Intergovernmental agreements and licensing agreements between the KCFPD and other legal entities and organizations have sanctioned the use of “preserved” land for the construction of maintenance and storage facilities, athletic fields, Frisbee golf courses, a model railroad club, community gardens, and a radio-controlled model airplane field, among others. A 2011 Freedom of Information request for all long-term intergovernmental agreements, license agreements, or leases for use of KCFPD land revealed a surprisingly generous relationship between the District and the municipalities, townships and park districts within the county. While the records obtained were incomplete, examples include:
- A 50 year IGA with the Fox Valley Park District for use of the Barnes Road property in Sugar Grove Township for construction and use of a maintenance facility, pasture, fruit orchard, tree nursery, and walking trail/bike path; no rental fee (4-1-99);
- A 50 year IGA with the St. Charles Park District for the construction and use of the East Side Sports Complex (athletic fields, picnic grove, trail, restrooms, parking); no rental fee (11-12-02);
- A 5-year license agreement with 5-year renewals with the Village of South Elgin to use an area within the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve for construction and maintenance of athletic fields, a Frisbee golf course, and related uses; no rental fee (6-13-06);
- A 30 year license agreement with the City of Elgin for exclusive use of the 56-acre Burnidge Property and Eagles Club property for a public park to include athletic fields, a picnic shelter, trails, and natural areas; no rental fee (3-13-07);
- A 99 year license agreement with the City of Elgin for the exclusive and irrevocable right to use approximately 93 acres north of Plank Road for a public park as part of a regional park facility; no rental fee (3-13-07);
- A 15 year license agreement with Dundee Township for the use of a barn located within the Schweitzer Forest Preserve for equipment storage and operation of a maintenance shop and office; rental fee of $1.00 plus costs of improvements and repairs (5-20-07);
- A 99 year IGA with the Fox Valley Park District where the Forest Preserve District agreed to purchase 5+ acres of a total 17+ acre purchase by the FVPD north of New Haven St. in Aurora for $500,000, and then license the FVPD to use the parcel for recreational development and programming as part of a regional park system; no rental fee (1-8-08);
- A 50 year IGA with the St. Charles Park District for use of the former Illinois Youth Home property to be redeveloped as the River Bend Community Park, with construction of athletic fields, skate park, basketball courts, maintenance facility, picnic grove, trail, restrooms, and parking lots; no rental fee (7-8-08);
- A 50 year license agreement with the Dundee Township Park District for the exclusive use of buildings located in the Brunner Forest Preserve along with additional acreage for programs, office space, and storage; rental fee of $1.00 (7-20-09);
- A 50+ year IGA with the Batavia Park District for use of 14 acres located in the Dick Young Forest Preserve for the West Main Community Park, including construction of trails and other amenities; no rental fee (3-10-09);
- A 5 year license agreement with the Fox Valley Park District for the development of a community garden within the Oakhurst Forest Preserve; rental fee of $1.00 (5-11-10);
- A 5 year IGA with the Geneva Park District to operate and maintain soccer fields within the Fabyan Forest Preserve with exclusive use during scheduled activities; $1.00 rental fee and shared costs of parking lot and entry drive (6-21-10);
- A 20 year license agreement (with two additional 20-year renewals) with the Dundee Township Park District for exclusive continuing use of the Lincoln Wood Park within the Fox River Shores Forest Preserve; $1.00 rental fee (2-8-11);
- A 5 year license agreement with the St. Charles Park District for the use and maintenance of the 8.7 acre soccer fields within the LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve; rental fee of $1.00 (5-10-11);
- A 5 year renewable license agreement with the City of Geneva and the Geneva Park District for the development and maintenance of a community garden within the Geneva Prairie Green Forest Preserve; rental fee of $1.00 (8-9-11);
The precedent set by these agreements seems likely to continue. In the April 28, 2011 minutes of the Land Acquisition/Enterprise Committee, Blackberry Township Supervisor Dave Richmond asked to partner with the District to create baseball and soccer fields on forest preserve land. Blackberry Township residents have not voted to create and support a Park District, but wish to have athletic fields available to them for sports activities. Richmond stated that the Township does not have money for ball fields. President Hoscheit replied that the District has partnered with numerous park districts in the past and is willing to consider working with townships as well.
According to a 2-28-12 Daily Herald article about Dave Richmond, Blackberry Township has no debt, money in the bank, and has lowered its tax levy three years in a row. By seeking to use forest preserve land for athletic fields instead of paying for their own parks, Blackberry Township is in effect getting a subsidy from other Kane County residents. For example, the 2010 Census lists the median household income of Carpentersville residents as $55,324. They are taxed both for the Kane County Forest Preserve District and for the Dundee Township Park District in which they reside. By contrast, the median household income for Elburn residents in Blackberry Township is $92,897, and they are taxed by the KCFPD but not for a park district. Allowing the use of Forest Preserve land for the development of parks and athletic fields is a policy which should be reconsidered. It does not support the Forest Preserve’s mission, and it places an unfair tax burden on those communities that pay for their own parks and also subsidize park land for those communities that do not.
In addition to the license agreements with other governmental entities, there were agreements for use of forest preserve land by non-governmental organizations.
- A 50 year exclusive use license agreement with the Fox River Trolley Museum, Inc. for construction and operation of a trolley line through the Blackhawk Forest Preserve in South Elgin; rental fee of $1.00 (12-14-99);
- A 5 year renewal license agreement with the not-for-profit Fox Valley Wildlife Center to use and maintain a 1-acre parcel with a house and garage within the Elburn Forest Preserve for the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife; rental fee of $1.00 (8-8-06);
- A 5 year renewal of a license agreement with the not-for-profit Valley Model Railroaders for the use of a building and parking area on .86 acre on Kenyon Road; VMR to reimburse the KCFP $5,300 for the 2005 roof repair (1-8-08);
- A 5 year license agreement with the not-for-profit Citizens Advocate Team, Friends of the Fox River, and Community Unit School District 300 for the use and maintenance of the house in the Schweitzer Woods Forest Preserve for office space, educational programs, and storage; rental fee of $1.00 (10-13-09);
- A 20 year license renewal agreement (with two additional 20-year renewals) with the not-for-profit Wasco American Legion Baseball League for the exclusive right to use and maintain the 8.5 acre Wasco Baseball Fields within the Campton Forest Preserve; rental fee of $1.00 (4-12-11);
- A 5 year renewal license agreement with the Aurora Barnstormers RC Club of Elburn to use and maintain a 4-acre mowed field, 700′ gravel drive, and fence with entry gate within the Aurora West Forest Preserve as a radio-controlled airplane flying field; no rental fee (10-11-11);
- A 2 year agreement with the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers, Inc. (CAMBR) to develop and maintain a multi-use recreational access /mountain bike trail in Raceway Woods Forest Preserve; CAMBR to coordinate and fund development costs up to $10,000, and annual maintenance up to $5,000 (7-10-12); A similar plan is under discussion for the Fabyan Woods FP/Settler’s Hill complex.
While all of the above may be beneficial activities that provide recreational opportunities to the surrounding communities, they do not – with the exception of the wildlife rehabilitation facility in Elburn and the Schweitzer educational organizations – have anything to do with the core mission of the Forest Preserve District, which is preservation and restoration of natural area flora and fauna.