Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is a governmental agency headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois. Its mission is to acquire and hold lands containing forests, prairies, wetlands, and associated plant communities or lands capable of being restored to such natural conditions for the purpose of protecting and preserving the flora, fauna and scenic beauty for the education, pleasure and recreation of the citizens of DuPage County.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County was established in 1915, when voters cast ballots to protect against the removal of woodlands. For its first year of operation, $8,000 was appropriated to create, manage and maintain the new Forest Preserve District. County supervisors who governed the District spent the next two years working out operating details for the fifth county forest preserve district in the United States. In 1917, the first tax levy was made, and the first preserve land was purchased: 79 acres (320,000 m2) in Oak Brook, called York Woods. Today, the Forest Preserve District owns or manages nearly 25,000 acres (100 km²) and has an annual operating expense of approximately $65 million.
The Forest Preserve District is currently governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners. Voters in each of the six county districts elect one commissioner from each district. The seventh commissioner, the president, is elected by the county at large by popular vote.
The Board of Commissioners translates the open-space needs of county residents into ordinances designed to protect and enhance natural areas and to ensure an enjoyable experience for all.
The primary sources of District funds are property taxes and the sale of bonds. In 2006, 2.2% of all county property taxes supported the Forest Preserve District. Additional financial assistance comes from grants and support groups that lend a hand through fundraising efforts. The District's enterprise operations, which include three golf facilities, generate their own revenue.
The District continues to acquire parcels of valuable open spaces throughout the county to keep pace with the continuous sprawl of the urban landscape. Properties are evaluated based on their fair-market value and are considered based on the land's natural condition, resident flora and fauna, and other features such as connectivity to greenways, river ways and existing preserves. The District focuses on managing the land through an innovative program to restore and preserve the county's ecosystems, in conjunction with ongoing efforts in reforestation and prairie restoration. The controlled use of fire and other natural-resource management methods continue to be used as tools in clearing natural areas of aggressive nonnative plants and encouraging the growth of native plant species.
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