Dear Friends,
The Montrose natural areas - Montrose Point and Montrose Beach Dunes - are a rare nature haven for birds and plants in the middle of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood on the shore of Lake Michigan. These bird sanctuaries total over 30 acres and boast an astonishing 341 species of birds, many of which rely on the greenspace as a safe stopover during thousands of miles migrations each year. The sanctuaries offer a unique set of terrains - prairies, forest, dunes, and shoreline, that provide high quality habitat and protection for common, rare, and endangered species including:
• Piping Plover
• Long-eared Owl
• Nelson’s Sparrow
• Kirtland’s Warbler
• Orchard Oriole
• Red Knot
BUT these fragile ecosystems and precious urban greenspaces are under grave threat due to the lack of enforcement of several City ordinances, especially those pertaining to dog traffic:
Chicago Prohibited Animals Ordinance
International Migratory Bird Treaty
Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act
The Chicago Police Department, The Chicago Park District, Animal Care and Control, and Alderman Cappelman of the 46th ward are failing to enforce the laws and ordinances protecting these high quality sites and the flora and fauna that inhabit them. The areas are officially protected and regulatory signs are posted everywhere, yet off leash dogs, seekers of casual sex, drug users, and gang activity (especially graffiti tagging) are degrading the fragile environment and making it inhospitable to the nature that belongs there.
WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW! A local and national outcry is the only way to put pressure on the City of Chicago to take this problem seriously and make security a priority to ensure the health and biodiversity of our precious natural areas and protect our birds!
Birders, conservationists and nature lovers – please lend us your voice by signing below to help protect these beautiful open spaces. THE LAWS ARE IN PLACE – WE ARE SIMPLY ASKING THE CITY TO ENFORCE THEM.
