our Facebook page:
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According to the IL Dept. of Transportation two bicycle riders and one pedestrian were seriously injured trying to cross County Farm Rd. WE NEED A SAFER CROSSING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER {not after some study to be scheduled sometime in 2022 by DuPage County's Div of Transportation }. The IDOT standards have been met for a traffic signal because County Farm Rd has over 14,000 vehicles per day and an average speed of over 40 miles per hour on this multilane highway.
Please contact the elected officials via email noted in the section to the left.
THANK YOU!
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Why must the annual cleanups be Rain or Shine events?
Many people ask why does the trail cleanup need to be a "rain or shine" event? The facts are that the towns, townships and counties that the trails run through schedule their highway work crews and equipment to pick up the amazing amount of trash we pick up. The Monday after the cleanup they use their dump trucks and crews usually assigned to road maintenance and landscaping to picking up the trail trash.
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| Thank you to Maximum Printing of Downers Grove for their assistance with the Trails Cleanup and Safer Crossing flyers! |
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Basic suggestions to follow
when picking up trash along the trails.
Thanks for your interest in the trails. We definitely need volunteers along the GWTs all year around.
Be careful out there so you can enjoy the trails year around. Here are some basic suggestions to help make the cleanup safer.
1. We suggest that you wear gloves, long sleeve shirts and long pants to protect you from thorny bushes and/or broken glass along the trails.
2. Take a wagon or cart to haul the filled trash bags out to the closest trash can.
3. Please do not leave the filled bags along the trails.
4. If you want to recycle bottles and cans you pick up you'll have to separate them and take them to your home or local recycling bin. The local authorities and waste pickup companies do not accomodate recycling along the trails. Unless you see a recycling container do not assume it will be recycled.
5. Be careful and if you see something too big or hazardous to pick up. Please advise us of the approximate location like north side of trail 1/4 mile east of the closest cross street. With that information we can get the appropriate authorities with the appropriate equipment to safely remove the items dumped along the trails. Send us an email to frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com.
Volunteers cleaning up the trails is the essence of the spirit that started the Friends of the Great Western Trails over 10 years ago as an all volunteer group (and we remain unpaid volunteers) without any memberships or big bank accounts like other groups.
Thank you again for your support!
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If you were on the GWT in Sycamore on 8/14/16 maybe you saw something related to this case. Please read the article linked below FYI.
http://www.daily-chronicle.com/…/police-seek-publi…/a1m2ri0/
SYCAMORE – DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott knows the public has not forgotten. People regularly approach him and ask about it.
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| Thank You to the Sycamore Singles (2 volunteers from the group in photo) for their ongoing support of our annual trail cleanups! |
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THANK YOU to the Mooring family!
Anyone that has enjoyed the IL Prairie Path and the Great Western Trails owes the Mooring family a debt of gratitude. Having volunteered alongside the Moorings their energy, dedication and vision was always an inspiration to do more. Thank you to them for fighting and working on the IPP which helped us get it extended.
And all the other trails benefited because their work helped make the IPP a success and model for others.
One of the driving forces behind the Illinois Prairie Path, F. Paul Mooring of Glen Ellyn, is being remembered this week as a physicist and lifelong environmentalist.
DAILYHERALD.COM|BY DAILY HERALD REPORT
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Trail cleanup volunteers from the Lions Club in DuPage County returned again this year and did a great job on an over one mile long stretch of the GWT.
Thank you to everyone from the Friends of the Great Western Trails. Special thanks to Sue Crosson - Knutson for coordinating the cleanup with the Lions.
Here is an article about the Lion's cleanup of the GWT:
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-great-western-trail-clean-up-brigade-is-back.
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| 2014 GWT cleanup volunteers from St. Matthew's and the Green party of DuPage County. At Swift Rd and the GWT in Lombard, IL. |
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Thank you to the volunteers from the Green Party of DuPage County
for their ongoing support of the annual trails cleanups!
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We have lost a very good public servant that
served the citizens in and around Lombard, IL!
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120818/news/708109607/
Mayor Mueller always had a smile and kind word for anyone. As the volunteer President of the IL Prairie Path for several years or as the ongoing voluntary Chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trails I enjoyed many conversations with the Mayor. If you had a concern or if you wanted to work to help correct a problem like the "tree butchering" (a term I heard him say first) on the trails he would ask how he could help. The trails and trail users all benefited from his sincere concern to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors to Lombard. For his dedication and work he deserves a lot of recognition (he would not want any accolades) maybe we can name the bridges that are being built on the Great Western Trail through Lombard in his honor?
Don Kirchenberg
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| Lombard's Mayor Bill Mueller |
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The environment has lost
a good friend!
With the passing of West Chicago's Mayor Mike Kwasman http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120417/news/704179666/ our community (not just West Chicago) lost a dedicated elected official and the environment lost a good friend.
Many years ago when we started to expand the trail cleanups on the Great Western Trail and IL Prairie Path he was an Alderman in West Chicago. He would give us immediate feedback and provide the trail groups with important resources to haul away the amazing amount of trash we collect every year. As Mayor he also took action and directed an effort to help trail supporters fight Com Ed's butchering of the trees on the trails. He also lead the City of West Chicago to pass a resolution requesting the first ever public forum on tree maintenance which the Governor's office, ICC and DuPage County Chairman later supported.
My best wishes go out to his family, friends and coworkers.
Don Kirchenberg
Voluntary Chairman, Friends of the Great Western Trails
Get more news here: http://batavia.patch.com/articles/city-mourns-death-of-west-chicago-mayor-michael-kwasman
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| Mayor Mike Kwasman from the City of West Chicago website. |
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The Boy Scouts from St. Charles Troop 80 worked hard and had a great time cleaning up the Great Western Trail on Saturday 4/28. They found some interesting trash and discovered that there are some runners/bikers who like a certain brand of energy-boosting supplement that they like to drink and toss in the bushes when they are on the path! Thank you to the scouts, parents and supporting agencies!
In the group photo on the right from left to right-back row: Grant Rose, Charlie Smith (his hat is just visible), Landon Rose, Matt Ferarro, Austin rose, Sam George, Susan George, Dave George; Front row: Grant Workman, Chance Rose, Gary Smith and Peter Ferarro. David George is the Scout Master. Linda Smith provided the photos and helped coordinate their participation in the cleanup.
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| 2012 GWT cleanup volunteers from Boy Scout Troop 80 from St Charles, IL |
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| Some of the volunteers that came out for the annual all volunteer GWT cleanup on 4/28/12 you see: Pete Null, Gary Tomlinson, Dave Barry, Richard Dunn and Christy Barry. Note the pile of bags in this photo should be multiplied by three because they drop filled bags at the 3 streets that cross the GWT in their section which are Bloomingdale, Presidents and Schmale Rd. |
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| Two long time and dedicated trail supporters Dave Barry and Richard Dunn participating in the trails cleanup. |
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NOTE: All groups from any political viewpoint or religion are always welcome to participate in the annual trails cleanup. Please mark your calendars now for the last Saturday in April for the probable date of the annual cleanup. If you have a group that wants to "officially clean" a section of the trails let us know so we may help you get started.
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| The annual trails cleanups can be fun for the whole family or a group event especially when you see a clean trail after you finish! |
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| Saturday, 4/28/12 was the date of the annual all volunteer trails cleanup which was a RAIN and SHINE event that included both of the
Great Western Trails in IL,
the IL Prairie Path and trails that connect to both.
Thank you to all that assisted with the cleanups!
Please mark your calendars for the next annual all volunteer cleanup on the last Saturday in April 2013 and let everyone know
via webpage or newsletter postings
and feel free to forward a link to this website.
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Click on the PDF logo to get a copy of the two page trail cleanup flyer that includes trail maps. |
A location in DuPage County that always needs cleanup volunteers is on the GWT
between Main St and Swift Rd along the northside of Ackerman Park. Safe and easy
When you fill trash bags during the cleanups we need them brought out
to the closest cross street.
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| Here's Mr Simon having fun after cleaning the GWT. Send us your photos and we'll give you credit. Plus photos help encourage others to participate in future cleanups. |
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| Not everyone finds this much trash but the first time volunteers from Wheaton College lead by long time trail supporter Ben Lowe (with the broom) cleaned up a busy and dirty one mile long section of the GWT in the Carol Stream/Winfield area. THANKS again to everyone! |
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| Bringing a wagon or two wheel dolly helps make the chore easier when bringing the filled trash bags to the nearest cross street that intersects with the trail. Thank you to the 2 volunteers from the group of Elmhurst Bicycle Club volunteers that come out every year to clean the GWT. |
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| Rain or shine our volunteers come through! |
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| Members of the Bloomingdale Lions Club, Glendale Heights Lions Club, and the Bloomingdale Westfield Middle School Leo Club have cleaned their adopted one mile of the trail from Prince Crossing Road east to County Farm Road in West Chicago for many years. Thank you again to the Lions Clubs for all that they do to help our communities. |
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| The Friends of the GWTs is an ALL volunteer group without any budget or membership fees. Unlike other groups with many thousands of dollars in the bank we simply roll up our sleeves to maintain the trails and contribute what is needed to help publicize our cleanups and concerns. THANK YOU again to all the volunteers from the Girl Scouts of DuPage County shown in this photo. |
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Matt Chlebeck and volunteers from
Boy Scout Troop 202 from Lombard, IL.
working on the GWT mile marker
as the sun is setting.
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Thank you to Eagle Scout candidate and Boy Scout Matt Chlebeck for all his work on the Great Western Trail in DuPage County!
He worked hard during the summer and fall of 2011 to get all the mile markers cleaned up and repainted with a safety yellow color and placed fresh mulch around each pole. He also had to replace the missing 8 mile marker pole. His family (parents Mary and John) and members of Troop 202 from Lombard all helped Matt complete this safety project that improves the use of the trail for everyone. And thanks to Bruce Blake with the Boy Scouts and Dan Thomas with DuPage County who helped facilitate all the arrangements to make this project happen.
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For the 2011 all volunteer cleanup of the trails we were very lucky to have dozens of Comcast employees out to clean a very long, busy and dirty section of the GWT in DuPage County!
The photo (click on the link below) shows the dozens of filled garbage bags and assorted items they pulled off the trail and sides of the trail between Swift Rd and Main St. in Glen Ellyn and unincorporated Glen Ellyn, IL.
Thank you again to Comcast and their employees because as the sign in the photo says Comcast Cares!
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| A few of the dozens of Comcast employees that came out for the 2011 cleanup of the GWTs! Click on the link to the left to see the results of their hard work. |
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| Volunteers of all ages and sizes are always welcome to come out and help clean the trails! Here are volunteers from the Westmore School 1st Grade Reading Club |
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The annual trail cleanups are successful because of volunteers like David Gorman who has helped clean the trails for many years. Recently he has done an excellent job coordinating the cleanup of both the GWT and IPP within the Village of Lombard. In 2011 he coordinated approximately 150 volunteers on both trails from Comcast, Healthy Lombard, Glenbard East Key Club, the Glenbard East Ecology Club, Calvary Episcopal Church, Midwestern University Kappa Psi Fraternity, NYK Line Inc., Westmore School 1st Grade Reading Club, Boy Scout Troop 202, Cub Scout Pack 48, the Lombard Jaycees and the Deicke Home. Many individual residents also helped out.
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| GWT cleanup volunteers in 2011 included employees from the NYK Line. Thanks again to David, the Village of Lombard and of course all those that took the time to make the trails cleaner and safer for the rest of us! |
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| The Chainlink is free to use and a helpful site for bicycle riders across the Chicago area. Check the info at http://www.thechainlink.org/ |
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| This photo exemplifies the majority of the trail in DuPage Cty from the west, tall bushes and short trees on both sides of the trail and following the high-voltage power corridor. The surface is crushed limestone and is suitable for road bikes. An overpass carries the trail over I-355 and there is an underpass at Rte 53 but most other road crossings are unprotected and care must be taken on several of them, notably County Farm, Gary, and Schmale. As you approach the east terminus in Villa Park, you encounter more residences and industrial areas, but there are far fewer residential street crossings than found on the nearby Illinois Prairie Path which runs through the heart of several suburbs. |
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The Friends of the Great Western Trails was pleased to participate in this special event
Moving Planet - Moving Beyond Fossil Fuels held on Sat. September 24, 2011
and the ongoing efforts to improve our environment.
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| Many of the participants in the 2011 event stayed for a photograph taken along the Il Prairie Path in Villa Park, IL Click on the photo to get more info. |
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| The Friends of the GWTs is an all volunteer group that depends on the assistance of many to keep the trails clean and promote concerns about protecting the trails and trail users. Thank you to all our volunteers. |
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| Grand Opening of the 3 bridges on the GWT in Lombard, I |
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3 Pedestrian bridges
Get the news here http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/willowbrook/newsnow/x723436016/Three-pedestrian-bridges-to-be-built-on-Great-Western-Trail
As Lombard's Mayor Mueller says in the article “When the Great Western Trail
reaches Lombard, it has a spot that becomes very dangerous,” We agree!
Thank you again to the Village of Lombard for their support of this important safety
improvement for the trail users, pedestrians traveling north south through Lombard
and the thousands of folks that use the upgraded community water park along the
GWT on the south side of the tracks and St Charles Rd.
Please thank Mr. Bill Mueller the Village President of Lombard who has always
been quick to follow-up on trail concerns for his support of the GWT bridge project.
Contact him at email address: muellerw@villageoflombard.org
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| Enjoy the scenery and watch out for the wild life along the trails! Enjoy the Prairie Fever Outdoor report by clicking on the photo. |
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| Click on the photo to get more photos and a travel report on the GWT in Iowa. |
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Thank you again for the
quick work
by Kane County
to repair the GWT.
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GWT back open in Lily Lake!
“We’re glad to have the Great Western Trail back open. This is a heavily used part of
our trail system and we know how important this is to the residents of Kane County,” said
Monica Meyers, executive director. “With the nice weekend weather expected, we’re
especially glad to have the trail back in service and know it will get a lot of use,” she said.
The repaired section is currently surfaced with limestone screenings. Plans are to repave
the section with asphalt this summer.
For more information on the Forest Preserve District’s trail system, including the 17-mile
Great Western Trail, visit the recreation section at kaneforest.com.
—Submitted by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County
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Storms knock out part of Great Western Trail
April 7, 2010
GENEVA -- Recent rainy weather has taken a toll on an older portion of the
Great Western Trail, knocking out a 10-foot section of the heavily used bike trail
in central Kane County. The Kane County Forest Preserve has indefinitely closed the
Great Western Trail between Hanson Road and Woolley Road in Lily Lake,
just east of Route 47. A 100-year-old limestone box culvert, formerly installed when
the line was a railroad, collapsed from water damage Tuesday. The trail cannot be
rerouted in the area due to the steep grade
of the embankment. There is a 22-foot drop where the destroyed culvert is being removed.
The trail has been closed and barricaded, and the Forest Preserve is obtaining estimates
for repairs. Hikers and bikers on the Great Western Trail are advised to
watch for closure signs. More information on the trail will be posted on the
district's Web site at www.kaneforest.com.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/genevasun/news/2144441,2_1_AU07_TRAIL_S1-100407.article
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| Join us on Facebook! Click on the logo to get to the page to sign up. |
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| Tyler Durgan, Don Kirchenberg and Eagle Scout project volunteers |
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| Durgan Eagle Scout project volunteers after the job is done. |
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| Boy Scout Troop 34 volunteers working with Eagle Scout candidate Tyler Durgan on his GWT improvement project at Bloomingdale Rd. in Glendale Hts, IL. |
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| Thank you to the many volunteers from the Elmhurst Bicycle Club, trail users/neighbors and hundreds of others that help every year to keep the trails clean! We need your help year around to keep the trails clean. |
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| Enjoy some trails off the Great Western Trail in DuPage County immediately west of I -355 at Swift Road. WATCH OUT for fast vehicles on Swift Road! |
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| Here is an overview of the GWT in DuPage County that also shows the major cross streets and the IPP. |
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| Thank you to the always dedicated volunteers from the Elmhurst Bicycle Club. |
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| Trail cleanup volunteers Dave Barry and Jim Haggerty stopping to discuss issues about the Great Western Trails with an unidentified trail user. Photo taken by trail cleanup volunteer Karl Gabbey. |
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| Thank you again to the volunteers from Wheaton College recruited by Ben Lowe a candidate for the 6th District of the House of Representatives. Click on this link to see the volunteers and their sincere thoughts about helping the GWT & environment: http://www.youtube.com/user/loweforcongress#p/a/u/0/pPbzK-ZrYxs |
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| Green Party volunteers cleaning up the GWT! |
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The Friends of the Great Western Trails supports the Carol Stream bicyclists efforts to improve safety on the GWT!
Read about their efforts here
Bicycle enthusiasts lobby for improved safety at intersection
By Erin Sauder, esauder@mysuburbanlife.com
Posted Apr 07, 2010 @ 12:12 PM
Last update Apr 07, 2010 @ 02:53 PM
Carol Stream, IL — A group of local bicycle activists hope DuPage County officials
will take them up on their suggestion for safety improvements at a busy intersection.
Recently, the Carol Stream Bikes organization sent a letter to Deborah Fagan, the trail
systems
coordinator for the DuPage County Division of Transportation, about the intersection at
County Farm Road and the Great Western Trail, located between Carol Stream and
Winfield. Members of Carol Stream Bikes said the busy at-grade intersection is an ideal
place to add a refuge island for trail users. The refuge island, a small section of pavement
or sidewalk surrounded by asphalt or other road materials, would give pedestrians a place
to stop before finishing crossing the road.
“In my experience, there’s a lot of traffic at that particular intersection every time I cross,”
said Robert Guico, who heads up the Carol Stream Bikes organization.
He said the traffic there seems to comes in clusters.
“There will be a lot of traffic and then a little bit of traffic,” he said. “You end up darting
through and hoping you make it to the other said. At 45 miles per hour, that’s not something
I recommend people do.”
Fagan said she received the organization’s letter.
“(That intersection) has been on our list to take a look at for several years,” she said.
“We’re analyzing the information (Carol Stream Bikes) submitted and hope to get a response
to them soon.” Fagan praised the community involvement from area bicyclists, joggers
and walkers who regularly submit suggestions for improving the area’s trail systems.
“Sometimes it’s just a quick e-mail that says, ‘Hey, I saw a problem here,’” she said.
“Sometimes they take the time to write a letter.”
The DuPage County Division of Transportation manages a 92-mile recreational trail system
in the county. About 40 miles of trails make up the DuPage County section of the Illinois Prairie
Path, which is in the right-of-way of the former Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railway.
Almost 12 miles long, the Great Western Trail is within the right-of-way of the
former Chicago and Great Western Railroad. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and horseback riders
are all welcome on the trails.
Guico hopes to get more people interested in the Carol Stream Bikes organization.
“The whole goal is to get more people biking and walking to destinations, like getting
groceries and restaurants,” he said. “Plus, it fits in with the (Carol Stream) Park District’s
goal of being active, which is kind of cool.”
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Thank You to
EVERYONE
that attended
the FIRST EVER
in the State of IL
PUBLIC FORUM
on Com Ed's
Tree Butchering.
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The first ever PUBLIC FORUM about
Com Ed’s butchering of the trees was held on 1/12 at 7:15PM
at 421 N County Farm Rd, Wheaton, IL.
The Friends of the Great Western Trails are very pleased that Commonwealth Edison and the IL Commerce Commission agreed to a meeting to allow the public to voice their opinions concerning the bad tree trimming practices found on our trails and along our private properties by Com Ed and Asplundh. Don Kirchenberg, Voluntary Chairman of the Friends of the GWTs, stated “we are hoping that feedback from this meeting will result in a more sustainable and an environmentally friendly tree trimming program. Earlier this year over 3,000 trees were killed in DuPage County by the Com Ed’s contractor Asplundh when they were supposed to be trimming them.” Kirchenberg continues “This public forum was the first of its kind and should give Com Ed, the ICC and DuPage County the information they need to develop a plan that establishes a standard for healthy tree maintenance. As Chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trails we have been working on getting healthy tree trimming for over 8 years so we are excited about this forum. We thank everyone that attended and voiced their opinion at this public forum.“
Kirchenberg concluded "The public forum was the success we hoped for simply because dozens of citizens were able to attend a meeting to air their grievances about Com Ed and the collective governments failure to control Com Ed's tree maintenance practices.
Credit goes to many for making the meeting happen and getting us to this point.
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NEWS COVERAGE on the first ever Public Forum on Com Ed's butchering and killing of trees in 2009
#1 Following recent criticism of its policies for trimming trees around power lines,
ComEd admitted mistakes and pledged to work with DuPage County officials to
make brush cuts more aesthetic in the future.
The complete article in the Chicago Tribune can be viewed at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/west/chi-tree-trim-meeting-w-zone-15jan15,0,2835579.story
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Thanks again to Governor Quinn's office and staff for their assistance in getting the 12/14/09 meeting with Com Ed and the ICC which got us this public forum.
Additional credit goes to many including Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, DuPage County Board members Rita Gonzalez (District 1), Dirk Enger (District 6) and Tony Michelassi (District 5) for making the public forum happen and getting us to this point.
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#2 No resolution in DuPage tree dispute
The airing of the grievances has concluded, but the future of
trees interfering with power lines along trails in DuPage County
remains uncertain. Go to this website for the complete news article http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=350502
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#3 . Officials urge return to nature on path trees
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HUNDRED + YEAR OLD WORDS of WISDOM
No town can fail of beauty, though its walks were gutters
and its houses hovels, if venerable trees make
magnificent colonnades along its streets.
-- Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs, 1887
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Com Ed backs out of the deal with DuPage County
and the Friends of the Great Western Trails responds
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12/4/09
Don Kirchenberg, Voluntary Chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trails
has issued a statement about the continued failure by Commonwealth Edison - Com Ed
to agree to plans to trim tree everywhere including the trails in a healthy manner.
Kirchenberg stated “In a telephone conversation with DuPage County Board member
Jeff Redick (Chairman of DuPage County's Environmental Committee) this morning (12/4)
he told me that Com Ed has backed out of replanting of trees (they killed over 3,000 trees
on the trails in early 2009) and they will not agree with any efforts to develop a healthy
tree trimming standard.”
Kirchenberg continues “Com Ed has failed to agree to any healthy trimming of the trees
and continues to refuse to answer our questions (listed below). I would suggest that now
more than ever we need the IL Commerce Commission - ICC and our representatives in IL
government to take action and support the efforts of trail users, DuPage County Board
members Rita Gonzalez, Dirk Enger and Tony Michelassi and require Com Ed to trim trees
in a healthy manner and set that standard.
Kirchenberg concludes “We need the ICC and all our representatives at the state level
to act because Com Ed is damaging the environment and believe they are above the law
and any agencies that should be regulating them. We encourage all supporters of the trails
and trees everywhere to contact their representatives and the ICC about Com Ed’s butchering
of the trees everywhere along with plans to clear cut and spray herbicides along our trails.
For your information we have restated the questions presented to
DuPage County and Commonwealth Edison in 2002 about similar plans
to clear cut trees and spray herbicides along the trails in DuPage County.
These are appropriate today and should still be answered over 7.5 years later.
QUESTIONS SUBMITTED to Com Ed and DuPage County in April 2002 The
board of directors has many concerns regarding the proposed plan. These concerns
are in three categories:
Until these questions have been answered, we cannot support the “vegetation management plan” proposed by Com Ed and DuPage County.
If you agree that we should get answers to these questions please contact the
members of the DuPage County Board including Chairman Schillerstrom using
the email addresses:
rschillerstrom@dupageco.org,
jcurran@dupageco.org,
jredick@dupageco.org,
jhealy@dupageco.org,
jzediker@dupageco.org,
dpuchalski@dupageco.org,
rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org,
dirk.enger@dupageco.org,
anthony.michelassi@dupageco.org,
poshea@dupageco.org,
bsheahan@dupageco.org,
geckhoff@dupageco.org,
jmcbride@dupageco.org
dolson@dupageco.org,
jzay@dupageco.org,
pfichtner@dupageco.org,
mmcmahon@dupageco.org,
tbennington@dupageco.org
Note the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County should also answer
these questions because plans to start the program this time will be along
and in the Forest Preserves along the IPP and GWT. The Commissioners and
President Pierotti can be reached at email address: forest@dupageforest.com
Get the email address for your IL Legislators at the website for the IL Board of Elections: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp and contact the Executive
Director for the ICC at email address: tanderso@icc.illinois.gov Also contact the Governor’s
office at governor@illinois.gov and as always please copy the media at these addresses:
fencepost@dailyherald.com,
letters@suntimes.com,
letters@tribune.com,
thesun@scn1.com,
editorial@mysuburbanlife.com,
news@examinerpublications.com,
QuestPublishing@aol.com,
doingsnews@pioneerlocal.com,
news@dailyherald.com, news@tribune.com,
metro@suntimes.com,
Lombardian@sbcglobal.net,
okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu, and editor@cod.edu
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Have you visited the east end of the GWT in DuPage County?
Here is a video posted on You Tube that gives you a bicyclist's eye view of the
trail heading from the east through the section in Villa Park, IL.
Click here and enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V4bugMfWCw
Once you go to that page you will have an opportunity to watch other
videos about the GWT and trails across the Chicago area.
Thank you to Trails Illinois for posting the video.
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IL TRAIL Group News for 2011!
In 2011, tiny Illinois Trails Conservancy changed its name to Trails for Illinois
(www.trailsforillinois.org) and hired an executive director, Steve Buchtel.
Illinois has a great network of trails in place, and opportunities to build and
connect to more. At stake is only the well-being and happiness of our citizens—
which we now know depends upon regular outdoor physical activity.
Trails for Illinois is building a statewide trails community that will integrate trails
and trail experiences into Illinois work, play, life.
For more info please contact the new Executive Director Steve Buchtel
at email address steve@trailsforillinois.org
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| Thank you to all the volunteers that help maintain the GWTs and related trails all year around! |
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| Here is a blog that is maintained by trail and tree huggers. Click on the photo to go to the blog. |
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| People ask us all the time about alternatives to using Com Ed. Click on the photo to learn more about generating power with wind and/or hydrogen. |
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STILL LOOKING FOR ANSWERS FROM
COM ED & DuPAGE COUNTY
AFTER 7.5 YEARS!
I found the questions the IL Prairie Path not-for-profit association of which
I was the President of in 2002 as part of the 7+ years I participated as a
volunteer on the Board of Directors and from the Friends of the Great
Western Trails of which I was and remain the Voluntary Chairman asked
Com Ed and DuPage County about a tree removal proposal that included
the spraying of herbicides along the IPP and GWT.
We submitted these questions in April 2002 in response to the proposal
made by Com Ed and DuPage County in a meeting in late March, 2002.
We presented them to Com Ed and DuPage County -specifically DuPage
County's Trails Coordinator Deborah Fagan and the County Board of
DuPage County including Chairman Schillerstrom. Com Ed and DuPage
County chose not to answer these questions and many more questions
put forth by the community. Instead they canceled the program in June
of 2002.
I would suggest that these questions from April of 2002 over 7.5 years
ago are still good questions today and should be answered by Com Ed
and DuPage County before any more work is approved or started on
our trails by Com Ed.
QUESTIONS SUBMITTED in April 2002
The board of directors has many concerns regarding the proposed plan.
These concerns are in three categories:
General:
- Com Ed asserts that tree removal is necessary. Is Com Ed required to do this by a government agency? What documentation has been given that trees along IPP and other trails have caused outages?
And if so, what types of trees are the causes of the problem?
- What is the cost/benefit analysis of the proposed vegetation maintenance plan over Com Ed's current practices?
- Have similar vegetation removal programs been enacted in other areas, and have these projects been deemed successful by the utility and the public? What were the lessons learned?
- What impartial agency or group endorses the types of vegetation control proposed by Com Ed?
Process:
- When is this program proposed to begin, and what portions of the year will this program be executed? What days of the week and time of day will tree removal and spraying occur?
- How will the County provide impartial and objective oversight with Com Ed and their subcontractors?
- What criteria has been set to determine if these tests are successful? What time lines will be followed to measure these tests against the set criteria?
- When will the County schedule a follow up hearing to determine whether the project was a success?
- How will Commonwealth Edison guarantee that preferred species, and species currently supporting wildlife (trees with nests), will be saved?
- There is discussion of planting 6" to 18" tall replacement trees. Will Com Ed commit to this replanting, and on what scale? What is the expected rate of mortality? If this rate is exceeded, are there any further plans for replacement? Who will maintain these replacement trees? How long will it take before new trees grow to the maturity as replacements?
- Many of the areas to be impacted by the tree removal plan are on slopes. The soils on these slopes are prone to erosion. What steps will be taken to ensure these slopes are protected from erosion?
Herbicide:
- What are the exact herbicides that Commonwealth Edison and its subcontractors plan to use, and what are the potential health risks to humans, the ecology, and the environment associated with each herbicide? What is an acceptable level of exposure, and how will the contractor ensure this acceptable exposure is not exceeded?
- What is the contractor's liability for unintended damage to human health, wildlife, vegetation, if problems result in any way or arise out of its herbicide application program? If undue damage is caused, how will Com Ed ameliorate the damage?
- How will the contractor ensure that soil, groundwater and surface waters will not be contaminated?
- How close to residential homes and parks will the spraying take place, and will residents be given advance notice?
Until these questions have been answered, we cannot support the Vegetation management plan proposed by Com Ed and DuPage County.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you agree that we should get answers to these questions please
contact the members of the DuPage County Board including
Chairman Schillerstrom using the email addresses:
rschillerstrom@dupageco.org,
jcurran@dupageco.org,
jredick@dupageco.org,
jhealy@dupageco.org,
jzediker@dupageco.org,
dpuchalski@dupageco.org,
rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org,
dirk.enger@dupageco.org,
anthony.michelassi@dupageco.org,
poshea@dupageco.org,
bsheahan@dupageco.org,
geckhoff@dupageco.org,
jmcbride@dupageco.org
dolson@dupageco.org,
lkurzawa@dupageco.org,
jzay@dupageco.org,
pfichtner@dupageco.org,
mmcmahon@dupageco.org,
tbennington@dupageco.orgAnd as always please copy the media - fencepost@dailyherald.com, letters@suntimes.com,
letters@tribune.com,
thesun@scn1.com,
editorial@mysuburbanlife.com,
news@examinerpublications.com,
QuestPublishing@aol.com,
doingsnews@pioneerlocal.com,
news@dailyherald.com, news@tribune.com,
metro@suntimes.com,
Lombardian@sbcglobal.net,
okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu, and editor@cod.eduNote the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County should also get these
questions because plans to start the program this time along and in the Forest
Preserves along the IPP and GWT. They can be reached at email address: forest@dupageforest.com
IDEA # 2 You can also ask your IL Legislators to step in and require the ICC
to hold a public hearing on these important matters since we have not received
answers to our questions from Com Ed and DuPage Couty for 7.5 years. Get
their names and contact info at this website:
http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp
Don Kirchenberg
Voluntary Chairman
Friends of the Great Western Trails
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| Double click on photo for the info about how to help protect the trees from being chopped off at the tops along the trails. Contact your local, county and state level officials asking them to make Com Ed follow the state laws that require the trees be maintained in a "healthy manner." Contact the IL Board of Elections to get their contact information at 312-814-6440 or by going to webpage: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp |
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Com Ed’s equation that costs the taxpayers
and hurts our environment!
Press Release For Immediate Release October 23, 2009
Members of the DuPage County Board Rita Gonzalez, District 1; Tony Michelassi, District 5 and
Dirk Enger District 6 remain concerned about Com Ed’s tree replacement plan approved this
week by both the Environmental and Transportation Committees because at the meeting
of the Environmental Committee of the DuPage County Board held on 10/20/09 Deborah Fagan
the Trails Coordinator for DuPage County announcedfor the first time to the committee that
Com Ed “has killed over 3,000 trees on our trails” in the recent trimming cycle. And she said
that Com Ed wants to replace only 750 trees. In addition they will not water or care for these
trees after they are planted. Plus no guarantees are in place when an estimated 250 die –
using a formula from an expert from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District at a meeting
of the Ad Hoc Trails Committee on 9/16/09 when trees are not watered or given any care after
they are planted.
These 3 board members want everyone to know that the equation Com Ed wants the taxpayers
in DuPage County to accept is that for every 6 of our trees on our trails that they kill off while
“trimming them” they will only give us 1 back. This formula is based on them killing over 3,000
trees and having 500 trees of the 750 planted survive. Gonzalez, Michelassi and Enger agree
“The cost of the 3,000+ trees they killed along the Great Western Trails and IL Prairie Path is
difficult to imagine and estimate. And the loss of the natural look, feel and wildlife habitats is
even worse. Also thousands of homeowners lose trees every year because of the “trimming
practices” of Com Ed and their contractor Asplundh. We need DuPage County to enact a
healthy trimming standard with Com Ed like other communities have in place. And we need
the ICC to hold a public hearing about Com Ed’s damage to the trees and trails.”
Gonzalez, Michelassi and Enger conclude “when DuPage County Board members on the
Transportation and Environmental Committees tell you they are supporting this good deal
with Com Ed because “it is of no cost to us.” Ask them how much the taxpayers are paying
when we lose 6 trees and get 1 in return?
Here is a list of the DuPage County Board members on the Environmental and Transportation
Committees that should be contacted by citizens concerned about Com Ed’s tree maintenance
and plans to replace a few trees Environmental Committee: Jeff Redick, Chair;
Michael McMahon, Vice Chair; Members Linda Kurzawa, Anthony Michelassi and
Debra Olson Send an email to all of them using these email address: JRedick@dupageco.org;amichelassi@dupageco.org;LKurzawa@dupageco.org;
MMcMahon@dupageco.org;DOlson@dupageco.org; Transportation Committee:
Donald Puchalski, Chair; James Healy, Vice Chair; Members John Curran, JR McBride, Brien Sheahan, James Zay Send an email to all of them using these email address: dpuchalski@dupageco.org;jhealy@dupageco.org;jcurran@dupageco.org; jmcbride@dupageco.org;bsheahan@dupageco.org;jzay@dupageco.org
Also contact Chairman Robert Schillerstrom at Chairman@dupageco.org and find your
County Board member representatives website: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp
Please contact them today.
> And we still have concerns about Com Ed's plans to completely clear cut and spraying herbicides
on 4 miles of our trails by Com Ed to return the area to a more “native appearance.”
Get more information at the website for the Friends of the Great Western Trails www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com
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Thank you to the City of West Chicago including Mayor Michael Kwasman and the City Council for their support of the community's ongoing efforts to protect the trees and trails from Com and their contractor Asplundh. Click on the PDF logo to read the proclamation they approved at their meeting on 10/19/09. | DUPAGE GREENS OPPOSE
COMED CLEAR-CUTTING PLAN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009
At its October meeting, the DuPage County Green Party spoke out against the un-necessary
destruction of natural areas along the Illinois Prairie Path and the Great Western Trail,
by passing a resolution denouncing a controversial clear-cutting and herbicide-spraying
plan by Commonwealth Edison.
The DCGP’s resolution supports efforts of the Friends of the Great Western Trails and
many other groups and government bodies, including the City of Wheaton, to petition
the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to force a public hearing on these
important matters.
“Our trails and trees must be protected,” said William Edgar, Co-chair of the
DuPage County Green Party. “We want the DuPage County Board, Forest Preserve
District of DuPage County and our state legislators to work with Commonwealth Edison
and ensure that trees are trimmed in a healthy manner, as required by the ICC.
We are also calling on these these government bodies to deny permits for the spraying of
herbicides to kill trees, bushes and wildlife habitats along both the Illinois Prairie Path
and Great Western Trail.”
"We appreciate the support from the DuPage Greens in our efforts to raise awareness
in the community about this environmental destruction," said Don Kirchenberg of the
Friends of the Great Western Trails. "We will continue to put pressure on our elected
officials until Commonwealth Edison creates a more responsible plan for managing
the land." Citizens who want their trees and trails protected are encouraged to contact their
elected officials at the county and state levels.
For more information about the DuPage County Green Party, visit www.dupagegreens.org
For more information about the Friends of the Great Western Trails,
visit www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com
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October 26, 2009
Dirk Enger, Member of the DuPage County Board serving District 6
would like to thank the Cities of Wheaton and West Chicago for
their ongoing support of the community's efforts to protect the
trees and trails from Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed) and their
contractor Asplundh. The proclamations they passed at their
recent meetings petitions the IL Commerce Commission to hold
a public hearing on these important matters. Copies of Wheaton’s
proclamation can be found at this website:
http://www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com/images/documents.pdf
Copies of the West Chicago proclamation can be found at:
http://www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com/images/West_Chicago.pdf
Dirk Enger stated that “he encourages all citizens that want their trees and trails
protected from Com Ed and Asplundh to contact the ICC to file a
complaint at the ICC’s website
http://www.icc.illinois.gov/consumer/complaint/wizard.aspx.
He also asks that everyone contact their elected officials to ask
them to pass similar proclamations.
Dirk continues to say ‘citizens want this damage to the trees, trails and their
property values to stop. I am joining DuPage County Board Members Rita
Gonzalez and Tony Michelassi in asking again that Com Ed suspend any
further “trimming of the trees” in DuPage County until the ICC meets in a
public hearing about the many thousands of trees already damaged by
Com Ed and its contractor Asplundh.”
Dirk agrees with Rita’s and Tony’s concerns that “The ICC has the power
to stop this damage and plans by Com Ed to wipe out all the trees and
bushes along mile long stretches of both the IL Prairie Path and
Great Western Trail and use herbicides to stop them from growing.
These plans are extreme and the planned use of herbicides across
such a large area of heavily populated and used trails is unprecedented.
We need the ICC to ensure the public’s health and best interests
are protected before any trees, bushes and wildlife habitats
are removed and sprayed with herbicides.”
Dirk encourages citizens to contact him via email at
dirk.enger@dupageco.org
| Letter to the Editor
Daily Herald October 27, 2010
Herbicides - and Ryan's health
My family and I moved to Glen Ellyn in September, 2008. We live across the street from the
Illinois Prairie Path. It is a beautiful area, one that my husband and I decided would be
a wonderful place for our two children to grow up. I am saddened to hear that ComEd
is planning on using herbicides to kill more of the trees along the path, but not simply
because of the desecration of the beauty and the detrimental effect to
local wildlife. The health of our 30-month-old son could be seriously impacted by the spraying of those
herbicides. Ryan was born with a rare lung disease. Discovered only in 2004, not much is known about
this disease, including life expectancy. Many children born with this genetic disease die at birth. We
were fortunate that our son has one normal gene while and the other has the mutation that causes
his disease. Only half of Ryan's cells produce the protein that carries oxygen in the lungs. Because
of this, Ryan was on supplemental oxygen 24 hours a day for the first two years of his life. He couldn't
be fed with a bottle, and is given nutrients and fluids through a gastric tube.
We are extremely fortunate how well Ryan has done. He has been weaned from his oxygen during the
day and is now able to eat and drink orally. But we still take extra precautions with him, as simple
colds and flus could severely impact his health.
We do not know what his future holds; he could continue to grow more healthy lung tissue or
someday he could require a lung transplant. We would like to provide the healthiest of environments
for Ryan and his twin sister Sophie to grow up in. I sincerely hope that you will consider the negative
impact of spraying these herbicides.
Sheri Fader
Glen Ellyn
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=332090
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A community leader speaks out for the trees and trails
Richard Dunn has been a dedicated public servant for many years and
now he continues to serve our community in many ways. Many know
Richard Dunn from his work for the Village of Glen Ellyn but few know
about all his ongoing volunteer efforts to help non-profit causes like
PADS, the Kiwanis and local churches.
He and his wife Jane do so much to help
all of us. We are lucky to have them in and active in our community.
When you see them be sure to say Thanks!
Now Richard has taken the time to write a letter about Com Ed's
damage to our trees and trails along with plans to spray herbicides
and clearcut miles of trees on our trails.
Here is his well written letter:
Statement from Richard Dunn regarding Com Ed, trees and trails
Richard Dunn a former candidate for the County Board in District 4 and
longtime resident of DuPage County stated today "The continued
destruction of our trees and other plants along private property and on our
trails including the Great Western Trail and Prairie Path by Commonwealth
Edison (Com Ed) and their contractor Asplundh is not the best
management of this public resource. The DuPage County Board and it's
Chairman Bob Schillerstrom should be asking why hasn't Commonwealth
Edison been trimming the trees along private property and on our trails in a
healthy manner as required by the IL Commerce Commission? Our elected
officials should mandate that the healthy trimming of trees is followed in
DuPage County and everywhere else in the State of Illinois" The County
Board should develop a plan to requires replanting/replacement of plant
species in areas where trees might be in conflict with the power lines or
towers. As an example trees and other plants that grow to a short height
should be planted so they will not interfere with the power lines. This could
be implemented over several years to help hold down costs.
Richard Dunn explained that he wants more information about Com Ed's
planned spraying of herbicides on the Great Western Trail and Prairie Path.
He is asking "What specific chemicals will be used and what type of
spraying will be used to apply these chemicals? How will trail users and
trail neighbors be protected from the spraying of the chemicals?"
Richard Dunn concluded "I also support the efforts of DuPage County
Board member Rita Gonzalez (District 1), the Friends of the Great Western
Trails and other organizations to stop Com Ed's plans to destroy the natural
beauty of our trails and secure a public hearing by the Illinois Commerce
Commission about these important matters."
___________________________________________________________
Here is another example of when Richard Dunn spoke up and changes were made.
After trail users and neighbors complained about illegal activities and structures
along the GWT in Carol Stream for months of no action by DuPage
County one week after his press conference the illegal and dangerous structures
were removed by Com Ed and DuPage County:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0fLnyKGJSQ
Thank you to Press Publications for taping Richard Dunn's press conference. And thank you
again to Richard for his time and attention to these important matters.
| Tom Grimston is right "This issue will not go away!"
Here is his recent letter to the elected officials in DuPage County:
Good morning
I am Joe citizen of DuPage Co. co-defendant in the case of
Com Ed - vs. - the People of DuPage Co.
Defendants are accused of wanting Healthy Natural looking trails.
How do you plea? Guilty as charged.
Seeking to settle out of court the Plaintiff has offered
small tokens, like disclaiming restitutions of the past.
Stating they will continue to spray herbicides, not stating any
willingness to improved oversight and care, as to the chopping
and hacking of our natural trails, and finally offering no guarantees
for 750 designated tree replacements along county trails.
These low growth trees will lower future Com Ed maintenance costs
in a win win for them, but an un-guaranteed win loss for the people
of DuPage County.
There is really no resolution in their proposed settlement for the People
and for that matter electrical consumers of DuPage.
The city councils of Wheaton and West Chicago recorded proclamations
requesting the Il. Commerce Commission’s intervention, meeting with all
parties to resolve this issue, to no avail.
It is time for the DuPage County Board to act, join the call of constituents
and city government for I.C.C. intervention. This issue will not go away.
Tom Grimston
Wheaton, IL
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Letters to the Editor have an impact.
October 9, 2009 in the SUN Newspapers
I am writing to express my concern about the use of herbicides to kill trees and bushes along the Illinois Prairie Path and Great Western Trails.
Many of these substances have been linked to higher rates of cancer, autism, and asthma. A simple search at the National Cancer Institute's Web site at www.cancer.gov/search/cancer_literature/ or at PubMed at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ will take you to the primary research.
At a time when we have 1 in 150 children diagnosed with autism and increases of childhood leukemia of more than 60 percent in the last 25 years, how can we think the risks are worthwhile?
Our beloved daughter, Katherine, died of leukemia we have very good reason to believe was caused by the spraying of chlorpyrifos for mosquitoes, which the company and the city assured us was safe, though we were never warned to take precautions and had no idea of the exposure until it was too late.
Hundreds of vulnerable children, pregnant women and others use these paths every day. They deserve not to be unwittingly exposed to toxic chemicals.
Jean-Marie Kauth, Ph.D.
Benedictine University
Please send your letters in support of the trails (and consider questioning the wisdom of Com Ed spraying herbicides along many miles of the IPP and GWT) to your elected officials and copy the local media at email addresses: letters@tribune.com, letters@suntimes.com, thesun@scn1.com, Lombardian@sbcglobal.net, doingsnews@pioneerlocal.com, QuestPublishing@aol.com, news@examinerpublications.com, news@dailyherald.com, fencepost@dailyherald.com, okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu, editorial@kcchronicle.com, news@chicagowildernessmag.org, editor@cod.edu and editorial@mysuburbanlife.com
PLEASE pass along this message. Thanks!
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| THANK YOU to the City of Wheaton including Mayor Michael Gresk, the City Council and the Environmental Improvement Commission for their ongoing support of the community's ongoing efforts to protect the trees and trails from Com Ed and their contractor Asplundh. Please consider asking your elected officials to pass a similar proclamation. |
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Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact their state legislators and county officials to voice their opinions about the tree cutting directed by Commonwealth Edison. The state of Illinois has jurisdiction over the tree maintenance practices of all power companies. They can force the IL Commerce Commission to ensure better tree maintenance that will help protect the trees on the trails and anywhere near power lines. And DuPage County officials can stop the use of herbicides to kill trees, bushes and wildlife along the trails.
Contact local legislators and elected officials as follows: Senatorcronin@aol.com State Senator Dan Cronin, carole@pankau.com State Senator Carole Pankau, community@sandrapihos.com State Rep Sandra Pihos, , staterepramey55@aol.com State Representative Randy Ramey, Johnjmillner@aol.com State Senator John Millner, , joe@josephdunn.com, State Representative Joe Dunn, franco@il45.com State Representative Franco Colipietro, mike.fortner@sbcglobal.net State Rep. Mike Fortner and find more at the website for the IL Board of Elections: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp And contact these DuPage County officials to stop the use of herbicides using this list of email addresses: chairman@dupageco.org, jmcbride@dupageco.org, geckhoff@dupagec o.org, dolson@dupageco.org, dirk.enger@dupageco.org, anthony.michelassi@dupageco.org, dpuchalski@dupageco.org, jredick@dupageco.org, jzay@dupageco.org, forest@dupageforest.com, rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org and get more email addresses at http://www.dupageco.org/cobrd/ And always copy the media at: news@dailyherald.com, news@tribune.com, editorial@mysuburbanlife.com, thesun@scn1.com, QuestPublishing@aol.com, news@examinerpublications.com and lombardian@sbcglobal.net
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EDITORIAL Chicago Tribune 8/31/09
ComEd massacre
Chicagoans know what happens when Commonwealth Edison crews descend on an area to trim trees and other vegetation they deem a hazard to power lines. All too often, the result is a bunch of deformed trees that look like some Edward Scissorhands disciple on acid had buzzed his way through the yard.But that's a mild description for the latest ComEd blitzkrieg in the leafy northern suburbs of Glencoe, Glenview, Northfield, Northbrook, Skokie and Wilmette.
Earlier this summer, Edison tromped out to kill vegetation and trees deemed a safety hazard beneath its towering transmission lines.
Did ComEd notify local officials and residents, as common sense would dictate? Nah.
Did ComEd carefully prune trees and trim back the lush vegetation that makes the corridor a sanctuary for wildlife? Hardly.
ComEd crews dumped gallons of an herbicide called Garlon 3A on low-lying brush over a nearly 6-mile stretch of land the utility owns through those communities. You can't miss this path of destruction: It's 130 feet wide. That's a huge eyesore of brittle, dead brush and other vegetation. It's also a fire hazard, some local fire chiefs worry.
The kicker: It could have been much worse. ComEd sent a crew to finish the job in Northfield -- what the village president calls the "epicenter" of the destruction because of ComEd's plans to wipe out evergreens, ash, linden, and spruce that serve as part of Northfield's downtown landscaping.
But those trees were too big to be killed with chemicals. So the ComEd crews stopped by Northfield's public works facility to notify the village's forester that they were preparing to start the tree cutting.
That's when Stacy Alberts Sigman, the village manager, stepped outside to see what was going on. "I was just stunned," she said. "When you looked down the corridor, as far as your eye could see, it was just dead."
She demanded that the work be stopped. And ComEd agreed to a temporary halt.
Now ComEd is scrambling to do what it should have done in the first place: Explain to officials and residents why this massive destruction is the best possible solution.
They've got a lot of explaining to do.
ComEd needs to clear foliage that can interfere with the lines, cause a safety hazard or block access for repair workers, as its spokesman pointed out.
But that demands a careful, limited and environmentally sensitive program.
As Sigman says: "They don't need an Uzi."
No, they don't. It's a blight on these communities -- and on ComEd's reputation.
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune
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| Stacy Sigman, Village Manager of Northfield, stands in the middle of the Com-Ed and Union Pacific corridor amid dead vegetation. The corridor which includes huge power lines and old railroad tracks runs parallel to Happ Road in downtown Northfield. Some weeks back, without warning, Com-Ed sprayed herbicide on the vegetation killing miles and miles of greenery. |
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COM ED destroyed trees and sprayed herbicides WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS along the trails in Northfield and the surrounding communities in Chicago's northern suburbs.
This is what they plan to do (per the meeting at the DuPage County offices on 5/19/09) along the IL Prairie Path and the Great Western Trail in DuPage County,
See the photo above from the Chicago Tribune news article.
and read more info from one of the Villages of Northfield's website...
Village Announcements |
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Monday, August 24, 2009
ComEd Destroys Vegetation on Rights of Way
As you may have heard and seen on Channel 2 News, the Village recently discovered that ComEd has used a powerful herbicide to destroy vegetation growing under its power lines in the rights of way that run through the middle of Northfield. In fact, they also wiped out vegetation in Northbrook, Glencoe, Glenview, Wilmette and Skokie without permits or notice to any of the Villages. Northfield's Fire Chief as well as the Chiefs in the other communities are concerned about the potential fire hazard the long stretch of dead brush and trees creates during this dry hot season. Of particular concern is what herbacide was used and the close proximity to residential and wetland areas.
On Tuesday, August 18, two local representatives of ComEd met with Village Manager Stacy Sigman to let the community know that ComEd wants to work with the Village on this matter and is gathering information to answer questions raised in a letter from President Gougler about the spraying and ComEd's vegetation management program. ComEd also promised not to go forward with removing any additional trees along the right of way.
Click here to read the Sunday, August 23 Chicago Tribune article with the Village's comments and concerns on use of the herbicide and the devastation in Northfield and neighboring communities.
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We need everyone to pass along this message and take a few minutes to send an email to the following officials asking them to stop Com Ed's plans to spray herbicides and destroy trees along the IL Prairie Path and Great Western Trail in DuPage County. Use these email addresses to send one email and copy the media too: Senatorcronin@aol.com State Senator Dan Cronin, carole@pankau.com State Senator Carole Pankau, community@sandrapihos.org State Rep Sandra Pihos, randy@rhultgren.com State Senator Randy Hultgren, staterepramey55@aol.com State Representative Randy Ramey, Johnjmillner@aol.com State Senator John Millner, , franco@il45.com State Representative Franco Colipietro; mike.fortner@sbcglobal.net State Rep. Mike Fortner and find more at the website for the IL Board of Elections: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp And contact officials in DuPage County too using this list of email addresses: rschillerstrom@dupageco.org, geckhoff@dupageco.org, dolson@dupageco.org, dirk.enger@dupageco.org, anthony.michelassi@dupageco.org, dpuchalski@dupageco.org, jredick@dupageco.org, jmcbride@dupageco.org lkurzawa@dupageco.org, jzay@dupageco.org, forest@dupageforest.com, mkwasman@westchicago.org, rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org, mgresk@wheaton.il.us, & administration@carolstream.org and get more email addresses at http://www.dupageco.org/cobrd/generic.cfm?doc_id=272 Always copy the media at: news@dailyherald.com, news@tribune.com, editorial@mysuburbanlife.com, thesun@scn1.com, QuestPublishing@aol.com, news@examinerpublications.com, NewsTips@nbc5.com, okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu, fencepost@dailyherald.com, letters@tribune.com, metro@suntimes.com and lombardian@sbcglobal.net
#3 Contact your local elected officials asking them to protect the trees on the trails and along your private property too. Their names and contact info. can be found by calling the IL Board of Elections at 312-814-6440 or by going to webpage: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp
Pass along this email to anyone that is interested in the trails and trees. Please let us know what you hear back from the officials and/or the ICC.
Thank you!
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County Board member calls for tree query
July 29, 2009 Chicago SunTimes Newspaper Group
DuPage County Board member Rita Gonzalez, D-Addison, renewed her call Tuesday for an investigation into "poor tree maintenance" by ComEd along the Illinois Prairie Path and suggested increased efforts to draw public input.
The District 1 representative is one of many county residents who have complained that the pruning efforts of the utility's contractor, Asplundh Tree Expert Co., have been overly aggressive. The trimming, they allege, has left many old-growth trees lopped off awkwardly, removing far more than necessary in routine trimming around power lines.
Gonzalez last month filed a complaint with the Illinois Commerce Commission in which she asked for stricter enforcement of requirements that tree maintenance practices be conducted "in a healthy manner."
"I have heard from many residents that want the damage to their trees and property values to stop," said Gonzalez, who encouraged her fellow board members to join the effort. "The ICC has the power to stop this damage."
The excessive use of herbicides along the Prairie Path and the adjacent Great Western Trail also must be addressed by the state, she said.
According to Gonzalez, some homeowners have lost sections of trees up to 30 feet long that are unlikely ever to grow back.
ComEd Senior Vice President Calvin Butler has acknowledged that trees and vegetation are important elements of the trails system, but notes that electrical outages often result from contact between wires and trees.
"We firmly believe that providing reliable electricity and sustaining our natural environment can go hand-in-hand. ... Throughout the country many communities have successfully balanced the need for reliable electricity with governmental tree clearance standards and local concern for the environment," Butler wrote in a letter to The Sun earlier this month.
ComEd spokesman Peter Pedraza told The Sun that the herbicide program would be limited to three specific areas — one on the Prairie Path and two on the Great Western Trail — and that only conforming chemicals would be used. Licensed professionals would be responsible for applying the herbicides, Pedraza said.
Gonzalez has suggested that public meetings about the issue be scheduled during the evening, to enable maximum numbers of interested resident to attend.
"My constituents have spoken, and they really are sincere about this issue," she said. ###
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1688959,prairie-path-tree-probe_NA072909.article
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Broken PROMISES
FYI see the email below to the Chairman of DuPage County Robert Schillerstrom and then send an email to him and copy the officials in DuPage and media asking them to do what they promise and protect the trees & trails. Here are their email addresses: Chairman@dupageco.org, dolson@dupageco.org, jredick@dupageco.org, rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org, dpuchalski@dupageco.org, dirk.enger@dupageco.org, anthony.michelassi@dupageco.org, geckhoff@dupageco.org, jmcbride@dupageco.org, bmcdonald@theconservationfoundation.org, ctokarski@dupageco.org, john.ohalloran@comed.com, jdavis@dailyherald.com, editorial@mysuburbanlife.com, news@examinerpublications.com, gfsmith@Tribune.com, Lombardian@sbcglobal.net, thesun@scn1.com, rbartel399@comcast.net, QuestPublishing@aol.com, doingsnews@pioneerlocal.com, metro@suntimes.com, jgriffin@dailyherald.com, editor@cod.edu, NewsTips@nbc5.com, newsletter@fvbsc.org, wesbleed@wgnradio.com and okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu
Please let us know what you hear back from the officials and/or the ICC. Pass along this email to anyone that is interested in the trails and trees.
July 25, 2009 Sent via email 7/25/09
To the Chairman of DuPage County Mr. Robert Schillerstrom
The Friends of the Great Western Trails received emails and phone calls late this week from concerned trail users and neighbors because Com Ed and Asplundh (their contractor) are back on the trails specifically the IL Prairie Path in Glen Ellyn east of Taylor Ave. Trail users and neighbors are upset to see Com Ed and Asplundh back out on the trails "working on the trees.".
Why is Com Ed & Asplundh working on the trees and trails contrary to promises of prior notice and written plans to be distributed and explained BEFORE more work was performed? I know of 3 different times we were promised prior notice and written plans BEFORE more work was done.
Here are the three:
#1 At the meeting of DuPage County's ad hoc Trails Committee on 5/19/09 it was agreed by all attending including Chairman Brook McDonald, Debra Olson - DuPage County Board Member (District 4), Deborah Fagan (DuPage County's Trail Coordinator), and representatives from Com Ed including John O'Halloran that no more work would be performed on the trees/trails before everyone was advised of the work and specific plans.
#2 Also at a meeting on 6/22/09 with Mr. Voller and Mr. O'Halloran of Com Ed that I attended with Rita Gonzalez -DuPage County Board member (District 1) we were promised a plan in writing detailing Com Ed's future steps before any future work would be performed on the trees and trails.
#3 Deborah Fagan's report and email (sent out on 7/1/09) attached below concludes with...
Future Routine Maintenance Trimming
ComEd has some areas remaining for maintenance trimming on this year?s cycle which must be completed this summer in order to remain compliant with Illinois Commerce Commission regulations. They will be identifying those areas and we will be developing an approach to address future maintenance work so that we can avoid creating new ?standing stumps?. Further detail will be provided and reviewed with the task force on this approach
If there are any questions or you require any additional information, please let me know. Thank you.
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Note the comment... Further detail will be provided and reviewed with the task force on this approach.
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SUMMARY: We received three promises to give us notice and a written plan of future work along with a lot of talk of involving the trails groups, users and neighbors to get a plan we all understand and hopefully agree to. So despite the additional promises by DuPage County staff, the Ad Hoc Trails Committee and Com Ed of working to improve communications and making a better effort to engage everyone in solving the problems with the trees and Com Ed/Asplundh's butchering of them, work started again this week and more trees were trampled or removed.
People are upset. People should be upset with the past practices and now the continued failure to involve us.
With notice from DuPage County, the Ad Hoc Trails Committee and/or Com Ed the Friends of the Great Western Trails and the IL Prairie Path group could have posted information on our websites alerting everyone of this work - whatever it is that is going on. NOTE the DuPage County webpage for the trails www.dupageco.org/bikeways does not have any information posted on it about any work by Com Ed or Asplundh.
The Friends of the Great Western Trails are just volunteers (with no membership dues or budget) but we find the necessary resources and the time to communicate with trail users, supporters and neighbors. We will continue to commit the time to get the problems defined and resolved. We now need DuPage County and Com Ed to follow suit and back up their promises.
How will you fix these problems of poor communication at best and continued uncontrolled tree/trail maintenance that has resulted in a lot of concern and mistrust about the process and participants? We continue to offer our assistance with this important matter.
Don Kirchenberg
Chairman, Friends of the Great Western Trails
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DuPage County Board Member Rita Gonzalez serving District 1 is asking the tough questions in defense of the trees, trails and trail users. THANK YOU Rita!
Press Release For Immediate Release July 27, 2009
Rita Gonzalez, Member of the DuPage County Board serving District 1 announced today her concerns about the damage to trees last week along the trails in DuPage County by Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed) and its contractor Asplundh.
Rita explains “Despite promises in meetings and emails from representatives of Commonwealth Edison, staff at DuPage County and DuPage County’s ad hoc Trails Committee no notice of work and written plans of the work have been made available prior to the tree removals last week. Citizens are complaining that more trees were being damaged or removed by Com Ed and Asplundh without any notice to trail groups, users and neighbors. Citizens in my district which includes the communities and townships of Addison, Bloomingdale, York , Elmhurst , Bensenville, Lombard, Roselle , Schaumburg, Itasca, Wood Dale, Villa Park, Medinah and Elk Grove and many others across DuPage County want a written plan explained and agreed to before any more work is performed by Com Ed and its contractor Asplundh.”
Rita states “For too many years Com Ed’s contractor (Asplundh) has chopped the tops off trees leaving no branches to grow instead of trimming them in a healthy manner as required by state regulations. I have now invited all state legislators that serve DuPage County and Governor Pat Quinn to join me in asking the ICC to investigate this matter and hold a public hearing on the tree chopping and removals in DuPage County. The public hearing should be on an evening to allow working citizens to attend.”
Rita stated “I have heard from citizens that want this damage to the trees and their property values to stop. I encourage citizens and elected officials to also file a complaint with the IL Commerce Commission (ICC) about Com Ed’s chopping off the tops of trees and ask them to enforce their regulations that utility companies trim the trees in a healthy manner. And I am asking again that Com Ed suspend any further “trimming of the trees” in DuPage County until the ICC meets in a public hearing about the many thousands of trees already damaged by Com Ed and its contractor Asplundh. Complaints may be filed at the ICC’s website http://www.icc.illinois.gov/consumer/complaint/wizard.aspx”
Rita concluded “The ICC has the power to stop this damage and plans by Com Ed to wipe out all the trees and bushes along mile long stretches of both the IL Prairie Path and Great Western Trail and use herbicides to stop them from growing. These plans are extreme and the planned use of herbicides across such a large area of heavily populated and used trails is unprecedented. We need the ICC to ensure the public’s health and best interests are protected before any trees, bushes and wildlife habitats are removed and sprayed with herbicides.”
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For more information DuPage County Board Member Rita Gonzalez may be reached at 630-456-1792 or email rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org
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THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO SPEAK OUT to protect the trees, trails and trail users including the wildlife.
Here is a short and to the point letter from a great friend of the environment...
Fake Tree Hugger Unmasked
One has only to look at Commonwealth Edison's record, as evidenced by the dire condition of trees near their wires along the Illinois Prairie Path, to know that its claims of "tree hugging" are pure public relations claptrap designed to prevent any positive change in their maintenance policies. Surely we can have both a reliable electricity supply and a healthy and aesthetic trail system that can be used and appreciated by citizens of all ages.
Mary F. Warren
Wheaton, IL 60187
We encourage you to send in your letters
to the following newspapers via these
email addresses: letters@tribune.com,
editorial@mysuburbanlife.com,
doingsnews@pioneerlocal.com, letters@suntimes.com,
news@examinerpublications.com,
news@chicagowildernessmag.org, editorial@kcchronicle.com ,
QuestPublishing@aol.com, Lombardian@sbcglobal.net and
thesun@scn1.com add others you would like.
Please let us know when you see your letter and others
about these topics in the newspapers.
And consider contacting the elected officials
detailed below too.
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| Click on logo to get a recent letter to the editor from Com Ed's Senior Vice President Calvin Butler published in the Daily Herald 7-14-09 |
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| Another letter to the editor
about the trees and Com Ed.
ComEd doesn't really care for trees
Letter to the Editor Daily Herald
Published 7-14-09
I must take exception to ComEd's Senior
Vice President Calvin Butler's attempts
to paint ComEd as a tree-loving
entity that tries to balance the "care"
of trees while providing safe electrical
service. I sincerely appreciate
what the ComEd crews do for us especially
during the time of heavy damage due
to storms. But to state that ComEd
"has been preserving and protecting trees
for the past 10 years" is stretching it a bit.
Every four years or so, the tree crews
come and hack our trees so that all that
is needed are faces to create a Totem pole.
They are mercilessly cut straight across
at the halfway point - doesn't matter the species,
doesn't matter the size, as a matter of fact,
the only thing that matters is the wire.
Many of the trees in our town look ridiculous -
some being taken down after "pruning."
So, Mr. Butler, quit schmoozing your customers
with letters written from cushy offices.
Don't try to tell us ComEd cares about trees
- you don't. The proof is in what you leave
behind for all to see. And as for the
Arbor Day Foundation, how you got their
"endorsement" is beyond me.
John Pagonis
Lombard
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More letters of support from tree and trail supporters...
Nature loving ComEd
Nature loving front man, Calvin Butler, Senior V.P., Com Ed, the abysmal stakeholder of the trees they have chopped and hacked along the DuPage Co. trails says “ComEd appreciates the value of (the) wooded communities, the aesthetics (and)…pleasure trees provide”, as what, fire wood?!
In a letter from Mr. Butler recently published in the newspapers he has pointed out, storms and tree damage are a major cause of electrical outage. They are discussing a proposal with DuPage Co. to replace the trees along the trails with some native species. This a noble idea and really worthy of Arbor Day recognition, but frankly nothing more then a distraction until Com Ed can prove it really does care for the trees by trimming them in a healthy manner as required by the Il Commerce Commission.
Com Ed, fixing the trees along the trails in DuPage County would be great, but it starts with you and your golden opportunity to again lead by example with a qualitative and quantitative restoration and preservation of all the trees.
Tom Grimston
Wheaton.
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Send us your letters and any other letters you see in the newspapers.
Send us an email to frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com
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| Let’s Work Together To Protect The Trails
We were heartened to see the July 3 Fence Post letter from Calvin Butler, Senior Vice President of Com Ed regarding maintenance along the Great Western Trail. We have long been an advocate for the upkeep and use of these trails, and have been watching the current debate with a great degree of interest. We understand the need for limited and responsible tree timing, and hope we can reach an agreement that will serve the interests of all concerned.
We would like to point out to Mr. Butler the June 12 memorandum released by the DuPage County Trail Maintenance Task Force. We feel that this document is a well put together plan that addresses Com Ed’s needs while maintaining the trails in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing to the hikers, bikers, horsemen and other residents who use these trails. Some recommendations of the memorandum that we would like to make Mr. Butler aware of are:
- The removal of invasive species of plants and the use of indigenous species to replace them.
- The use of glyphosate as the only herbicide used along the trail. You and I would refer to this herbicide by the brand name Round Up.
- Direct application of this herbicide only. The Trail Maintenance Task Force Chair, Brook McDonald, recommends low pressure spray application, low pressure sponge application or swipe or wick application. Of these three methods we would recommend the swipe or wick method.
- Responsible trimming of trees along power lines that leaves the trees healthy and aesthetically pleasing.
As Mr. Butler pointed out there is no official agreement on this issue despite the claims in Chairman Schillerstrom’s June 22 press release of a deal between the county and Com Ed. We hope that Com Ed will adopt the recommendations of the Trail Maintenance Task Force and implement these recommendations as policy. We would also like to thank County Board Members Rita Gonzalez and Dirk Enger for their efforts in this matter.
Pete Null Chair
Bloomingdale Township Democratic Organization
Susan Lubonovich Chair
Winfield Township Democratic Organization
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DuPage County Board Member Rita Gonzalez is a LEADER!
She is leading the efforts to protect the trees, trails and trailusers including the wildlife.
See her press release and the complaint she has filed
with the IL Commerce Commission.
Press Release For Immediate Release July 7, 2009
Rita Gonzalez, Board Member of the DuPage County Board serving District 1 announced today her continued concerns about the poor tree maintenance performed by Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed) and its contractor Asplundh along private property and the trails in DuPage County.
Rita Gonzalez stated “I have officially filed a complaint with the IL Commerce Commission (ICC) on behalf of the citizens of District 1 and across DuPage County to enforce their regulations that utility companies trim the trees in a healthy manner. And I am asking that Com Ed suspend any further “trimming of the trees” in DuPage County until the ICC meets in a public hearing about the many thousands of trees damaged by Com Ed and its contractor Asplundh.”
Rita Gonzalez explains “DuPage County and its nearly one million residents have suffered long enough from Com Ed’s butchering of the trees along the trails owned by the taxpayers and along or in private property. Citizens in my district which includes the communities and townships of Addison, Bloomingdale, York, Elmhurst, Bensenville, Lombard, Roselle, Schaumburg, Itasca, Wood Dale, Villa Park, Medinah and Elk Grove and many others across DuPage County are fed up with the continued damage to their trees and trees in the public right-of-way by Com Ed and its contractor Asplundh. Com Ed’s contractor (Asplundh) has chopped the tops off trees leaving no branches to grow instead of trimming them in a healthy manner as required by state regulations.”
Rita Gonzalez suggests that the ICCs public hearing be held in DuPage County on an evening to allow its hard working citizens to attend. “This is serious matter. I have heard from citizens in District 1 and trail supporters from across DuPage County that wants this damage to the trees and their property values to stop. The ICC has the power to stop this damage and plans by Com Ed to wipe out all the trees and bushes along mile long stretches of both the IL Prairie Path and Great Western Trail and use herbicides to stop them from growing. These plans are extreme and the planned use of herbicides across such a large area of heavily populated and used trails is unprecedented. We need the ICC to ensure the public’s health and best interests are protected before any trees, bushes and wildlife habitats are removed and sprayed with herbicides.”
Rita Gonzalez concluded that “I am also asking the other DuPage County Board members, DuPage County’s Chairman Robert Schillerstrom and all the IL legislators that serve the nearly one million residents of DuPage County to also ask the ICC to both enforce their regulations for the healthy trimming of the trees and to support the public hearing I have proposed today.”###
For more information DuPage County Board Member Rita Gonzalez may be reached at 630-456-1792 or email rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org
Note complaints with the ICC may be filed online at website: http://www.icc.illinois.gov/consumer/complaint/wizard.aspx
See the official complaint below filed on 7/7/09.
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Illinois Commerce Commission
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Public Utility Complaint Form
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IL Commerce Commission, 527 East Capitol Avenue, Springfield, Illinois, 62701, 217-782-5793
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Full Name:
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Rita Gonzalez
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Street Address:
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421 N County Farm Rd
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Alternate Location:
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City:
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Wheaton
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State:
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Il
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ZipCode:
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60187
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Home Phone:
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Day-Time Phone:
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E-Mail Address:
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rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org
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Have you been in contact with the Utility?
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Yes, I have contacted the utility.
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Complaint Type:
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Electric
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Company Name:
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Commonwealth Edison
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Company Account Number:
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Please provide the details of your complaint or state your opinion:
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DuPage County and its nearly one million residents have suffered long enough from Com Ed’s butchering of the trees along the trails owned by the taxpayers and along or in private property. Citizens in my district which includes the communities and townships of Addison, Bloomingdale, York , Elmhurst , Bensenville, Lombard, Roselle , Schaumburg, Itasca, Wood Dale, Villa Park, Medinah and Elk Grove and many others across DuPage County are fed up with the continued damage to their trees and trees in the public right-of-way by Com Ed and its contractor Asplundh. Com Ed’s contractor (Asplundh) has chopped the tops off trees leaving no branches to grow instead of trimming them in a healthy manner as required by state regulations.
I am asking the ICC to investigate this matter and hold a public hearing in DuPage County on an evening to allow its hard working citizens to attend. This is a serious matter. I have heard from citizens in District 1 and trail supporters from across DuPage County that wants this damage to the trees and their property values to stop. The ICC has the power to stop this damage and plans by Com Ed to wipe out all the trees and bushes along mile long stretches of both the IL Prairie Path and Great Western Trail and use herbicides to stop them from growing. These plans are extreme and the planned use of herbicides across such a large area of heavily populated and used trails is unprecedented. We need the ICC to ensure the public’s health and best interests are protected before any trees, bushes and wildlife habitats are removed and sprayed with herbicides.
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SUBMITTED 7/07/09 via website: http://www.icc.illinois.gov/consumer/complaint/wizard.aspx
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ASSIGNED Tracking # 1948-2009
________________________________
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| Click on the photo for a news article in the Chicago Tribune 7/1/09 with more info about proposed ideas to solve this terrible problem with trees being chopped by Com Ed. |
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| Utilities are required under the
Illinois Public Utilities Act
to follow the tree care and
maintenance standards
published by the American
National Standards Institute
Customers who believe a electric
utility has trimmed trees
improperly can file a complaint
with the IL Commerce
Commission, which can order
the utility to alter its
tree trimming practices.
Protect the trees along the trails,
on and along
your property. Contact the
IL Commerce Commission
today asking them to enforce
the healthy trimming of
the trees by Com Ed and its
contractor Asplundh.
Go to this site to file a complaint
with the ICC:
http://www.icc.illinois.gov/contactus/
Also copy your IL legislators asking
them to get the ICC
to enforce their regulations.
Local legislators and elected
officials that should be contacted
are as follows:
Senatorcronin@aol.com State Senator
Dan Cronin, carole@pankau.com
State Senator Carole Pankau,
community@sandrapihos.org
State Rep Sandra Pihos,
randy@rhultgren.com State Senator Randy Hultgren,
staterepramey55@aol.com
State Representative Randy Ramey,
Johnjmillner@aol.com State Senator
John Millner, joe@josephdunn.com,
State Representative
Joe Dunn, franco@il45.com
State Representative Franco Coladipietro and find
more at the website
for the IL Board of Elections:
http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp
and as always copy the media asking them to
follow up at these email addresses:
news@dailyherald.com, news@tribune.com,
editorial@mysuburbanlife.com,
thesun@scn1.com, forest@dupageforest.com,
QuestPublishing@aol.com,
news@examinerpublications.com,
editorial@kcchronicle.com, editor@consciouschoice.com,
news@chicagowildernessmag.org,
NewsTips@nbc5.com, okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu,
fencepost@dailyherald.com, letters@tribune.com,
metro@suntimes.com
and lombardian@sbcglobal.net
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In addition to the ongoing concerns and efforts to stop Com Ed from chopping the tops off trees instead of trimming them (see the photo above) Com Ed now wants to begin spraying HERBICIDES to kill the trees, bushes and wildlife along the trails.
Here is a very compelling letter to the editor about HERBICIDES recently published in the Daily Herald:
Worry for herbicide use on Prairie Path (& Great Western Trail)
Letter to the Editor
I am writing you to express my concern regarding the possible use of herbicides along the Illinois Prairie Path and Great Western Trail in DuPage County. As a resident of the Fox Valley area, I know how vulnerable the electrical supply has become, because of overgrown trees. ComEd has to reduce the likelihood of power disruption, following storm activity. However, the use of herbicides may be an instrument that is too blunt or broad for children and women of childbearing age. My primary concern is for the patients and young families that I have seen in my private practice in Naperville. The patients and families have been affected by several neurogenic problems (e.g., autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger syndrome and receptive-expressive language disorder). These problems have been associated with several speech-language and hearing difficulties. My cases have been medically complex, with many unknown causes or syndromes.
Evidence has been growing to show a definitive empirical or experimental link between autism and certain known toxic components, such as mercury and lead. And it has become clearer that environmental factors may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the cellular level. The susceptibility of mercury and lead poisoning and ASD has remained a concern in the medical community. We may have an answers to questions, with respect to links between environmental toxins and autism, birth defects in the future. One has not needed a basic understanding of neurobiology to comprehend the lessons that history has taught us on quick fixes.
As such, I am asking your support in opposing the use of herbicides along the Prairie Path and Great Western Trail, which have been shared by very young children, expectant mothers, runners, walkers and bicyclists like me.
Dr. Willard C. Hooks, Jr.
Ph.D., Naperville
Published: 5/30/2009 12:00 AM For the online version click here: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=297189&src=
THANK YOU Dr. Hooks! And we need you to speak up too.
Send in your letters/emails of concern to the following email addresses: Local legislators and elected officials that should be contacted are as follows:
Senatorcronin@aol.com State Senator Dan Cronin, carole@pankau.com State Senator Carole Pankau,
community@sandrapihos.org State Rep Sandra Pihos, randy@rhultgren.com State Senator Randy Hultgren, staterepramey55@aol.com State Representative Randy Ramey, Johnjmillner@aol.com State Senator John Millner, joe@josephdunn.com, State Representative Joe Dunn, franco@il45.com State Representative Franco Coladipietro and find more at the website for the IL Board of Elections: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp
And contact these DuPage County officials to stop the use of herbicides using this list of email addresses: rschillerstrom@dupageco.org, ctokarski@dupageco.org, jrmcbride@dupageco.org, geckhoff@dupageco.org, dolson@dupageco.org, dirk.enger@dupageco.org, anthony.michelassi@dupageco.org, dpuchalski@dupageco.org, jredick@dupageco.org, forest@dupageforest.com get more email addresses at http://www.dupageco.org/cobrd/generic.cfm?doc_id=272
And always copy the media at: news@dailyherald.com, news@tribune.com, editorial@mysuburbanlife.com, thesun@scn1.com, QuestPublishing@aol.com, news@examinerpublications.com, editorial@kcchronicle.com, news@examinerpublications.com, news@chicagowildernessmag.org, NewsTips@nbc5.com, okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu, fencepost@dailyherald.com, letters@tribune.com, metro@suntimes.com and lombardian@sbcglobal.net
Your local elected officials should also be contacted and can be found by calling the IL Board of Elections at 312-814-6440 or by going to webpage: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp
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An open letter to the Board members of DuPage County, Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and IL legislators serving DuPage County.
Letter to the DuPage County Board, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and IL legislators serving DuPage County regarding Commonwealth Edison’s continued butchering of the trees and plans to spray herbicides along both the Great Western Trail and IL Prairie Path.
June 19, 2009
As a long time trail user, volunteer and participant in different trail and environmental groups, I have seen the continued destruction of the natural beauty of our trees and trails.
Unfortunately the winter and spring of 2009 has been no exception to the usual tree chopping instead of trimming by the contractor (Asplundh) employed by Commonwealth Edison to “trim the trees.”
Because of the concerns of trail users and neighbors a meeting was held on May 19th at the DuPage County Administrative Building. At this meeting the concerns about the tree chopping or butchering were discussed. Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed) was in attendance and made a power point presentation to the group.
In the presentation to answer our concerns Com Ed detailed plans to remove all the trees and bushes in three long sections of the Great Western Trail and IL Prairie Path to start. In addition, they plan to spray herbicides to kill these trees and bushes. In the presentation which they will not give copies of it despite promises from Com Ed and an employee of DuPage County that we could get a copy, they showed photos of ATVs with large tanks and aerial (5’+ off the ground) sprayers to be used for the spraying of the herbicides.
And they did not offer any plans for replacing the many hundreds of stumps of dead trees left over from their chopping the tops off trees when they should be trimming them in a healthy manner as required by the IL Commerce Commission.
Why do our elected officials allow Com Ed and their contractors to continue to destroy our trees (many along and in private property too) and trails?
Millions of dollars are given to Com Ed by the government agencies that you control every year. Alternatives are available to Com Ed for electric power. Other government agencies and municipalities much smaller than DuPage County with nearly one million people have mandated and enforced the healthy trimming of trees by Com Ed as part of their contract to purchase electric power.
Why do you allow Com Ed to get away with these destructive tree maintenance practices every year? What steps have you taken to consider and propose alternatives to purchasing all your electric power from Com Ed? What elected officials will lead and when to mandate that the healthy trimming of trees is followed in DuPage County and everywhere else in the State of Illinois?
Consider that Com Ed feels they have such an upper hand to even refuse to give out copies of a presentation they made on May 19th to DuPage County and its’ citizens. Who will begin to make them accountable for their actions?
Please remember that Com Ed is saying they are trimming the trees in a "healthy manner using licensed professionals, etc." And they say that with a straight face. Now they are saying they will spray the herbicides in a "healthy manner using licensed professionals, etc." So if they spray the herbicides like they “trim the trees” we are all in big trouble unless you help us.
Don Kirchenberg
Voluntary Chairman, Friends of the Great Western Trails - Email: Frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com
CC: Chicago media and community newspapers
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| Public officials and the public are speaking out to protect the trees, trails and trailusers including wildlife in DuPage County. We need you to speak out too! |
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Dirk Enger, DuPage County Board Member
serving District 6 is asking important questions
to protect the trees and trails.
Press Release For Immediate Release June 20, 2009
Dirk Enger, member of the DuPage County Board serving District 6 attended the rally on June 20th sponsored by the Bloomingdale Township Democratic Organization at the Great Western Trail at Schmale Rd in Carol Stream, IL to protest the continued butchering of the trees and planned spraying of herbicides along the IL Prairie Path and Great Western Trail. At the rally he stated that he is concerned about the continued destruction of the natural beauty of our trails by the chopping off the tops of the trees by Commonwealth Edison’s contractor Asplundh.
In addition, County Board member Enger explained that he wants more information about the
planned spraying of herbicides to start on three long sections of the Great Western Trail and IL Prairie Path. He is asking “What specific chemicals will be used and what type of spraying will be used to apply these chemicals? If ATVs with large tanks and aerial sprayers are to be used for the spraying of the herbicides as shown in Commonwealth Edison’s presentation on May 19th how will trail users and trail neighbors be protected from the spraying of the chemicals?”
And Dirk Enger asked “Why hasn’t Commonwealth Edison (Com Ed) offered any plans for replacing the many hundreds of stumps of dead trees left over from their chopping the tops off trees when they should be trimming them in a healthy manner as required by the IL Commerce Commission?”
Dirk Enger continued to say “We need to stop the continued destruction of our trees (many along and in private property too) and trails. Since millions of dollars are given to Com Ed by the government agencies and the residents of DuPage County we should consider alternatives to Com Ed for electric power. Other government agencies and municipalities much smaller than DuPage County has mandated and enforced the healthy trimming of trees by Com Ed as part of their contract to purchase electric power. We need to do the same here in DuPage County.”
“As a DuPage County Board member I will ask that steps be taken to consider and propose alternatives to purchasing all our electric power from Com Ed. We need to begin to work harder and mandate that the healthy trimming of trees is followed in DuPage County and everywhere else in the State of Illinois”
Dirk Enger concluded “If not us, who will begin to make them accountable for their actions?” ###
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DuPage County Board Member Rita Gonzalez says
PROTECT THE TREES AND TRAILS
On Monday 6/8/09 Rita Gonzalez a member of the DuPage County Board serving District 1 released her press release (copied below) about the trees being chopped instead of trimmed along the trails and plans to spray herbicides to kill trees, bushes and wildlife.
On Monday morning she toured a section of the IL Prairie Path in Glen Ellyn between Longfellow on the east and Bryant St on the west. She met with representatives of the press along with members of the Friends of the Great Western Trails, IL Prairie Path not-for-profit corporation and related groups along with concerned trail users and neighbors.
See her press release here:
Press Release For Immediate Release June 8, 2009
Rita Gonzalez, Board Member of the DuPage County Board serving District 1 and a long time supporter of the trails announced today her concerns about the poor tree maintenance along the trails in DuPage County.
Rita Gonzalez stated “It is time for the DuPage County Board to work harder to protect the trees, trails and trail users including the wildlife habitats along the Great Western Trail and Il Prairie Path. Com Ed’s contractor (Asplundh) is chopping the tops off trees leaving no branches to grow instead of trimming them in a healthy manner as required by state regulations.”
She continues to say “DuPage County’s taxpayers have invested a lot of money in these trails. They are used year around by tens of thousands of residents and visitors to DuPage County. We need to work harder to protect these trees and trails and prevent any planned spraying of herbicides to kill trees, bushes and trail users including the wildlife that lives in them. “
Rita Gonzalez concluded “At the next meeting of the Environmental Committee of which I am a member I will ask the committee to get a final written agreement with Commonwealth Edison to stop the chopping of the trees and any plans to spray herbicides too.” ###
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Trees on the trails are being TOPPED not trimmed
And now Commonwealth Edison wants to use HERBICIDES along the trails to kill off trees and bushes.
Commonwealth Edison’s tree cutting contractor Asplundh has done considerable damage to the trees on the trails (IL Prairie Path & Great Western Trails) and along private property too. Many trail users and neighbors have complained about their practice to cut the tops off the trees instead of trimming the branches. “When you top off hardwood trees, you are killing them from the top. Many dozens of trees have just been topped off as far as 20 feet below their power lines along the IL Prairie Path and Great Western Trails. This butchering of the trees takes away from the beauty and the natural feel of our trails.” stated Don Kirchenberg, Voluntary Chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trails.
On May 19, 2009 at a meeting at the DuPage County Admin. Building Com Ed announced plans to use herbicides along the trails and homes of thousands to kill trees and bushes along both the IL Prairie Path and Great Western Trail in DuPage County.
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WARNING!
Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact their state legislators and county officials to voice their opinions about the tree chopping directed by Commonwealth Edison. The state of Illinois has jurisdiction over the tree maintenance practices of all power companies. They can legislate better tree maintenance that will help protect the trees on the trails and anywhere near power lines.
And County officials can
stop the use of herbicides to
kill the trees and bushes along the trails.
Local legislators and elected officials that should be contacted are as follows:
Senatorcronin@aol.com State Senator Dan Cronin, carole@pankau.com State Senator Carole Pankau,
community@sandrapihos.org State Rep Sandra Pihos, randy@rhultgren.com State Senator Randy Hultgren, staterepramey55@aol.com State Representative Randy Ramey, Johnjmillner@aol.com State Senator John Millner, , joe@josephdunn.com, State Representative Joe Dunn, franco@il45.com State Representative Franco Coladipietro and find more at the website for the IL Board of Elections: And contact these DuPage County officials to stop the use of herbicides using this list of email addresses: rschillerstrom@dupageco.org, ctokarski@dupageco.org, jrmcbride@dupageco.org, geckhoff@dupageco.org, dolson@dupageco.org, dirk.enger@dupageco.org, anthony.michelassi@dupageco.org, dpuchalski@dupageco.org, jredick@dupageco.org and get more email addresses at http://www.dupageco.org/cobrd/generic.cfm?doc_id=272
And always copy the media at: news@dailyherald.com, news@tribune.com, editorial@mysuburbanlife.com, thesun@scn1.com, QuestPublishing@aol.com, news@examinerpublications.com, editorial@kcchronicle.com, news@examinerpublications.com, news@chicagowildernessmag.org, NewsTips@nbc5.com, okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu, fencepost@dailyherald.com, letters@tribune.com, metro@suntimes.com and lombardian@sbcglobal.net
Your local elected officials should also be contacted and can be found by calling the IL Board of Elections at 312-814-6440 or by going to webpage: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp
You should also express your concerns about their tree chopping versus tree trimming and plans to use HERBICIDES to Com Ed’s Office of Community Affairs. They may be reached at their offices 440 S La Salle, 1 Financial Place, Ste 3300, Chicago, IL 60605
For information on this issue and the Great Western Trails go to the brand NEW webpage: www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com
Note in 2002 thanks to the support of environmentalists and trail supporters from the area we were able to stop similar plans to use herbicides and remove all the trees under or near power lines along both the Great Western Trails and IL Prairie Path.
We can win this fight AGAIN with everyone's continued support!
PLEASE PASS ALONG COPIES OF THIS MESSAGE.
CLICK ON THE W BELOW TO GET A COPY OF THIS FLYER!
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| The West Chicago Prairie on the Geneva Spur along the IPP is a special location to visit. Double click on photo to get more info. In addition, this section of the trail and prairie is now being targeted by Com Ed to kill off the trees and bushes along the IPP and spray herbicides too. |
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Cutting comments
Concerns raised about tree trimming along Prairie Path
Published in the Glen Ellyn Sun newspaper
June 12, 2009
By DAVID SHAROS For The Sun
Concerns about what has been described as "indiscriminate destruction of trees" have surfaced recently, voiced by residents living along portions of the Illinois Prairie Path.
On June 8, newly-elected DuPage County Board member Rita Gonzalez called for the board "to work harder to protect the trees, trails and trail users including the wildlife habitats along the Great Western Trail and Illinois Prairie Path."
The paths lead through Wheaton and Glen Ellyn.
Gonzalez said that ComEd's contractor, Asplundh "is chopping the tops off trees, leaving no branches to grow instead of trimming them in a healthy manner as required by state regulations."
In a phone interview with The Sun, Gonzalez said she has spoken about the issue with various groups interested in the Prairie Path and the Great Western Trail, including Friends of the Great Western Trail, garden clubs and other not-for-profit groups. She said many perceive a problem, especially along an area of the path near Longfellow and Bryant avenues in Glen Ellyn.
"I realize the utility company has to keep the power lines free, but we're not talking about removing just a few leaves or branches," Gonzalez said. "There are places where people have told me as much as 30 feet of limbs have been removed, and while these areas may bud with leaves, the groups I've spoken with say they are never going to grow back (fully)."
Gonzalez also said she has learned that a planned herbicide program has been announced which raises concerns among residents as well.
"We believe the herbicide treatment might be harmful to the plants and wildlife in the area," Gonzalez said. "We also have concerns about the effect on the water system. I serve on the Environmental Committee (of the County Board), which is one of my responsibilities, and we are calling for ComEd to follow ... regulations."
Peter Pedraza, a spokesman for ComEd, said that the company "remains committed to the wooded areas in the community" and that the company must continue "to strike a balance between maintaining the public safety and the reliability of the transmission lines."
"Some people may recall the blackout issues back in 2003 on the East Coast which were all created by problems due to trees," Pedraza said. "We follow regulations, plus the area in question there is governed by both state and federal agencies."
Pedraza said the utility company met May 19 with the DuPage County Board to present its proposals for the area and that ComEd officials "are looking forward to continuing discussions and reaching agreement about performing work in the area."
"We have highlighted the restoration of plants and we look forward to more discussion with the county to resolve this issue as soon as possible," he said.
Regarding the herbicide issue, Gonzalez said she was awaiting receipt of a video which would explain the program.
Podraza said the herbicide program would involve only three specific areas, one on the Prairie Path and two on the Great Western Trail, and that the application would be performed exclusively by licensed professionals.
"We don't use products that are formulated specifically for ComEd," he said. "They all conform to the required regulations."
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Note the news article is incorrect because Rita Gonzalez is concerned about all the trees and bushes along all the trails. The area on the IPP between Longfellow and Bryant was visited to see a sample of the damage done by Com Ed's contractor (Asplundh) on all the trails in DuPage County.
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WATCH THIS SECTION FOR UPDATED
REGIONAL TRAIL NEWS:
>IL Prairie Path is now OPEN between Glen Ellyn & Lombard from Hill Ave on the west and Vance Ave on the east.
IF YOU see trail sections that are closed or need attention please send us an email to frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com
>Section of Fox River Trail closed on the Fox River Trail, the bridge at Raymond Street between the Elgin branch of the Prairie Path and Moody Court will remain closed indefinitely. The bridge was damaged during extreme flooding Sept. 13-14. District staff is working to determine structural integrity of the bridge and trail, and how best to make repairs. For more information, call the Kane County Forest Preserve District at (630) 232-5980.
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| They say "when lightning roars go indoors." Be careful on the trails and anywhere else outside. |
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| The IL Railway Museum is a fun place to visit tied to the rails-to-trails history. |
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| Volunteers Lonnie Morris and Bob Wagner cutting teasel weeds along the GWT in Villa Park. Send us your photos of efforts to restore the natural beauty of the trails. |
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| The GWT's eastern trailhead in Villa Park has been improved with many amenities. Double click on the drawing to go to the website detailing this area. |
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| Double click on photo to see more of Ed Foster's photos and notes from rides along the GWTs. |
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| The Great Western Trail section that runs 18 miles from St. Charles to Sycamore starts in St Charles, IL at the Leroy Oakes forest preserve. It originally was a rail right-of-way part of the Great Western Rail Line and built by the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad in 1886. The trail is flat and you roll through the countryside past numerous small streams and wetlands. Continuous wild shrubs include Dogwood, Blackberry, and Hazelnut and merge with a few remaining patches of native prairies. |
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| This trash and more was picked up along the GWT in Kane County by Tom Bloore. THANKS Tom! |
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| The GWTs volunteers do a tremendous job. Thanks to all for their help! Be careful when cleaning up the trails. See the suggestions listed below to follow when cleaning up the trails. |
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PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release 5/1/09
In observance of Earth Day 2009; the Friends of the Great Western Trails
conducted its annual trails cleanup on Saturday, April 25.
Don Kirchenberg Voluntary Chairperson of the Friends of the Great Western Trails
announced that “the Annual Trails Cleanup of the Great Western Trails was a big
success.
We really want to thank the many hundreds of volunteers that made the
commitment to work hard and cleanup our trails. We also want to be sure
to recognize the local coordinators that helped make the cleanup a success.”
The local coordinators that made the extra commitment to help get a section of the
trails cleaned were Irene Shaffer and the Villa Park Pride Commission, Dave Gorman
and the Village of Lombard, Mike Sinner, the Creech family, Bob Gilly and the St Paul
United Church of Christ of Bloomingdale, Christina Collison and the Glen Ellyn
Environmental Commission, Don Pellico, the Kinzler family, Bette Smillie
and the Parkview Community Church, Pete Null and the Bloomingdale
Township Democratic Organization, Mary Ann Badke and the Elmhurst
Bicycle Club, Courtney Jordan and the North Trails Glenside service
units of the Girl Scouts, Sue Crosson-Knutson and the Lions Clubs,
Tracy Vought and the Wheaton Environmental Improvement
Commission, Mayor Michael Kwasman and the City of West Chicago,
Julia Bourque with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County,
Tom Bloore and Kim Girard.
The Friends of the Great Western Trails are also thankful to the Counties of DuPage,
Kane and DeKalb along with the many municipalities and townships along the GWTs
that provided the extra equipment and manpower to collect all the trash bags and
extra items picked up during the cleanup.
We also want to acknowledge and thank REI for their generous support of the
cleanup that included bicycle checkups and supplies for the cleanup volunteers.
Margie Martinson and Bill Watson from REI were on hand at the GWT in
West Chicago and helped support this important event. REI supports many
community programs that help our environment. We look forward to having
their ongoing support and resources to help the trails which serve as
an important recreational amenity.
“Our goal this year was to clean all the trails including both sections of the Great
Western Trail (GWT) and we were very pleased with the turnout and the overall
cleanup effort!. This cleanup is the essence of the spirit that started the Friends
of the Great Western Trails over 10 years ago as an all volunteer group (and we
remain unpaid volunteers) without any memberships or bank accounts like
other groups.” concluded Don Kirchenberg.
The Friends of the Great Western Trails wants to remind everyone that the trails
are cleaned year around by volunteers. Your help in keeping the trails clean is
appreciated. Please remove all drink containers and food wrappers you take
with you on the trails.
For more information about the Great Western Trails contact Voluntary Chairperson
Don Kirchenberg via email frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com or 630-853-7650 and go to the
new website: http://www.friendsofthegreatwesterntrails.com/ ###
YOU ARE ENCOURAGED to display this information on web pages and in
newsletters.
Thank you again for your support!
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| THE TRAIL IS BUILT ON THE ORIGINAL RIGHT-OF-WAY OF THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. Click on logo to get more history and another website about the railway. |
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| Click on logo to find out more about this group that helps trails everywhere. |
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| Hard working trail cleanup volunteers from the Elmhurst Bicycle Club. Click on photo to find their website. |
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| New bridge to link trails in Kane County. Construction on the $2.5 million overpass at Randall and Silver Glen roads in South Elgin began earlier this year and is scheduled to wrap up by Thanksgiving, 2009. Thank you to Kane County and the St Charles Park District for their efforts to make trail use safer. |
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| Hard working volunteer Girl Scouts from the DuPage Service Group cleaning the GWT in Carol Stream |
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Horsing around on the GWT in DuPage County is encouraged!
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| For more info send an email to: info@trod.us |
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PLEASE SEND US YOUR PHOTOS
of the trails
so we may add them
to our webpage.
Include time, place and names too.
Thanks!
Send them as jpeg or gif file versions to email address:
frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com
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| In Kane County trail users enjoy shaded areas and the trees providing the trails with more natural beauty. |
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The letter to the editor from May Watts that was printed in the
Chicago Tribune, October 2, 1963.
This well written letter is generally credited with
getting the rails-to-trails movement started.
We are human beings. We are able to walk upright on two feet. We need a footpath. Right now there is a chance for Chicago and its suburbs to have a footpath, a long one.
The right-of-way of the Aurora electric road lies waiting. If we have courage and foresight, such as made possible the Long Trail in Vermont and the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, and the network of public footpaths in Britain, then we can create from this strip a proud resource.
Look ahead some years into the future. Imagine yourself going for a walk on an autumn day. Choose some part of the famed Illinois footpath. Where the highway crosses it, you enter over a stile. The path lies ahead, curving around a hawthorn tree, then proceeding under the shade of a forest of sugar maple trees, dipping into a hollow with ferns, then skirting a thicket of wild plum, to straighten out for a long stretch of prairie, tall grass prairie, with big blue stem and blazing star and silphium and goldenrod.
You must go over a stile again, to cross a highway to another stile. This section is different. The grass is cut and garden flowers bloom in great beds. This part, you may learn, is maintained by the Chicago Horticultural Society. Beyond the garden you enter a forest again, maintained by the Morton Arboretum. At its edge begins a long stretch of water with mud banks, maintained for water birds and waders, by the Chicago Ornithological Society. You notice an abundance of red-fruited shrubs. The birds have the Audubon Societies to thank for those. You rest on one of the stout benches provided by the Prairie Club, beside a thicket of wild crab apple trees planted by the Garden Club of Illinois.
Then you walk through prairie again. Four Boy Scouts pass. They are hiking the entire length of the trail. This fulfills a requirement for some merit badge. A troop of Scouts is planting acorns in a grove of cottonwood trees. Most of the time you find yourself in prairie or woodland of native Illinois plants. These stretches of trail need little or no upkeep. You come to one stretch, a long stretch, where nothing at all has been done. But university students are identifying and listing plants. The University of Chicago ecology department is in charge of this strip. They are watching to see what time and nature will do.
You catch occasional glimpses of bicycles flying past, along one side. The bicycles entered through a special stile admitting them to the bicycle strip. They cannot enter the path where you walk, but they can ride far and fast without being endangered by cars, and without endangering those who walk.
That is all in the future, the possible future. Right now the right-of-way lies waiting, and many hands are itching for it. Many bulldozers are drooling.
-MAY THEILGAARD WATTS
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Get more info. here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Theilgaard_Watts
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| May Watts was a visionary, teacher and author. Click on photo for more info. about this special person. |
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| Photograph by George Zahrobsky, 1965 (Morton Arboretum). Click on photo to learn more about May Watts. |
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A good quick reading white paper on our landscapes and what we are doing to them. |
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| Click on logo to learn about the EL&PC the Midwest’s leading public interest environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization. |
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| Many environmental education programs are available for schools and groups operated by SCARCE. Click on logo to go to their website. |
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| Click on logo to learn more about options and suppliers for renewable energy. |
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Trail advocate asks for local patrols
By David Heitz, dheitz@mysuburbanlife.com
Carol Stream Press
Wed Apr 23, 2008, 12:44 PM CDT
Carol Stream, IL -
While residents this week said two makeshift shacks illegally built along a portion of the Great Western Trail in Carol Stream have been removed, the issue of illegal dumping and partying in the trails remains a big concern.
One trail advocate is calling on the village of Carol Stream and the DuPage County Board to do more to address the problems along the trail, which he claims is in the worst condition he has ever seen.
Don Kirchenberg, chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trail, called on the Carol Stream Village Board this week to allow local police to assist in patrolling the trails. The trails are now patrolled by the DuPage County Sheriff’s Department.
Kirchenberg issued a statement to the board at their meeting Monday night.
“In addition to the damage to the trees and bushes, hundreds of empty liquor and beer bottles are left behind at these many ‘party sites,’” he said. “In my 10-plus years of volunteer work on the Great Western Trail and the (Illinois) Prairie Path, I have never seen as much abuse and neglect as I have seen along the Great Western Trail in and along Carol Stream.”
Carol Stream Mayor Frank Saverino said the county is responsible for those patrols. He said much of the area in question is unincorporated and in portions of Glendale Heights, not in Carol Stream, and the village does not have the resources to patrol areas not in the village.
“We don’t have the manpower to be doing that,” he said.
Advocates of the Great Western Trail said on Monday that the two shacks, discovered earlier this year and used either by homeless people or by teenagers for “party houses,” were taken down sometime after Friday by the DuPage County Sheriff’s Police, officials said.
Kirchenberg said other debris still remaining from “party sites” has not been cleaned up. Beer bottles and other debris still remain in several portions along the trail, Kirchenberg said.
Kirchenberg also claims the county still needs to do more to patrol the Great Western Trail to crack down on illegal activity and dumping on trail property.
The issue was brought to light by DuPage County Board candidate Richard Dunn, who held a press conference at the site of the shacks on April 8. Dunn, a Democrat, is running against Republican incumbents Grant Eckhoff and Debra Olson for one of the District 4 seats on the DuPage County Board.
Dunn said he believes the county should be doing more to prevent dumping and illegal activities on the Great Western Trail.
Eckhoff maintains the county is doing all it can, and that it relies on residents to report activity in the trails and forest preserve areas.
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| The Lions Club volunteers will be back to help clean the GWT. We welcome your support year around to keep the trails clean. Click on the photo to learn more about this great group. |
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| A tremendous resource for trail users and supporters! Click on photo for more info at greenways.us |
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| A plan to make our region less congested for all residents. |
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| On March 10, 2006 - Dignitaries gather for a ground-breaking ceremony marking the beginning of construction for a new pedestrian bridge along the Des Plaines River. Pictured above (l to r) are: Don Kirchenberg, President Illinois Prairie Path; Paul Aeschlemann, former IPP President; Sue Mondry, owner of Legal Grounds Coffee; Bob Sadowski, executive director of Chicagoland Bicycle Federation; Carole Brown, CTA Board Chairman; State Representative Karen Yarbrough; 28th Ward Alderman Ed Smith; IDOT Secretary Timothy Martin; Maywood Mayor Henderson Yarbrough; and Forest Park Mayor Anthony Calderone. |
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| A community forum for all types of bicyclists. Road, mountain,
tandem, recumbent, unicycle, you name it. We have a current
reach of over 20,000 unique cyclist a month. Twospoke is run
by a team of bike enthusiasts working to both provide a place
for technical content, meetups and legal/political awareness.
Check them out here:
http://www.twospoke.com/
http://www.twitter.com/twospoke
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Great Western Trails (Illinois)
FROM WIKIPEDIA
The Great Western Trail is a rail trail in Illinois.
It occupies two non-contiguous sections of an abandoned Chicago Great Western Railway corridor in suburban Chicago that have been converted into biking and hiking trails.
The western-most, and older, section of the Great Western Trail is located between western St. Charles in Kane County and eastern Sycamore in DeKalb County. This section was right-of-way that was abandoned in 1977. The eighteen-mile crushed-stone path traverses unincorporated rural townships, natural wetlands, some restored prairies, and farmland.
Eastern section of the Great Western Trail at Prince Crossing in West Chicago, at the western terminus.
The newer of the two sections, between Villa Park and West Chicago in DuPage County, is made up of right-of-way that was abandoned piecemeal throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. As the railway was abandoned, the government of DuPage County made upgrades to the path, and between 1990 through 1992, the trail was converted from a rail grade to a bicycle trail. The twelve-mile crushed stone path crosses some farmland and suburban areas. At the east end of the trail is a restored former CGW depot building. The Great Western trail also was extended to make a connection with the Illinois Prairie Path in 1995. In 1998, a new bridge was built over Interstate 355, while the next year, a new bridge was built over the West Branch of the DuPage River.[1]
AND IN IOWA there is another Great Western Trail built upon the same rail line. For more information go to this website: http://www.inhf.org/iowatrails/gwbr-intro.htm
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DuPage conservation queen excited
for Earth Day events
Bloomingdale Press
Fri Apr 25, 2008, 12:03 AM CDT
Bloomingdale, IL -
Santa Claus is to Christmas what Kay McKeen is to DuPage County’s Earth Day. When it comes
to saving the planet, McKeen is our “go-to” person.
McKeen is the director of DuPage’s School and Community Assistance for Recycling and
Composting Education. She helps organize environmental projects and encourages the recycling
of everything, from books to computers. She even melts broken crayons into Super Crayons for
disabled children.
Last week, McKeen was a guest speaker at Roselle’s Green Night. The first-time event included the
display of the village’s 31-miles-per-gallon 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. Inside village hall, 75 residents —
including Mayor Gayle Smolinski — listened to McKeen.
“It’s the little things that count,” said McKeen. “We can make a difference by turning off lights,
recycling batteries and not using plastic shopping bags.”
She delivered the identical message to three other groups that day.
McKeen formalized her planet-saving crusade in 1984. That was the year she organized
Wheaton’s first recycling event. The tradition continues.
Last Saturday, April 19, hundreds of DuPage residents drove through a Wheaton parking lot
donating used books, car batteries, computers, bicycles, cell phones, lawn mowers, car keys,
gym shoes, American flags, scrap metal and eyeglasses. The dates of future events appear online
at www.bookrescue.org.
The first drop-off point was for used books. This is McKeen’s signature project. In 1991, she realized
that DuPage schools had a plethora of unused textbooks. She decided to rescue the books through
recycling. Among the next drop-off points was one for used eyeglasses. Members of local Lions
clubs volunteered to accept the spectacles.
This Saturday, April 26, Cywinski will participate in the Annual Earth Day Trail Clean-Up. Working with
McKeen and Friends of the Great Western Trail’s Don Kirchenberg of Glendale Heights, Cywinski and
his fellow Lions will clear debris from their assigned section of the trail.
“The Lions will clean the trail (just south of North Avenue) from Prince Crossing east to
Country Farm Road,” said Kirchenberg. Local church groups and Boy Scout troops also have
adopted sections of the 62-mile paved Illinois Prairie Path. The result will be a cleaner
community and a healthier planet.
_________________________________________________________________________
Regulations to Protect the Trails and Trail users:
- CALL 911 whenever you see problems or illegal activities.
- Pets must be leashed and you must clean up after them.
- No motorized vehicles are allowed. Power-assisted wheelchairs are allowed.
- No firearms, kites, or model airplanes.
- No hunting.
- No alcoholic beverages or controlled substances.
- Cyclists and equestrians should give an audible warning when overtaking another user by calling out 'passing on the left'.
- Users should make an effort to stay to the right when traveling the trails.
- Cyclists should not travel at excessive speeds.
- Care should be given when approaching horses to avoid "spooking" them.
- Cyclists (really all users) should stay on the surfaced portion of the trails.
- Cyclists should wear helmets at all times.
- There are trash containers at many intersections - please use them.
- Camping is not allowed on the trails.
The trails are cleaned year around by volunteers.
Your help in keeping the trails clean is appreciated.
Please remove all drink containers and snack wrappers you take
with you on the trails. Thanks.
For more info. about the Great Western Trails contact Don Kirchenberg
email frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com or call 630-853-7650.
For Illinois Prairie Path info. go to their website at www.ipp.org
________________________________________________________________________
THANK YOU TO MAY WATTS & all those that followed that helped make the idea of a
rails to trails conversion a success! And thanks again to all the supporters of the
Great Western Trails.
We welcome your input and ideas. Send us an email
anytime to frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com
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| Click on flag for a great website including trail and bike info. Thank you to Mike Bentley! |
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| Click here to learn more about a group that helps everyone on the roads and trails! |
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| New name for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. Click on the link to learn more. |
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| Hard working volunteers from the Bloomingdale Township Democratic Organization after filling over 50 bags and three shopping carts of trash from illegal party sites and litter between Schmale and Bloomingdale Roads on the GWT! |
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| Please submit your photos of the GWTs like this one of the GWT in Kane County. Send them to email address: frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com Include names or any info to help us use the photos. |
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| Important work on the national and local level to protect and improve the environment. Click on logo for more info. |
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| The GWT is part of the Grand IL Trail. The Grand Illinois Trail (GIT) is a 535-mile loop trail in northern Illinois. It goes from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi along the northern border of Illinois and then loops back across the state along the Illinois River and the Hennepin Canal. 200 miles of the route is on paved township and county roads while the rest is on limestone trails or paths. |
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| The GWT in IOWA is enjoyable because of the beautiful rural setting. Click on the logo for more info. |
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| Kline Creek Farm is operated by the DuPage County Forest Preserve District just south of the GWT on County Farm Road and just north of the IPP's Elgin Branch too. It offers free parking and a great spot to begin your trip on the GWT in DuPage County. Click on photo for more photos. |
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| Do you like the ideas of supporting family owned and operated farms? Click on logo for more info. |
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80 ACRES of Forest Preserve
in nearby Maywood, IL
turned into a dumping ground!
Dangerous' conditions at preserve
By Gerry Smith |Tribune Reporter May 20, 2009
Evidence of illegal dumping can be found scattered along
the Des Plaines River at the Miller Meadow Forest Preserve.
In the early 1990s, Mary Dye began walking her dog in a
large, grassy meadow at the Miller Meadow Forest Preserve
in Maywood. Back then, piles of limestone sat in a fenced-off
area, the result of the ongoing Deep Tunnel project. As she
strolled through fields of wildflowers, Dye said she waited for
the day when Miller Meadow would be restored to its original
state.
Today, Dye said she is still waiting, and now environmental
groups have joined her in raising concerns about the
restoration of Miller Meadow, contending that the site poses
hazards to visitors and the environment. Specifically, they are
concerned about numerous shards of broken concrete, glass,
brick and metal pipes that are scattered across the site -- and
the erosion that is carrying debris and gray sludge, used to promote
vegetation, toward the nearby Des Plaines River.
"The bottom line is that the people of Cook County have lost nearly
80 acres of forest preserve land to a landfill," said Benjamin Cox,
executive director of Friends of the Forest Preserves, which has
worked with the Chicago Environmental Law Clinic to obtain documents
on the restoration of Miller Meadow through the Freedom of Information Act.
Steve Mayberry, a spokesman for the Forest Preserve District,
said the agency hired "a reputable independent contractor
to provide backfill and topsoil to the site." The source of
the debris "has not been formally determined," but he said
"we do not believe the items or debris noted are pervasive,
prevalent or representative of the area."
Mayberry said the agency has received a "favorable report"
from an independent soil testing company that took samples
throughout the site. And after visiting Miller Meadow last fall
to look into allegations of open dumping, an Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency inspector determined that there were
no violations, said state EPA spokeswoman Maggie Carson.
But Cox said the debris on the site is widespread and "physically
dangerous" for people who want to use the area for recreation.
"Purely from a public-use point of view, it makes the site
unusable," Cox said.
And Dye said she worries about the threat to wildlife at
Miller Meadow after seeing how erosion on the restoration
site has carried debris and biosolids toward the river banks.
"I'm not an expert, but if you dump a bunch of construction
debris and soil near a river and it starts to erode into the river,
I think that's a problem," Dye said.
Located just west of the Des Plaines River, Miller Meadow is
home to deer, raccoon, coyote and beavers, which have
chewed rings out of the lower trunks of trees and built
a lodge of sticks along the muddy river bank, Cox said.
Besides being a home for wildlife, Miller Meadow has served
several other purposes. In the early 1920s, it was called
Checkerboard Field and was Chicago's official airmail field
until a fire in 1921 destroyed most of the buildings. In the
1950s, the University of Illinois tried to turn Miller Meadow
into a campus, but the proposal was rejected by
the Board of Forest Preserve Commissioners.
In a 1956 letter to the commissioners, E.E. Brown, chairman
of the board's advisory committee, said Miller Meadow was
acquired "by and for all the millions of Cook County citizens."
"It is there not only purely as a picnic space and a breathing
space but also a great area to be ever free of intensive
development," Brown wrote. "It is genuinely essential
to relief from the pressures and tensions of city and metropolitan
living."
In the late 1980s, the Cook County Forest Preserve District issued
licenses to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater
Chicago to use Miller Meadow as part of its Deep Tunnel project to
alleviate flooding and pollution problems. The Water Reclamation
District agreed to pay the cost of restoring the meadow after
the project was completed.
The deadline to restore Miller Meadow was originally 1998,
but has been extended several times, according to documents.
Mayberry said the project has been delayed because the limestone
was not removed from the site until 2002-03 and the Forest Preserve
District did not receive its first payment from the Water Reclamation
District until 2005.
In 2003, the Forest Preserve District hired Earthwerks to restore
Miller Meadow, allowing the Carol Stream company to import its
own fill free of charge, documents indicate. Dan Davies, a principal
of Earthwerks, said that only dirt, or "clean fill" in industry terms,
was dumped at the site. "There's no landfill debris, no construction
debris," he said.
Davies said Miller Meadow is in better shape now than when his
company first arrived to restore what he called "a barren wasteland."
"It was an absolutely blighted site, nothing could grow there,"
Davies said. "We brought in dirt and top soil and vegetated it."
Substantial rain during the past year has hindered the growth
of the vegetation, Mayberry said. He said the district is working
with Earthwerks to prevent further erosion.
Between 2005 and 2008, the Forest Preserve District received
$1.5 million from the Water Reclamation District to restore Miller
Meadow, Mayberry said. Some of the funds have been used for
planning and development projects benefiting the Forest
Preserve District's holdings, he said. There have never been
limitations or restrictions on the use of the payments from
the Water Reclamation District, Mayberry said.
Today, it remains unclear when the restoration site will
reopen, although Mayberry said "it has not been, is not
and will likely not ever be a permitted picnic area." The
restoration at Miller Meadow is nearly complete, he said.
Still, Dye said she is furious about how much material was
used to restore the site, leaving large mounds where her
beloved meadow once stood. "This is supposed to be protected
land for the citizens of Cook County, and it's been violated by
the people who were supposed to protect it," she said.
gfsmith@tribune.com Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune
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For more information on the initiatives
to protect the Cook County forest preserves
please visit www.fotfp.org,
or send an email to benjamin@fotfp.org,
or call (312) 356-9990. |
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>>>>>>>
A
GOOD
EXAMPLE
where
government
&
our
tax dollars
benefit
our
environment.
Go visit
and consider
volunteering
some day!
|
| Midewin National
Tallgrass Prairie
30239 South State Route 53 | Wilmington, Illinois 60481
Voice: (815) 423-6370 | Fax: (815) 423-6376
Midewin is one of over 250 Burnham Plan Centennial
Partner institutions offering hundreds of ways for the
people of Chicago's three-state metropolitan region to
dream big and plan boldly. This 100th anniversary of
the Plan of Chicago is once again stirring a diverse
community to action on a grand scale -- building the
best possible quality of life for all.
Visit www.burnhamplan100.org to see what
you can do. And aim high!
>For more info. go to website http://www.fs.fed.us/mntp/
>FAQ http://www.fs.fed.us/mntp/volunteers/FAQ.htm
>For a sampling of monthly volunteer opportunities
go to http://www.fs.fed.us/mntp/volunteers/Meadowlark_Latest.pdf
DIRECTIONS: From I55: Look for exit 241, Wilmington.
At the top of the ramp (both northbound and southbound),
turn left or east. Travel 3.5 miles on New River Road to the
intersection with State Route 53. Turn left or north. Follow
Route 53 for 1.0 mile to the Midewin Supervisor's Office, on
the right or east side of the highway.
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| NOTICE: 2 pedestrians have died attempting to cross the newly expanded North Ave in DuPage County. Click on news article to go to webpage http://saferoadways.net/ for more info. |
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| You are welcome to add our website WWW.FRIENDSOFTHEGREATWESTERNTRAILS.COM to your website or post it in newsletters, etc.
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| The fight to permanently save over 350 very old trees goes on. Click on photo to go to their site. |
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Thank you to Maximum Printing of Downers Grove, IL for their assistance, for 2 consecutive years, with the printing of the trail cleanup flyers.
Contact Dave and his talented crew at 630-737-0270 or go to website: http://www.maximumprinting.com/
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LINKS TO RELATED WEBSITES:
Safe Roadways for all users: http://saferoadways.net/
Check out the “dirty dozen” and other concerns:
http://lcv.org/campaigns/dirty-dozen/
Open Lands: http://www.openlands.org/
Rails to Trails: http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html
Sierra Club national: http://sierraclub.org/
ELPC (boring name but exciting & important work): http://elpc.org/about
Cool Counties: http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/releases/pr2007-07-16.asp
IL Action Project: http://www.illinoisactionproject.org/
Save Ackerman Woods: http://www.saveackermanwoods.com/
Invest in walking & bicycling and save $: http://www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/trailadvocacy/ATFA/index.html
Center for Neighborhood Technology a proactive group with many
excellent ideas http://www.cnt.org/
Live strong and healthier using info from this site http://www.livestrong.com/
National Wildlife Federation http://www.nwf.org/volunteertypes/
RESOURCES for government and news
How to contact all your elected officials: http://www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx
Register to VOTE: http://www.elections.state.il.us/VotingInformation/Register.aspx
Chicago Wilderness magazine: http://www.chicagowildernessmag.org/
Conscious Choice magazine: http://consciouschoice.com/index.html
FUN & informative:
Recumbent bicycles: http://bikeroute.com/WhyBent.php
Grand IL Trail annual multiday and city ride across IL:
http://www.bikelib.org/gitap/
CARA for joggers & runners: http://www.cararuns.org/
Main Street Chapel (beautiful landmark in Lombard, IL about ˝ mile
south of the GWT): http://www.maplestreetchapel.org/index.htm
The other Great Western Trail in the western US: http://www.gwt.org/
SUMMARY: If you know of other websites that may be have interest and we should consider
adding to this list please send emails with your suggestions to frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com
ALSO CHECK THE OTHER WEB PAGES and links featured around this website.
____________________________
IMPORTANT LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
Farewell to "The Fox"
He was one of the most notorious – and certainly the most elusive – conservation
crusaders in the Chicago Wilderness region. Only when he died, in early October,
did the world learn that James Phillips, 70, was the man known as "The Fox."
Beginning in the late 1960s, Phillips undertook a series of environmental escapades,
such as plugging up the waste pipes of factories that dumped pollutants into his
beloved Fox River, and depositing 50 pounds of raw sewage in the corporate offices
of another malefactor, and capping smokestacks with concrete. Assisted
by a band of faithful lieutenants known as "The Kindred Spirits," Phillips managed
to escape detection while his exploits, which made him a folk hero, were reported
in Time and Newsweek.
A middle school science teacher and later a field inspector for the Kane County
Department of Environment, Phillips also participated in the 1973 re-enactment
of the Jolliet-Marquette canoe expedition from the Straits of Mackinac to the mouth
of the Arkansas River on the Mississippi. In 1986, Phillips founded the Fox River
Conservation Foundation. In late November, friends and family scattered his
ashes into the Fox River and broke his canoe paddle in tribute.
"Society is my jury," The Fox once said. "The minute people think I'm out of line,
that I'm writing the rules to suit me and not them, I'll be caught." He never was.
###
From the Chicago Wilderness magazine Winter 2002 issue.
________________________________________
Thanks to the support of Pat Armstrong, Marlin Bowles and many trail users
we saved the kame AKA the “Special 8” which is now the Glacial Ridge
Forest Preserve of DuPage County.
Here is one the news articles that helped the cause.
Saving Kame
The Illinois Prairie Path volunteer group has begun a campaign to preserve an
undeveloped 8.3-acre parcel of land in unincorporated DuPage County that includes the
Glacial Ridge natural area, a remnant of one of the largest kames in DuPage County.
Deposited 10-15,000 years ago when the last glacier moved through northern Illinois,
the kame is a unique geological and vegetative feature bordering the Illinois Prairie
Path (IPP), a 61-mile-long biking, hiking, jogging, equestrian, and nature trail in
Cook, DuPage, and Kane Counties. If this parcel is developed, a new street will
have to be built across the trail at Whittier Avenue in Glen Ellyn, creating
a hazard for trail users on this very busy section of the path. The “Special 8”
parcel also harbors an unusual assemblage of oak woodland vegetation on
gravel soils. Pat Armstrong of Prairie Sun Consultants and Marlin Bowles of
the Morton Arboretum have surveyed the parcel and identified
more than 100 native plant species, including a population of pale vetchling,
a threatened species in Illinois. "These eight acres may represent the last
unprotected piece of original vegetation in the county," states Armstrong.
"Finding these rare native plants living together in their habitat (although
disturbed by vehicle trails) was like being transported back in time to a place
unseen for over 100 years."
More information about the IPP and the "Special 8" campaign can be found at
http://www.ipp.org ###
From the Chicago Wilderness magazine Winter 2002 issue
>Get more news about the “Special 8” at http://www.chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/spring2005/news/dupagekame.html
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| Lives of young and old can be saved by AEDs. Click on the logo to learn more. |
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Know of websites and groups that would be of interest to trail users and environmentalists?
Send us an email to Frndsgrtwstntrl@aol.com to let us know.
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| What is your actual "carbon footprint"? Click on the logo to get to the carbon footprint calculator. |
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