I am supporting Don Kirchenberg for DuPage Forest Preserve Commissioner in District 2 because he has worked hard for decades to help protect our open space including the forest preserves and trails.

He has served as a volunteer as president of the Illinois Prairie Path not-for-profit corporation for over seven years. Don is also the ongoing voluntary chairman of the Friends of the Great Western Trails, which he helped to found over 12 years ago.

Don has excellent ideas on how to improve the management of our Forest Preserve District in County. As our Commissioner Don will:

• work to reduce the annual salary of the part-time commissioner position from their current pay of $53,000-plus per year with full benefits and a taxpayer subsidized pension at an estimated total cost of $110,000 to an annual salary of only $25,000 per year.
• not ask for or support any commissioners’ family members to become employees of the FPD of DC.
• encourage more citizens to be involved by holding evening meetings and broadcast all meetings on the internet and cable TV
• not accept any campaign donations from any companies doing business with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

In addition, he led the fight for the preservation of a unique forest because it offers groupings of trees that they do not even have at the Morton Arboretum. It is a unique and some say important part of the county. This property is now the Glacial Ridge Forest Preserve of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District.

We need new Forest Preserve Commissioners and a new way of thinking to eliminate the current problems and corruption. I encourage you to check out    www.protectourforestpreserves.org.

I know he will work hard as our commissioner. I encourage you to vote on Nov. 6 for Don for Forest Preserve Commissioner, District 2.

—Jeff Gimm, Lisle