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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CONGRATULATING AND THANKING THE FRIENDS OF THE FOREST PRESERVES ON ITS 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves of Cook County manages nearly 70,000 acres of public land including some of the highest quality natural lands in the State of Illinois that provide residents and visitors opportunities for recreation, education, and pleasure; and
WHEREAS, the mission of Friends of the Forest Preserves is to be “the voice of a diverse community inspiring and organizing people to protect, restore, and expand the forest preserves in Cook County”; and
WHEREAS, Friends of the Forest Preserves is the only independent non-profit organization solely focused on the Forest Preserves of Cook County and strives to safeguard and improve the forest preserves for generations to come; and
WHEREAS, Friends of the Forest Preserves was founded in 1998 by a small group of volunteers who cared deeply about Cook County’s natural and public lands and has since grown to be a force of more than 2,000 members and each year inspires and engages thousands of people to enjoy and care for the forest preserves; and
WHEREAS, Friends of the Forest Preserves helped develop the Next Century Conservation Plan, an ambitious blueprint to make Cook County a national leader in urban conservation, and now plays a leadership role in the plan’s implementation; and
WHEREAS, Friends of the Forest Preserves played an instrumental role in developing the Conservation Corps, a program that provides high school students and young adults with hands-on conservation projects to help restore land, including raising more than $5 million in support that made possible engaging more than 950 young people who have helped care for and improve over 1,000 acres of Forest Preserves’ land; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves of Cook County deeply values its long-standing partnership with Friends of the Forest Preserves and all that the organization does to leverage resources and opportunities for the benefit of the Forest Preserves of Cook County in the areas of restoration, education, volunteer stewardship and building a community of support; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves of Cook County appreciates the spirit of collaboration, generosity, and enthusiasm that Friends of the Forest Preserves brings to everything it does.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President, and the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, on behalf of ourselves and the staff of the Forest Preserves, do hereby congratulate and thank the board, staff, and members of Friends of the Forest Preserves on its 20th anniversary.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Friends of the Forest Preserves.end