This page was created by Jane Darcovich. The last update was by Dan Harper.
Answering the Skeptics
But certain problems had to be resolved. For instance, what specific lands would the county acquire? Forest lands on the far outskirts of Chicago and along rivers would be the most desirable. The county could first acquire these bogs, swamps, and other wetlands thought to be of little value to private individuals. Perkins, Jensen, and other forest preserve proponents, however, also wanted to purchase farmland near forests and rivers. Instead of keeping the farms as they were, the planners believed that money should be spent to restore forests near farmland as soon as possible. The final report suggested putting these land options before city and county administrators and the general public.
There were logistical problems with acquiring preservation land. How could the county purchase private land?
Some residents and officials also questioned the environmental integrity of the proposed preserve. What should administrators do about the problem of litter? Moreover, the process of cleaning and preparing the lands required an understanding of region-wide water tables and drainage systems. Sewerage systems and other waste had polluted many of the areas slated for purchase – the most important being those along the Calumet, Chicago, Des Plaines and Skokie Rivers. In the Metropolitan Park Report, Perkins and his colleagues had documented the injury caused by waste-infested water, which destroyed hundreds of plants and trees annually. Conservationists and preservationists finally faced the daunting challenge of asking the public to pay to preserve the environment in an area that few had probably ever visited.
