We have learned through a reliable source that Cook County Commissioner Greg Goslin is planning to introduce a bill that will ban mountain bikes from the Spring Creek Forest Preserves in Barrington, IL. Spring Creek is located in the Northwest corner of Cook County, just to north of Dundee Road where CAMBr Northwest has been working with the FPD to establish a new singletrack trail system. Commissioner Goslin worked for a number years trying to re-instate a citizen’s trail committee to deal with trail issues. And now, at the request of equestrians in his district, who for 50 years have had exclusive use of Spring Creek, he will reportedly propose this ban before the citizen’s trail committee he tried to start, has had a chance to offer
recommendations.

To give you all a little more background, the CCFPD signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Barrington park district in the late 50’s granting two equestrian groups exclusive use of the Spring Creek Forest Preserve. That IGA was renewed last year. The forest preserves are for all of the people of Cook County and exclusive use has never been legally permitted in the Cook County Forest Preserves. As a result of this “exclusive agreement” the trails in Spring Creek are in terrible shape. When a trail gets too rutted, the equestrians just move it a few feet over and start a new trail there. The Barrington park district and the local equestrian groups were supposed to maintain these trails, not destroy the ecosystem. Basically they have done their own thing up there for years and now, since bike riders are seeking access, they are worried that their exclusive agreement will be canceled and they will have to
share the trails with cyclists. To make matters worse, some of their trails go through a State Nature Preserve. Additionally I find it interesting that they are joining with the Audubon Society to ban mountain bikes. One member of the Audubon Society has been vocally anti-bike for years and refuses to acknowledge the fact that the ravines in Deer Grove were not destroyed by bikes in the early 90’s but were initially destroyed by motorcycles and horses in the 60’s and 70’s. His false interpretation of what happened in Deer Grove is part of his rationale for keeping us out. I guess he chooses to turn a blind eye to the considerable damage caused by equestrians in his Nature preserve.

Here is a draft of the resolution that we are told will be sponsored by Commissioner Goslin.
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Resolution

Whereas, on (date) this honorable body declared the Spring Creek preserve in Barrington Township to be an equestrian Facility in recognition of the historical, and extensive equestrian activity in that preserve; and

Whereas on (date) this honorable body entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Barrington Countryside Park District to provide local oversight and coordination of the extensive equestrian activity at Spring Creek, the adjoining park District riding center and the miles of riding trails located on FPD property, park district property and private property; and

Whereas with the establishment of this IGA, a successful and unprecedented partnership has evolved between the FPD, Barrington Countryside Park District, various riding clubs, Audubon Society, Friends of the Forest and Barrington Hills Conservation Trust; and

Whereas based on geography, topography, location and other considerations trails district-wide can not, and should not be treated as equals with some trails not appropriate for all uses; and

Whereas the FPD has established precedent for restricting activities on trails in specific district properties such as Crab Tree Nature Center, River Trails Nature Center, and the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center with said trails not appearing on the trail map produced by the district; and

Whereas, Spring Creek Preserve, in recognition of its ecological value and sensitivities has enjoyed extensive restoration work representing thousands of hours of work by volunteers and FPD staff; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that based on the ecological sensitivity and equestrian designation of Spring Creek preserve, and the inherent conflict between horses and bicycles sharing the same
trails, the operation and use of bicycles and motorized vehicles (other than district and public safety vehicles) are prohibited throughout the Spring Creek preserve with the exception of a defined corridor trails linking one existing trail outside of the preserves to another existing trail outside of the preserve; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the district shall remove the Spring Creek riding designation from its printed material and post appropriate signage at the preserve.

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Fellow mountain bikers, we need to stop this proposal dead in its tracks. As we understand it, the preserves are for all the people, not just a handful of aristocrats with money and fancy addresses. From the looks of it, this whole thing hinges on their false assertion that there is this “inherent conflict” between bicycles and horses
sharing the same trail system. All of us who share the trails in Palos know that’s a bunch of BS. Here is what we need you to do.

Send an email Commissioner Greg Goslin and copy the other commissioners listed below. And stress these important facts.

o There is no inherent conflict between horses and bicycles sharing the same trails. Cyclists and equestrians have co-existed in the Palos Preserves for years. As cyclists sharing the trails, we always stop and let horses pass. When approaching from behind we announce our presence so as not to spook the horses and pass only when so directed by the equestrian. We get along fine in Palos.
o You believe that it is illegal and wrong for one trail group to have exclusive use of any trail system because the forest preserves are for all of us. If exclusive use is granted I do not want any of my
county tax dollars being used in Spring Creek.
o The Chicago Area Mountain Bikers have a history of working in partnership with the Forest Preserve District to improve and maintain trails where mountain biking is permitted and since 1996 we have donated over 11,000 (documented) hours of volunteer labor in preserves where mountain biking is permitted. That amounts to almost $200,000 in volunteer labor donated to the FPD by mountain bikers. As we have done this we have removed non-native plants within 15 feet of any trail we design and build. Having mountain bikers involved improves the quality of the ecosystem.
o The trail committee should be allowed to do its job without outside interference of Commissioner Goslin.
o The Forest Preserve District of Cook County and CAMBR Northwest should be permitted to develop a singletrack trail system in the Beverly Lake area south of Penny Road.
o If exclusive use of Spring Creek is granted to equestrians, exclusive use of Beverly Lake should be granted to cyclists.

dsims@cookcountygov.com
commissionergoslin@cookcountygov.com
rmaldonado@cookcountygov.com
jbutler@cookcountygov.com
lsuffredin@cookcountygov.com
jdaley@cookcountygov.com
fclaypool@cookcountygov.com
jpmurphy@cookcountygov.com
Ajperaica@cookcountygov.com
psilvertri@cookcountygov.com
CommQuigley@aol.com
ecollins@cookcountygov.com
rsteele@cookcountygov.com
eadgorman@cookcountygov.com
tschneider@cookcountygov.com
jmorano@cookcountygov.com