Forest preserves should not look like this.

As one of several forest preserves in which the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District excavated deep tunnel shafts, Miller Meadow Forest Preserve in Maywood was meant to be restored. That restoration should have included covering the area with topsoil and replanting. Instead, fill material full of rock, rebar, cable, asphalt, concrete, and kitchen and bathroom fixtures were trucked in and dumped over 80 acres. The mountain of rubble rises more than 35 feet above grade, giving the appearance of a landfill. Thanks to our advocacy, the dumping has stopped, but fill material is now eroding into adjacent wetlands and the Des Plaines River.

The troubles at Miller Meadow get to the heart of why Friends does what it does. We organize people and resources to get the preserve restored, while pushing for systemic reform of the system that has allowed the forest preserves to be neglected for decades. We are currently advocating to create a separate Board of Commissioners for the Forest Preserve District.

Too many things that shouldn’t be are getting buried. We think a separate board is the answer.