We believe that Forest Preserve's are intended for the preservation of natural and wild places, plants and animals. We oppose the use of public Forest Preserve land for gravel mining. The proposed legislative change to the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act would prevent forest preserve sites from being mined for natural resources. The intent of this change is to prevent sites that have environmentally important features such as; natural soils, native plants and wildlife, groundwater recharge areas, wetlands, or other natural resources from being negatively impacted by mining activity on public lands owned by county forest preserve districts. Proposed Amendment: 70 ILCS 805/18.1a (a) No land that is owned or acquired by a forest preserve district may be used for the development or operation of any new sand, gravel or other mining operation. (b) A forest preserve district may not transfer any land or interest in land acquired by the district to any other entity which the district has reason to know intends to construct a new sand, gravel, or other mining operation. A forest preserve district that wishes to transfer any land or interest in land owned or acquired by the district to any other entity must impose, as a condition of the transfer, a covenant prohibiting the development of a new sand, gravel or other mining operation. (c) Lands owned or acquired by a forest preserve district that were previously mined or are actively being mined at the time of acquisition are exempt from this provision. We the undersigned support the above amendment to the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act.

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