The Chicago Wilderness and its Critics

Long viewed as a center of ecological restoration activity, over the past year the Chicago region has also gained notoriety as a center of ecological restoration controversy. After years of operating in relative obscurity, public agencies and private groups engaged in restoring metropolitan forest preserve sites have now drawn considerable attention from the press and some individuals and groups. While much of this attention has been positive, opposition to restoration has been so effective that, at the time of this writing, partial moratoriums on restoration activity have been imposed in two of the county forest preserve districts in the metropolitan area, pending further analysis of the issues by their boards of commissioners (see preceding story by Debra Shore).