COS Lauds Mayor Emanuel's Decision to Halt Police Shooting Range

Chicago Ornithological Society sent a letter of support to Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his decision made this week to pull back the plan for a police firing range on the South Side after a pair of bald eagles were found nesting there.  Proposed uses for this site have been long contested by birders and conservationists, including COS. 

We previously reported on this matter in our June 1, 2011 blog post, when an amendment to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's motion required a baseline wildlife survey of the 33-acre property.  The discovery of the nesting eagle pair proves the value of conducting surveys like this ahead of potential plans that endanger wildlife.

You can read the letter COS sent here:  Letter to Rahm Emanuel

The Chicago Tribune covered this story as well in an article March 13, 2012 by Michael Hawthorne:  "Bald eagles thwart plan for police gun range in Chicago"