title
PROPOSED PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
Request: Requesting authorization for the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”) to enter into a Partnership Agreement with Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois; Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Chicago, Illinois; Chicago Park District, Chicago, Illinois; Illinois Arborist Association, Antioch, Illinois; Illinois Green Industry Association, Springfield, Illinois; Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, Oakbrook, Illinois; Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Chicago, Illinois; Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, Chicago, Illinois; The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois; Openlands, Chicago, Illinois; The Nature Conservancy, Chicago, Illinois; TREE Fund, Naperville, Illinois; and the United States Forest Service. Additional entities who wish to participate may be added to the partnership agreement at the discretion of the General Superintendent.
Reason: The Forest Preserves desires authorization to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to collaborate on the implementation of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative Master Plan.
The Forest Preserves of Cook County is a lead partner and a member of the Executive Advisory Council of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (“CRTI”), a partnership of over 90 organizations and agencies committed to leveraging their knowledge, resources, and expertise to build a healthier, more diverse regional forest. The CRTI identifies issues facing trees and coordinates action to ensure that the region’s trees and forests are healthier, more abundant, more diverse, and more equitably distributed to provide needed benefits to the people and communities of the Chicago metropolitan region.
To that end, the Chicago Region Trees Initiative Master Plan (“Plan”) has established overarching goals focused on inspiring people to value trees, increase the Chicago region’s tree canopy, reduce threats to trees, and enhance oak ecosystems by 2050. The Plan has been developed to coincide with and support individual stakeholder needs, goals, and strategies to create a more resilient urban forest.
The proposed MOU affirms the Forest Preserves’ commitment to support the vision of the CRTI and the CRTI Master Plan through continued information sharing and leadership, to the extent that it coincides with the mission of the Forest Preserves. Projects that require the Forest Preserves to expend funds will either be brought to the Forest Preserves’ Board of Commissioners for approval or separately contracted for in accordance with the Forest Preserves’ Procurement Code.
Contract period: Five (5) year initial term, with continuous five (5) year renewals to be exercised at the discretion of the General Superintendent. In no event will the contract extend beyond 12/31/2050. Mutual agreement is specified for early termination.
Fiscal Impact: N/A
Account(s): N/A
Concurrences:
The Chief Financial Officer and Chief Attorney have approved this item.
District(s): Districtwide
end