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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
TO APPROVE AND ADOPT A FOREST PRESERVE TREE PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION MANUAL
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”) received a grant from the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program via the Morton Arboretum and such grant was used for the development of a tree protection and preservation manual; and
WHEREAS, as one of the largest landowners in Illinois, the Forest Preserves harbors open space which includes a diverse array of tree species that have stood for generations, and represent the ecological history of our region; and
WHEREAS, trees provide ecosystem services such as cleaning the air, controlling soil erosion, and reducing the impacts of flooding; and
WHEREAS, despite the finite nature of this resource, the Forest Preserves also faces constant pressure to add development features which may lead to the harm or destruction of trees if not protected; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves works to protect and manage trees and forests by providing specifications for licenses and construction agreements that require tree and shrub removal to be minimized and compensated for according to the Forest Preserves’ Tree Mitigation Plan approved by the Forest Preserves’ Board of Commissioners (Board Items 07143, 16-0233, and 16-0308); and
WHEREAS, even with these standards and specifications in place, however, construction activities on Forest Preserves lands have not always adequately planned for the protection of trees, resulting in collateral damage to the Forest Preserves’ forests and tree canopy; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of these concerns, the proposed Tree Protection and Preservation Manual details internal measures to protect trees and other vegetation from construction impacts; and
WHEREAS, it is intended that the proposed Tree Protection and Preservation Manual will also apply to external entities and that compliance with such manual will be added as a contract requirement in applicable contracts, and that such manual will serve as a guide when individuals or entities not under contract with the Forest Preserves damage its trees and other vegetation; and
WHEREAS, the proposed Tree Protection and Preservation Manual was developed by a consultant, with input from an advisory working group comprised of representatives from multiple departments and partner organizations; and
WHEREAS, the terms of the grant through which the Tree Protection and Preservation Manual was developed requires recognition by the grantee’s governing body.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by Toni Preckwinkle, President, and the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board of Commissioners that the Forest Preserves’ Tree Protection and Preservation Manual is hereby adopted by resolution and is effective immediately.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Forest Preserves, at the discretion of the General Superintendent, is hereby authorized to modify such Tree Protection and Preservation Manual based on changes in arboricultural best practices.
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