DuPage Forest Preserve District's fleet ranked No. 1 small fleet in nation

The DuPage Forest Preserve District's vehicle fleet was ranked No. 1 small fleet in the nation by Government Fleet magazine.

Fleets are judged on being industry leaders among staff, customers, and community; their ability to remain efficient and competitive and overcome challenges; and their vision and direction. The award is co-produced with the American Public Works Association.

The forest preserve district also ranked No. 28 in the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas Award for the eighth year in a row, and garnered the Leading Fleets Award for the sixth consecutive year.

The Best Fleets program encourages performance improvement and innovation among public fleets. The forest preserve district is a member of the B20 Club, a partnership between the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program and the American Lung Association that recognizes Illinois fleets committed to cleaner air through use of biodiesel blends of B20 and higher.

"These awards reflect our ongoing commitment to operating green and being environmentally friendly," said Forest Preserve District Board President Daniel Hebreard. "We are proud to be consistently ranked among the best in the nation."

District fleet manager Michael Webster said the fleet is distinct in its variety of vehicles and focus on alternative fuels. The district has 147 road vehicles and 172 pieces of equipment that use alternative fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, ethanol, biodiesel, hybrid electric and electric.

The district also helps area municipalities reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by allowing them to use its alternative fuel station, which is the only one in Illinois with four different alternative fuels.

In-house forest preserve district crews maintain standard passenger vehicles as well as specialized equipment such as mowers and tractors. Nearly all vehicles are hybrid technology or run on alternative fuels. The use of these alternatives has lowered fuel expenditures, reduced tailpipe emissions and lengthened vehicle lifespans.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been connecting people to nature for more than 100 years.

More than 4 million people visit its 60-plus forest preserves, 166 miles of trails, six education centers and scores of programs each year.

For information, call (630) 933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the district's e-newsletter, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.