This is not a Park District issue per se, but is in that spirit. It is posted at the request of Don Kirchenberg, Voluntary Chairman, Frends of the Great Western Trails. —Ted E.

Illinois Prairie Path and Great western Trail are again at risk.

At a May 19, 2009 meeting at the DuPage County Administration Building, Commonwealth Edison announced plans to use herbicides along hiking and biking trails and nearby homes to kill trees and bushes.

Additionally, trees along the trails are once again being topped, not trimmed. ComEd’s contractor, Asplundh, already has done extensive damage to many trees on the trails and along nearby private properties.

“When you top off hardwood trees, you are killing them from the top. Many dozens of trees have just been topped off as far as 20 feet below the power lines along the trails. This butchering of trees takes away from the beauty and the natural look of our trails.” stated Don Kirchenberg, Voluntary Chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trails.

In 2002, thanks to the support of environmentalists and trail supporters from the area, similar plans to use herbicides and remove trees werestopped. It is now necessary to do so again.

The state has jurisdiction over the tree maintenance practices of all power companies. They can legislate better tree maintenance that will help protect the trees on the trails and anywhere near power lines.

Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact their state legislators and county officials to again voice their aversion to the tree topping. Please contact:

• State Senator Dan Cronin 630-792-0040
  SenatorCronin@aol.com
• State Senator Carole Pankau 630-582-0390
  Carole@Pankau.com
• State Rep Sandra Pihos 630-858-8855
  Community@SandraPihos.org
• State Senator Randy Hultgren 630-682-8100
  Randy@RHultgren.com

On the issue ofherbicides, DuPage County officials can stop the use of such poisons to kill trees and bushes along the trails:

• RSchillerstrom@DuPageCo.org
  CTokarski@DuPageCo.org
  JRMcBride@DuPageCo.org
  GEckhoff@DuPageCo.org
  DOlson@DuPageCo.org
  Dirk.Enger@DuPageCo.org
  Anthony.Michelassi@DuPageCo.org
  DPuchalski@DuPageCo.org
  JRedick@DuPageCo.org

Also, express your concerns about both tree topping and herbicides directctly to Comed:

• Office of Community Affairs
  Commonwealth Edison
  440 S La Salle, 1 Financial Place, Ste 3300, Chicago, IL 60605

For more information on this issue and the Great Western Trails, please visit the newly expanded FriendsOfTheGreatWesternTrails.com web site.

Finally, be sure to copy the media:

• News@DailyHerald.com
  News@Tribune.com
  Editorial@MySuburbanLife.com
  TheSun@scn1.com
  QuestPublishing@aol.com
  News@ExaminerPublications.com
  Editorial@KCChronicle.com
  News@ChicagoWildernessMag.org
  okeefe@cdnet.cod.edu
  FencePost@DailyHerald.com
  Metro@SunTimes.com
  Lombardian@sbcglobal.net

Please pass this message along... We can again win this fight with everyone's demonstrated support!

Thank you!
Don Kirchenberg and the Frends of the Great Western Trails