Meeting with Cook County Forest preserve to address detecting ban.. Tuesday July

[Chicago Ron]

Well it has been a work in progress for quite some time. Pat Anderson president of the Chicago club sent an email to the president of the Cook County forest preserve in Oct 2012 asking for a meeting to address the ban on detecting in Cook County preserves. He also included a plan for training and a permit system to regulate when and where hunting was allowed. No response was received until June 14th of 2013. That response from the district was merely a thank you for writing, these are the rules for detecting.
The Task Force has hired an attorney, Anne Shaw, to help with their situation, and a letter from the attorney went out the other day to the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.
This is the districts reply.
Hello Everyone:
This is to advise you that the General Superintendent of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County recently has received several requests to meet with various individuals for the purpose of discussing the Forest Preserve District’s current prohibition regarding metal detecting activities in the Forest Preserves. In response, he has scheduled a meeting, to which you are hereby invited to attend, for Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at 536 North Harlem Avenue in River Forest, Illinois to discuss this issue further.
At your earliest convenience, please contact me, Beverly Buckley, atbeverly.buckley@cookcountyil.gov to confirm your attendance at this meeting.
Thank you for contacting the Forest Preserve District of Cook County regarding this matter. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.
We need attendance.
Any detectorist or supporter able to attend should send an email to Beverly Buckley reserving a spot. We need everyone attending to be respectful and show detecting in the best possible light. If anyone has letters from returned items please bring copy’s to present. Also some bags of dug items to show how much garbage we remove from the environment.
Any other Ideas please post here and I will share them.
Thanks
Ron Guinazzo
Chicago Ron
Link to my blog where you can post ideas or comments.
Meeting with Cook County Forest Preserve to address ban on detecting. | Chicago Ron

[pocketsofdirt]

Fight the good fight ron keep up the good work. unfortunately the people who control the powers to be in cook county think that they can control little things like metal detecting, and they can because for the most point we follow the rules ,but just remind them they have a lot bigger fish to fry in that area than guys digging wholes and filling them back in.
By now means do I think some one should go out there with a backhoe and f-a bunch of stuff up but a responsible guy who pays taxes should be able to enjoy the woods.

[nicklehead]

This issue reeks with so many ulterior motives on both sides , I can't think of a better place for it to occur than Cook County.

[del]

lets hope some good will come from this and a compromise that the hobbyists and preserve officials can agree to.

[milco]

Good job on getting this going, but it is going to be tough I feel. There are so many issues here, metal detectorists with no respect for public property, nature freaks that don't want to see any blade of grass damaged, historic preservationists and archies concerned about significant sites (there are some very old important historic sites contained within the preserve lands), and many more issues. Hopefully a permitting and training system can be implemented with stiff penalties for those that do not follow the proper guidelines. Good luck!

[Epi-hunter]

Thanks for posting this Ron. It's worth the fight. Even a compromise would be better than what you have now.

Wish I could go. If I were still living in the general area I would go. Plan to be living there again soon - Chicago is my favorite city.

Either way, your efforts will pay off. Even if nothing changes, you have done everything in your power to make that happen.

[nicklehead]

The coach had put together the perfect team for the Chicago Bears. The only thing that was missing was a good quarterback. He had scouted all the colleges and even the Canadian and European Leagues, but he couldn't find a ringer who could ensure a Super Bowl win.

Then one night while watching CNN he saw a war-zone scene in the West Bank . In one corner of the background, he spotted a young soldier with a truly incredible arm. He threw a hand-grenade straight into a 15th story window 100 yards away.

KABOOM!

He threw another hand-grenade 75 yards away, right into a chimney.

KA-BLOOEY!

Then he threw another at a passing car going 90 mph.

BULLS-EYE!

I've got to get this guy! Coach said to himself. He has the perfect arm!

So, he brings him to the States and teaches him the great game of football. And the Bears go on to win the Super Bowl.

The young man is hailed as the great hero of football, and when the coach asks him what he wants, all the young man wants is to call his
mother.

Mom, he says into the phone, I just won the Super Bowl!

I don't want to talk to you, the old woman says. You are not my son!

I don't think you understand, Mother, the young man pleads. I've won the greatest sporting event in the world. I'm here among thousands of my adoring fans.

No! Let me tell you! his mother retorts. At this very moment, there are gunshots all around us. The neighborhood is a pile of rubble. Your two brothers were beaten within an inch of their lives last week, and I have to keep your sister in the house so she doesn't get raped! The
old lady pauses, and then tearfully says, I will never forgive you for making us move to Chicago !!!!

[Epi-hunter]

The coach had put together the perfect team for the Chicago Bears. The only thing that was missing was a good quarterback. He had scouted all the colleges and even the Canadian and European Leagues, but he couldn't find a ringer who could ensure a Super Bowl win.

Then one night while watching CNN he saw a war-zone scene in the West Bank . In one corner of the background, he spotted a young soldier with a truly incredible arm. He threw a hand-grenade straight into a 15th story window 100 yards away.

KABOOM!

He threw another hand-grenade 75 yards away, right into a chimney.

KA-BLOOEY!

Then he threw another at a passing car going 90 mph.

BULLS-EYE!

I've got to get this guy! Coach said to himself. He has the perfect arm!

So, he brings him to the States and teaches him the great game of football. And the Bears go on to win the Super Bowl.

The young man is hailed as the great hero of football, and when the coach asks him what he wants, all the young man wants is to call his
mother.

Mom, he says into the phone, I just won the Super Bowl!

I don't want to talk to you, the old woman says. You are not my son!

I don't think you understand, Mother, the young man pleads. I've won the greatest sporting event in the world. I'm here among thousands of my adoring fans.

No! Let me tell you! his mother retorts. At this very moment, there are gunshots all around us. The neighborhood is a pile of rubble. Your two brothers were beaten within an inch of their lives last week, and I have to keep your sister in the house so she doesn't get raped! The
old lady pauses, and then tearfully says, I will never forgive you for making us move to Chicago !!!!

Please stay on topic! This thread is NOT about what you or anyone else thinks of Chicago!

[bob_e99]

I don't know what this is worth but often times while I'm detecting I feel that I'm an extra set of eyes to prevent vandalism or other mischief especially in remote areas. I understand their concern regarding detectorists who leave holes or dig up wild flowers (lady slippers and other rare wild plants) and I don't know how you can get around that. It is sad but I'm running into more areas where towns prohibit disturbing the soil. I'm pleased to see this action being taken and I sincerely wish you a successful resolution.

[SeabeeRon]

Waiting to hear how the meeting went Ron??!? :crossfingers: :detecting: