Events and associated evidence about Regulation can be found here in the Scenario Framework Navigation Tool.

Regulatory changes are almost certainly long poles in the tent.  By their nature they require a slow, careful and inclusive process.  In the case of a constitutional amendment, the process requires over 3 years, once you have agreement on the wording of the amendment.

This strategy requires that we look at ways to make it easier for communities and the Forest Preserve to coexist well together, to make the public/private land interface work better. But the kinds of changes envisioned require very careful planning and discussion if they are to not get derailed.

The CGA 2012 group that discussed amendments has organized a series of interviews on this topic.  Current thinking is to produce a white paper of ideas for wide circulation this winter.  Careful scoping of any amendment is critical to final acceptance and support.  The scoping question requires decent mapping to at least characterize various utilitarian issues might be resolved.

The process must be defined clearly up front to the satisfaction of stakeholders. It must be balanced and fair. In all cases, we believe that there are many win-win opportunities.  We must not let areas of disagreement prevent us from identifying those win-win opportunities.

The specific first steps are:

• Develop scoping and process specifications for a utility land bank amendment
• Develop scoping and process specifications for a study of land swap options for consolidating and improving the Forest Preserve

Read this post for more about the working group that is now getting going.

The following two areas do not yet have working groups focused on them, so they remain ahead of us.

Another topic on the table is the possibility of opening the State Land Master plan to a review, the first in its 40 years.  We are not aware of the status of this idea at this time.

• Develop scoping and process specifications for a major updating of the State Land Master Plan

Lastly, the topic of TDRs has been developed at the APA and the Governor’s office and should come to the legislature again soon, probably as some revision of the previous effort.

• Adopt Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) and other land use changes that encourage clustering of construction in and near hamlets