Sustainable Visions: A Q&A with Melinda Bossenga and Jera Piper, Candidates for the Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District
Monday, February 5, 2024
Sugar Grove, Illinois — On February 8th, from 7:00am-5:30pm, the Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District (KDSWCD) will be holding an election at their office located at 2315 Dean St, Suite 100 in St. Charles. We reached out to two of the challengers, Melinda Bossenga and Jera Piper, to learn about what they hope to accomplish, if elected. Biographies for all six candidates can be found here. Absentee voting is available through February 6th, from 8:00am-4:30pm, at the same location. Absentee voters must certify the nature of their inability to vote on the election day. All owners or occupiers of land in Kane or DuPage county of legal voting age are eligible to vote in the election.
Soil & Water Conservation Districts are local units of government that provide technical information to individuals and groups on methods of soil and water conservation. One of the most important outputs of these districts are Natural Resource Inventories, which are detailed reports based on standardized data and onsite investigations that provide insight into land use change decisions and that ensure development properly protects the districts' natural resource base.
Q&A
Can you discuss your stance on major land development projects? How do you think we should balance economic growth with environmental conservation?
Melinda Bossenga: I know that as the population increases, land development is likely inevitable. My stance is that it needs to be sustainable, and helpful or advantageous to the overall community and ecology. Without a healthy environment, all life suffers. We live in a web and when one species is impacted, all species are impacted. The environmental impacts of a development should be minimal. If a major development only has economic benefit for a select few, then it should not be considered. Citizens and the environment should not be paying the price for wealthy corporations to become wealthier.
Jera Piper: My stance is major land developments should only be considered where the land is considered a brownfield development or infill development, which prioritizes the reuse of existing developed land before expanding into undeveloped or greenfield areas. My balanced approach of economic growth with environmental conservation is a growing concept of Green Growth alongside Sustainable development, which seeks to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development encourages implementing policies and practices that prioritize environmental protection and social equity alongside economic growth. Sustainable development aims to ensure that economic prosperity is achieved within the boundaries of ecological sustainability, thereby mitigating negative environmental consequences.
How do you plan to address concerns regarding the proposed 3.5m sqft of logistic warehousing by Crown Community Development and Sugar Grove?
Melinda Bossenga: The wave of warehouses is waning. The Covid craze of buying things online is slowly dissipating. We will always have online shopping and therefore fulfillment centers, but people are buying from brick-and-mortar shops again. Drive around and you will likely see empty warehouses seeking tenants. It’s a dying trend and we should be smart and be ahead of the trend. I plan to continue to fight against developments that don’t truly consider the deleterious impacts their methods have on the land, especially as they are requiring multi-million-dollar TIFs that do not truly benefit the community or the environment. I will always ask if there are alternatives to building new warehouses. Can warehouse needs be met in already existing warehouses? We need to ask those questions and get creative. Is there something else viable that could go in the space allotted for the warehouses? We cannot keep building on open space as we are and expect people to want to live in our communities. I will continue to attend board meetings, share my concerns with others and help spread the information of what is happening.
Jera Piper: I would continuously monitor that the Crown project complies with all local, state, and federal environmental regulations. Work to minimize the environmental impact by implementing green building practices, sustainable transportation solutions, and stormwater management plans.
What is your vision for future development in Kane and Dupage counties? How do you plan to incorporate sustainability and environmental protection into these plans?
Melinda Bossenga: I think there is a growing trend for folks to be connected to the land through farms, wetlands, wildlife and such. My vision is to help that grow. Preserving these gems will keep people wanting to live in these counties. There are so many hobby farmers now, where, when I was a kid, I maybe knew one. People love farmers markets and being more connected to where food comes from. Rustic Road Farm in Elburn is one that comes to mind. They were just selected by The Conservation Fund’s Working Farms Fund to lease a 30-acre property in Elburn and the property will go into a conservation easement. Rustic Road Farm is a very successful farm that provides jobs and supports a healthy environment with their farming practices while providing nourishing food for communities, all while reducing environmental impacts by diminishing shipping emissions and conventional farming chemicals. To quote Aldo Leopold, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” I’d encourage a synergistic relationship between a strong land ethic and economic development.
Jera Piper: My vision for Kane and DuPage counties is to promote biodiversity and ecosystem protections by educating the people of the counties about habitat protections and building green infrastructures. This can be achieved through the integration of green spaces, conservation of water bodies, and preservation of natural landscapes within and around development projects. Lastly, utilizing green infrastructure such as parks, green belts, and urban forests to support biodiversity, improve air quality, and provide recreational spaces for communities.
How do you plan to engage with different stakeholders, such as residents, environmental groups, and businesses in your decision-making processes?
Melinda Bossenga: I feel that transparency is crucial. I have never been on a board such as this, so I’d have a learning curve. I’d encourage engagement by holding informational meetings, however, I know that sometimes those are not well-attended. We are a busy culture. Perhaps webinars or virtual meetings. I want to hear people’s concerns and wants.
Jera Piper: My plan of engagement is an implementation of community engagement activities, such as public consultations, workshops, surveys, questionnaires and focus groups. I also strongly believe in transparency and information sharing. Regular open access to information and continuous updates informing all parties involved.
With increasing focus on environmental issues and policies at both state and national levels, how do you plan to adapt or align the board's strategies to these evolving standards?
Melinda Bossenga: I would be doing a lot of research to make sure that state and federal regulations are being implemented as they evolve. I think as standards change, my goal remains the same: to protect our land, water, communities, health, and overall ecology. We are coming upon a threshold where our land and water can only take so much more. I would be diligent in doing my homework, as it were, to make sure policies are being followed, based on the organization’s standards.
Jera Piper: Aligning with evolving environmental standards and policies requires staying informed, engaging stakeholders, investing in sustainability, and integrating environmental considerations into strategic planning and operations. This will maintain KDSWCD's status as an organization and ensure compliance to position us as a leader in environmental stewardship.