OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS 65 



All over the country the importance of the movement for 

 forest preservation is given official recognition. Our forests 

 are not only the source of raw material for the nation's third 

 greatest industry namely lumbering but upon the forests al- 

 most all industrial pursuits depend either directly or indirectly. 



More than that the value of forests in holding the soil in 

 place and regulating stream flow, in governing climatic condi- 

 tions as windbreaks, as purifiers of the air and as aesthetic fea- 

 tures in the lives of our citizens, make their preservation one 

 of the big problems of the day. 



In preparation for another step in the future development 

 of the District we have taken up the question of sustained flow 

 in the beautiful Desplaines. Introduction of water from the 

 nearby Lake Michigan in dry seasons has been considered. 



The feasibility of the plan has already been demonstrated in 

 conferences with the authorities of the Sanitary District of Chi- 

 cago and the citizenship may rest assured that the day is coming 

 when the beauty of this river valley will be protected against 

 annual droughts. 



In Cook County we are fortunate in having passed the 

 legislative stage. The Forest Preserve District of Cook County 

 is a reality. The District owns more than 13,000 acres of in- 

 comparable forest land and has plans for development that 

 will make Cook County unique in the forest world. 



And you might ask, "How can I help in this campaign of 

 development?" And the answer is "By acquainting yourself 

 with the work underway by the Forest Preserve Commissioners 

 and lending your support because the efforts of any governmental 

 body is only successful so far as it represents the sentiment of 

 the people it is elected to represent." 



In conclusion I wish to express my utmost thanks and grati- 

 tude to the thousands of citizens of Cook County who have 

 given such tireless and self-sacrificing efforts in aid of my work 

 as President of the Board of Forest Preserve Commissioners 

 and to thank in advance those thousands who, I am sure, are 

 going to enlist themselves in such a wonderful project. 



