Policy

Find Out What's Happening

Openlands wants you to be an active and vocal member of your community. The first step, of course, is educating yourself.

ACTION ALERT: Help Pass a Strong Cook County Stormwater Ordinance

Storm events are degrading Cook County rivers and streams, funneling fast-moving water that carries pollution from streets, parking lots, and yards directly into our waterways and destroying stream banks by eroding the soil. At the same time, wetlands throughout the county, which filter out pollution, store flood waters, and serve as vital homes for wildlife, are disappearing because of lost federal protections. Tell MWRD Commissioners to pass a strong Cook County stormwater ordinance.

Farmland Protection

With its unique confluence of climate, topography, and high-quality soils, Illinois farmland—some of the finest in the world—is disappearing at an alarming rate, and with it goes many public benefits, including food, fiber, and biomass for renewable energy. Well-managed farms also:

Get to Know Your Elected Officials

Before you contact your local, state, and/or federal elected officials, it’s good to know who they are—not just their names and addresses but where they stand on issues and their voting record.

Write a Letter

Now that you’ve figured out who your representative is and found an issue that inspires you, it’s time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys, as the case may be).