Pierotti reflects on 20 years as DuPage forest preserve president

Through a period of dramatic change for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, there was one constant: D. “Dewey” Pierotti.

The 80-year-old Addison resident served for two decades as president of the forest preserve commission. During that time, he presided over the commission's historic separation from the DuPage County Board.

Pierotti championed efforts to preserve and restore district land. He also promoted two successful ballot measures that raised tens of millions of dollars so the district could acquire open space at a time when DuPage was rapidly being developed.

The Pierotti era at the forest preserve officially came to an end this week when the former attorney began his retirement from public life.

“We weren't perfect, but I'm proud of what we've accomplished,” Pierotti said at his final commission meeting. “Because I can state unequivocally … I left this place in a better condition than when I first walked in.”

Pierotti recently sat down with the Daily Herald to talk about his presidency. He said his single greatest accomplishment is the district's acquisition of St. James Farm near Warrenville. He also offered some advice for his successor.

The challenge

Pierotti was a first-term county board member in 1994 when he decided to seek the presidency of the forest preserve.

At the time, the 24 members of the county board and the board chairman also served as forest preserve commissioners. They picked the forest preserve president from their ranks.

Pierotti, who was elected to the county board in 1992, had to convince his colleagues that he could do a better job than the incumbent, John Case.

“I had some concerns with the way the forest preserve was being represented by the county board,” Pierotti recalled. “I felt something had to be done.”

One person who encouraged Pierotti to run was James “Pate” Philip, who at that time was president of the Illinois Senate and chairman of the DuPage County Republican Party. Phillip's support clearly helped.

The ballot in December 1994 ended with Pierotti getting 15 votes and Case receiving 10. Pierotti went on to get re-elected by board members in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

The split

Less than two years into Pierotti's presidency, state lawmakers approved legislation that took control of DuPage's forest preserves away from the county board.

The law, which took effect in 2002, created the six-member forest preserve commission and reduced the county board to 18 members.

Pierotti says the law was proposed because county board members often were torn between the development interests of the county and the forest preserve's environmental mission.

One example of that conflict is the 1988 decision by the forest commission to let the county build Diehl Road through McDowell Grove Forest Preserve near Naperville. Another example is the now-closed Greene Valley and Mallard Lake landfills, which were allowed to operate in forest preserves.

“You can't serve two masters,” Pierotti said.

He said that was exemplified again in the late 1990s when there was a proposal to study a new four-lane road through Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve to create a north-south route in the county's northwest corner.

Pierotti said constructing the road was a great idea if you're a county board member concerned about transportation.

“But as far as a forest preserve member, how could you possibly suggest cutting a forest preserve literally in half?” he said. “The damage to the habitat would be insurmountable.”

Pierotti joined naturalists in fighting the plan. He even threatened to use his presidential veto powers.

In response to the opposition, the idea was dropped in 1999.

Pierotti says he's convinced DuPage residents are best served by having a separate group of elected officials who “concentrate on evaluating different issues on the basis of the environment.”

After the forest commission broke from the county board in 2002, voters elected Pierotti to serve as president. He won two other countywide elections in 2006 and 2010.

Land quest

More than 3,000 acres of land were added to the district's holdings during Pierotti's tenure.

Many of those acquisitions were possible because voters in 1997 and 2006 gave the district permission to borrow tens of millions of dollars to buy open space and improve its preserves.

Pierotti said both ballot questions were needed because properties throughout the county were being developed.

“We recognized the fact that if we didn't acquire the land then, that land was going to be gone forever,” Pierotti said.

The $75 million loan voters approved in 1997 was split among each of the county's six political districts — each got $10 million, while an additional $15 million was spent at large.

Then in 2006, taxpayers endorsed borrowing $68 million more to buy land, improve facilities and restore woods, prairies and wetlands.

St. James Farm

When ask what he considers his greatest accomplishment, Pierotti says without hesitation it was the acquisition of the more than 600 acres of St. James Farm near Warrenville.

The district paid $43 million to buy the property from philanthropist and conservationist Brooks McCormick.

While the deal was announced in spring 2000, Pierotti said he spent 2½ years working closely with McCormick to develop a plan for “a friendly condemnation.”

“He (McCormick) had a life estate on that property and was very concerned that upon his death … the property would be developed into residential housing,” Pierotti recalled.

Roger Kotecki, who served on both the county board and forest preserve commission with Pierotti, said the district was able to buy that land because of Pierotti's involvement.

“There were a lot of sessions and a lot of back and forth about what Mr. McCormick's vision was and what Dewey's vision was,” Kotecki said. “Mr. McCormick had to have confidence in President Pierotti in order to sell the property to us.”

The district took possession of the property after McCormick's death in 2006.

Kotecki said the acquisition was significant because it connected four forest preserves — Blackwell, Warrenville Grove, Herrick Lake and Danada.

“It's 600 acres right in the middle of the greenbelt,” Kotecki said.

Guarding the land

Once the district gets a parcel of land, it fights to protect it — even if it means saying no to other governmental bodies.

Pierotti said that in the 1990s, the district used to get “three or four requests per month” from school districts and park districts interested in buying land.

“The forest preserve is not a land bank for anyone,” he said.

Carl Schultz, a former forest preserve commissioner, said Pierotti continually showed his commitment to preserving open space.

“He really spent a lot of time and a lot of leadership keeping the boat going in that direction,” said Schultz, adding that the district's preserves are better than they were before Pierotti became president.

“The legacy is that for decades going forward the citizens of DuPage County have a wonderful place to enjoy.”

Looking ahead, Pierotti has some advice for Joe Cantore, who started this week as the new president of the forest preserve.

“I think he should sit back and listen,” Pierotti said. “He should pick the brains of his key people here because he has a wonderful staff that knows what they're doing. Try to avoid the political pitfalls and be firm.”