Did you know that there are places in Champaign County where a six-foot human could feel small while walking through grass?
That in the winter, when the lush forest floor is asleep, you can see trees that it would take at least five adults to hug?
Where the late afternoon light in September will illuminate the tops of flowers so that dragonflies can dance at the sun sets?
Did you know that there are still prehistoric plants that show their colors in the summer?
And that you could share a Milky Way candy bar with your loved one while you gaze at the Milky Way galaxy?
Did you know that in Champaign County we can tell when spring is close to bloom because the maple trees will release their sugar?
Have you ever seen a field of webs shaped like a funnel with dew resting on them in the morning light?
Or have you ever walked under the tree canopies surrounded by the purple flowers in the early spring?
To some, these attractions are an Instagram photo. To others, these wonders are the only experiences they have where life makes sense. It is important to remember, though, that having six forest preserves of natural habitat has been made possible by one thing: tax dollars.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to say yes, please take my tax dollars. But when I learned about a Nov. 3 referendum from the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, I really wanted to find out more about what they need because they don’t ask for much.
Local taxing bodies are stewards of our, the taxpayer’s, money. The question then becomes, what has the taxing body used our money for, have they been stewards of the funds they’ve received and what do they plan to do with the additional money?
From the time the Champaign County Forest Preserve was established in 1935, tax dollars have been used to purchase land, provide facilities and events and protect and preserve natural habitat in Champaign County. Today, CCFPD manages 4,000 acres of land, providing a natural habitat for local wildlife while also giving residents places to explore.
In between the forests and the prairie, sometimes running alongside rivers and streams or cornfields, the CCFPD maintains almost 50 miles of trails that are enjoyed by dogs and children, accessible to grandparents and strong enough to carry bikers and runners. Families enjoy time along the banks of the lakes, whether they are sharing a meal, teaching their children how to fish or getting ready to take off to explore on their kayaks.
The Champaign County Forest Preserve has dived deep into preserving local history, to telling the stories of people who fought for equal rights and who developed the land into what we know today. And they’ve invited the community in to experience the world from a different time and a different perspective while also providing opportunities for people to explore their own place in their story.
Public money should be used for the common good of the people it came from. Because the CCFPD understands its role and its mission, because they have engaged and educated the community, it is evident that we can believe them when they say that they will make use of the future tax dollars to continue to do the work of the people.
Over the years, CCFPD has acquired grant money to make improvements to the land they oversee. Recently, the pond in the Mabery Gelvin Botanical Garden in Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve was renovated and the 6.7 miles of the future 24.5-mile Kickapoo Rail Trail, which will run from Urbana to Kickapoo State Park, were funded by grants.
Although vital to the development of public spaces, grant money does not cover everything that needs to be maintained in public spaces. CCFPD has stated that the referendum will help cover the $4 million backlog of capital projects that will need to be addressed over the next five years: restoration and beach improvements at Willow Pond, covered bridge roof replacement, spillway repairs, dam repairs, nature center improvements, paved bike path repairs, trail improvements, upgrades to various restroom facilities and playgrounds, and the replacement of equipment that is long past its life expectancy.
The increase would also allow the CCFPD to address staff shortages that affect natural area restoration, preserve operations, and delivery of educational programming.
Giving CCFPD $5.33 per $100,000 of market value of my home is the least that I can do each year for the taxing body that provides so much value to my life, and to the life of my family.
I visit a park in CCFPD weekly. When I’m in the parks, immersed in the sounds of the bugs or the frogs, the wind or the river, I always ask myself why I don’t go more. Sometimes I ask myself why I am even doing anything else with my life.
I know other people feel it, too. I chat with bird watchers, am in awe of the softness of people I pass by, am thankful for the grace that people show each other and love to see that seasons pass and new life always comes back to create something new.
In recent months, the CCFPD has provided Champaign County residents with the spark that we needed to get through some really challenging times. As we struggled to find spaces where we could just feel something other than uncertainty and confusion, we went to the places that have always been part of our being. Many counties or regions nearby or far away cannot say that they have the same spaces.
But in Champaign County we do. And we can say that CCFPD is an asset to our life, both individually and together.
In this, I’d like to ask you to join me in voting yes to the CCFPD referendum on or before Nov. 3.
It’s one thing we can all get behind and be part of.
