Cook County Forest Preserve District 2026 Budget Approved

Cook County Forest Preserve District Board Meeting
November 18, 2025

​The Cook County Forest Preserves (CCFP) Commissioners unanimously approved the fiscal year 2026 budget. 

• The 2026 budget is $194.1 million dollars. This includes $31.3 million dollars to fund Brookfield Zoo Chicago and the Chicago Botanic Garden. The Corporate budget which funds the day-to-day operations of the Preserves is $92.6 million which also funds capital improvements, real estate acquisition and self insurance.
  
• This budget was completed by the new CCFP Superintendent Adam Bianchi with the help of the CCFP commissioners and many staff members. The total budget increases by 2.5 percent, and the corporate budget by 3.7 percent over last year.
  
• Fiscal Year 2026 will be the fourth Forest Preserves budget since the Referendum was overwhelmingly passed by the voters of Cook County, providing more than $40 million annually to invest in nature. Its impact is foundational for this year’s accomplishments.
  
• September revenues exceeded $13.2 million.
  
• One amendment was approved to the 2026 budget which will reallocate $51,000 for expanding the Underground Railroad project at several CCFP sites.

Additional items discussed:

• Beaubien Woods: A state-of-the-art accessible canoe and kayak launch are completed. This is only the 4th accessible boat launch in Illinois. Also approved was the purchase of a small parcel of land from the Chicago Housing Authority from the Altgeld Gardens housing development for connections to Beaubien Woods.
• The CCFPs partnered with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab to provide a completely accessible camping experience for some of their patients. This was very successful and is planned again for 2026.
• A long standing lawsuit involving the CCFP and the care of a coyote was dismissed in a detailed 30 page document.
• The Sauk Trail Woods is now the first CCFP property that is 100% zero net energy.
• CCFP received four different awards recently for the planning and improvements to the Des Plaines River Trail.
• November 18 (day of meeting) was also the first day for people to make reservations for events in the CCFP and almost 1000 people called and booked over 700 events on just the first day.
• Andrew Johnson, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, spoke to thank the CCFP commissioners for always recognizing the Land Acknowledgement of the Native People at all meetings. He talked about how meaningful that is to all Native People.
  
  Observer - Deborah Halpern