Forest preserve candidates spar over land use

Roger Kotecki plants seeds as a prairie steward. Al Murphy has happy memories of taking his kids camping.

The two Republican candidates in the Feb. 2 primary for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District 6 seat agree having more than 25,000 acres of open space is a tremendous asset.

But they spar over whether the district is doing enough to provide recreational opportunities for residents.

Kotecki, an attorney from Warrenville, is seeking re-election to the seat he's held since 1990. His challenger, Murphy, is a West Chicago city councilman.

The primary winner will face Democrat Shannon Burns of West Chicago in the November general election.

Murphy calls for more access points, more trails and possibly even longer hours to accommodate early morning fishing and early evening joggers.

He criticizes the forest preserve district for closing Mallard Lake Forest Preserve near Bloomingdale instead of just the section under construction, forcing dog owners to drive farther to another off-leash park.

He said St. James Farm near Warrenville should be open more hours now, rather than waiting until all the improvements to the 607-acre property are made.

"These are taxpayer assets," Murphy said. "Taxpayers paid for them and taxpayers are being denied their use."

If he is elected, Murphy said he will try to bring down forest preserve taxes.

Kotecki said he has been a strong advocate for trail construction during his two decades as a commissioner.

There are 145 miles of crushed stone or asphalt multipurpose trails and many more miles of dirt or turf trails, he said, and most of the major preserves have multiple entrances.

"Virtually, every aspect of the forest preserve system is open to the public. (People) can walk anywhere there is dry land," Kotecki said.

When it comes to recreational opportunities, the forest preserve district follows the 90/10 rule: Ninety percent of the land is preserved for passive activities such as walking and bird watching, while 10 percent is used for more active pastimes such as picnics, boating and archery, Kotecki said.

"We are first and foremost a forest preserve district; we're not a park district," he said. "Our job is primarily to provide natural areas and the benefits those bestow - better air quality, better water quality, less traffic congestion."

Mallard Lake will be closed a bit longer to allow new plants to take hold, he said. There are six other off-leash parks residents can use until it reopens.

St. James Farm is open on weekends when the weather is good and for special events, Kotecki said. The first phase of the preliminary master plan for the site includes improvements to the water and sanitary sewer systems that need to be made before the property is open year-round. Bathrooms also need to be made accessible, he said.

"St. James Farm will gradually be opened up to more and more activity as we make upgrades," he said.

Murphy, who will resign from the city council if elected, said he will bring needed change to the forest preserve commission.

"I'm a firm believer politicians should only remain in office two or three terms," he said.

Kotecki said he has dedicated himself to preserving, protecting, restoring and restocking the land.

His goal is to "leave the land in a better condition than when we found it."

District 6 covers the northwest corner of the county and includes portions or all of Bartlett, Carol Stream, West Chicago, Winfield, Wheaton, Warrenville, Naperville and Aurora.