Toni Preckwinkle, Forest Preserve Superintendent Arnold Randall applaud Obama's America's Great Outdoors plan

Forest Preserve District of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and General Superintendent Arnold Randall commend President Barack Obama on the creation of his new program, appropriately titled “America’s Great Outdoors.” The program focuses, in large part, on encouraging citizens to enjoy their vast open spaces, like the 68,000-plus acres that Cook County’s forest preserves offer. President Obama announced the new initiative at the White House on Wednesday, February 16, 2011. During the White House event, President Obama noted, “Working together to protect the environment we share, lifting up the best ideas wherever we find them, preserving the great outdoors for our children and for their children -- that’s our responsibility.” President Preckwinkle agrees.