DuPage extends pact for state park

The agencies that operate James “Pate” Philip State Park will continue to run and fund the Bartlett facility under the terms of an old agreement until a new pact can be approved that addresses the issue of bow hunting.

DuPage County Forest Preserve commissioners on Tuesday agreed to extend the operating pact that the district has with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Bartlett Park District.

The extension comes one day after state employees had to open the roughly 500-acre park — which covers portions of DuPage, Cook and Kane counties — because the operating agreement had expired. Normally, forest preserve employees open the facility.

In the meantime, forest preserve officials are hoping a new agreement can be approved by April 19.

DuPage officials want another pact because the existing one doesn't address the issue of bow hunting. The state allows bow hunting at its parks and the forest preserve district doesn't.

The IDNR has allowed bow hunting since 2010 in certain areas at Philip State Park.

Forest preserve officials say they believe the state has the liability for hunting at the park. They want to make that point more clear in the next agreement.