title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ENDORSEMENT OF THE OUR GREAT RIVERS: A VISION FOR THE CHICAGO, DES PLAINES, AND CALUMET RIVERS
WHEREAS, Our Great Rivers is the first unified vision for the Chicago, Des Plaines, and Calumet Rivers in and around Chicago, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County owns natural areas, and recreational amenities that border the Chicago, Des Plaines and Calumet Rivers; and
WHEREAS, Our Great Rivers was led by the Metropolitan Planning Council and the City of Chicago Office of the Mayor, in partnership with Friends of the Chicago River, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and more than 6,000 area stakeholders; and
WHEREAS, the vision includes concrete recommendations and goals to ensure these rivers are productive, living, and inviting spaces for everyone in this region by 2040; and
WHEREAS, the vision aims to influence the way citizens think about and experience the rivers by encouraging more jobs along the riverfront, instilling a sense of community pride, promoting a connection with nature, and catalyzing more open space and recreation opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Our Great Rivers was developed through a consensus-based process involving Chicagoland residents, businesses, non-profit organizations, agencies, and the Great Rivers Chicago Leadership Commission; and
WHEREAS, General Superintendent Arnold Randall of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County was a key contributor to the Great Rivers Chicago Leadership Commission, an integral component of Our Great Rivers that included business, government, and community leaders; and
WHEREAS, Our Great Rivers is consistent with the goal of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County to increase connections between people and nature, by building awareness, restoring natural habitats and providing outdoor recreation and environmental education opportunities; and
WHEREAS, The Forest Preserve District of Cook County will continue to be an active partner in the implementation of this shared vision for the Chicago, Des Plaines and Calumet Rivers; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, do hereby congratulate the Metropolitan Planning Council on its visionary leadership and collaborative approach to improving our rivers, and enthusiastically endorse the Our Great Rivers plan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be added to the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, and that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Metropolitan Planning Council, the Friends of the Chicago River, and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.end