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Press Release: Forest Preserves of Cook County Opens New Boathouse on Busse Reservoir

Illinois High School Association Bass Fishing Sectional Tournament contestants help cut ribbon.

Starting tomorrow, April 26, 2014, residents can rent boats and equipment,
have a snack and enjoy the great outdoors.

Between Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg, in the southern half of 3700-acre Ned Brown Forest Preserve (also known as Busse Woods), an attractive new boathouse is now open on the shores of Busse Reservoir, offering more amenities for those eager to spend the day paddling on the lake.

General Superintendent Arnold Randall, Cook County Commissioner Timothy Schneider, and Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson today cut the ribbon on the new facility, just before students weighed their catches as part of the Illinois High School Association Bass Fishing Sectional Tournament.

The new boathouse features boat rental, a bait shop (with fishing rods and tackle available for purchase), and food and snack concessions. The new building replaces an aging trailer, which housed the Boating Center for the past 12 years.

Beginning Saturday, April 26, 2014, the boathouse will be open to the public seven days a week, from 6 am to 7:30 pm, weather permitting. Visitors can rent canoes, kayaks, rowboats (with or without trolling motors) and paddleboats to explore the open water and inlets of Busse Reservoir, where native birds such as herons and egrets are a common sight. The boathouse will close for the season in October, weather permitting. Call 708-557-4000 to inquire about rentals.

“The Forest Preserves is in the middle of a multi-year celebration of our 100th anniversary,” Forest Preserves President Toni Preckwinkle said. “One of our chief goals during this celebration is to connect more people to the preserves. That includes enhancing the visitor experience by making smart investments in infrastructure. You’re going to see a lot more projects like the boathouse over the next two years as part of our latest Capital Improvement Plan.” (Learn more about our 2014 Capital Improvement Plan.)

“We’re working hard to make every visit to the forest preserves a positive, memorable experience,” General Superintendent Arnold Randall said. “We are strategically improving points of entry, such as the new Busse Reservoir Boating Center, to help visitors feel welcome and get quickly oriented to what the preserve has to offer. A good start will set the stage for a great nature experience. We encourage everyone to rent a boat this year. We think you’ll be impressed by the beauty of this place.”

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About the Forest Preserves of Cook County
Don’t you sometimes just want to escape? Explore the natural beauty of Cook County for an hour, a day or even a night. When you’re surrounded by 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful there’s no better place to feel free.