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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>ACTION
ALERT<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Take action to protect Cook County
Forest Preserves! <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Action: Contact your Cook County
Commissioner on Feb. 6 and tell him or her to vote NO on Feb. 7 to taking $11
million from the budget of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County to the
county’s budget shortfall.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Please call, fax or email your Cook
County Commissioner on Tues., Feb. 6 and ask for a NO vote. You can find out who
your commissioner is and how to contact his or her office at
http://www.fotfp.org/pdf-files/commissioners.pdf<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">You may also speak during the public comment period
at the regularly scheduled Cook County Board meeting on Weds., Feb. 7 at
</SPAN><st1:time Hour="10" Minute="0"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">10:00
a.m.</SPAN></st1:time><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> at the
</SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">County</SPAN></st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Building</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> at </SPAN><st1:Street><st1:address><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">118 N Clark St</SPAN></st1:address></st1:Street><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, 5th floor. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Background:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">On Jan. 11, the Cook County Board of Commissioners
announced its plan to take $11 million from the budget of the Forest Preserve
District of Cook County to help balance the
</SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cook</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">County</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> budget shortfall. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Commissioners will vote on this proposal
at the regular meeting on Feb. 7.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">While other county departments are being asked to
reduce their budgets by 17%, the Forest Preserve District is being asked to cut
its budget by 25%. This sort of budget maneuvering is especially egregious,
given that the Forest Preserve District of Cook County is a separate
governmental agency established by state statute: It is not a department of
</SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cook</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">County</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>The proposal to take $11 million from
the Forest Preserve District would not go far toward solving the county’s $500
million budget shortfall, but would greatly restrict the Forest Preserve
District’s ability to properly manage the 68,000 acres of public lands within
its care for wildlife and human use. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Cook County Commissioners have other
means at their disposal to reduce the budget deficit and should not raid the
budget that enables the county to preserve, protect and manage precious natural
areas.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Please take five minutes and phone,
email or fax your Cook County Commissioner or come to the Feb. 7 meeting and let
Commissioners express your opposition to this $11 million raid on Forest
Preserve District budget.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Questions? Please contact COS
Conservation Chair, Christine Williamson, at birdchris@aol.com or 773.935-8439.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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