Thursday, October 12, 2006
Pioneer Press
by Jane Balaban
Letter to the Editor

To the editor:

As someone who lives near and loves the forest preserves, I want to thank Forest Preserve Board President Bobbie Steele for lifting the ill-conceived 10-year moratorium on management of oak savanna and oak woodland sites along the North Branch of the Chicago River, south of Dempster.

These beautiful preserves, once thriving and diverse, today show the sad results of a decade of neglect.

President Steele instructed the Forest Preserve staff to reach out to forest preserve neighbors and users, providing a full explanation of management programs. Unfortunately, misinformation had circulated which convinced some people that restoration hurts the woods and savannas. But it’s clear that all the natural plants and animals, from the butterflies to the wild flowers to the oak trees, will benefit from sound management.

President Bobbie Steele richly deserves our thanks. By her forwardlooking leadership, she has helped insure that these irreplaceable nature treasures will always be here for us to enjoy, learn from and wonder at.

Jane Balaban
Skokie