Help save “The Last Forest,” also known as the Line Creek Forest, as a Missouri Dept. of Conservation public access conservation area.  For more information and details, please visit lastKCforest.com.

Please read the petition below and then add your signature. Please be sure to include your zip code.

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It is one of the last of its kind in Kansas City Missouri’s Northland: a large swath of old and historic forested area that people pass through as they enjoy the wonderful Line Creek Trail. 

The Line Creek Forest is approximately 688 undeveloped acres of forest, woodlands, meadows, creeks, and flood plain in southern Platte County Missouri and Kansas City North.

Public and semi-public entities own ~212 undeveloped acres and private landowners own ~455 acres.  Besieged by suburban sprawl, it is bordered on the north by NW Barry Road; on the south by 68th Street; on the east by N. Platte Purchase Drive, NW 76th Street, and N. Coventry Avenue; and on the west by Green Hills Road.  

The Last Forest is a uniquely peaceful place that provides quality of life to the urban citizens in Platte County, the fastest growing county in Missouri. It is where families and community members go to walk, run, bike, to seek peace and solitude, to watch wildlife, and to just find a moment of quiet, quality time.

The Last Forest offers a diverse ecological environment for animals and plants and has become a haven for those evicted from their natural habitats by the viral spread of gas stations, subdivisions, roads, strip malls, and commercial development.  

Beginning in May 2018, ~134 acres were deforested for two schools, parking lots and sports fields.  The City of Kansas City Missouri’s long-term plan is to construct a multi-lane parkway that would cut through the heart of the "Last Forest" opening the way to retail shops and residential housing developments. 

While both of these plans would make money for private interests, they would devastate the "Last Forest": bringing more roads, more traffic, more suburban sprawl, more commercial strip malls, more residential density, and more people. Eradicating the forest means that storm water previously absorbed and managed naturally by the forest would need to be managed at taxpayer expense.

And The Last Forest would be gone. Forever.

You can make a difference.

FULL PETITION

We, being either concerned citizens, and/or residents of the State of Missouri, and/or residents of the County of Platte County Missouri, and/or residents of the City of the Kansas City Missouri, respectfully petition:

• The Missouri Department of Conservation
• The Park Hill School District 
• The City of Kansas City Missouri
• The State of Missouri
• The County of Platte County Missouri

to preserve the ~688 remaining undeveloped acres of forest that surround the Line Creek Trail.  

To the Missouri Department of Conservation, by and through its Director, employees, agents, and representatives (hereafter “MDOC”):
For the purpose of creating and preserving a natural conservation area in “The Last Forest” area, we respectfully petition the MDOC to:

• Evaluate and assess “The Last Forest” acreage for its public access recreation qualities, including, but not limited to, public recreational activities, trails, water bodies, wetlands, and any other amenities appropriate to MDOC conservation areas;
• Acquire ownership or control of all suitable, contiguous undeveloped and underdeveloped acreage situated within the boundaries of “The Last Forest”;
• Contact and engage eligible property owners of “The Last Forest” in the Missouri Outdoor Recreational Access Program (MRAP);
• Contact and negotiate with any eligible property owners regarding land gifts to the MDOC for the benefit of “The Last Forest”;
• Identify and engage any possible governmental agencies in the acquisition and preservation of “The Last Forest"; 
• Identify and engage any possible non-governmental agencies in the acquisition and preservation of “The Last Forest";
• Identify and utilize any possible grant money for the enhancement and benefit of the "The Last Forest";
• Advise, consult, and partner with the PHSD to assist the school district while it designs and plans environmentally friendly facilities for the purpose of having the smallest possible environmental “footprint”; to avoid and mitigate the destruction of the currently existing natural areas; to build in harmony with the natural land; and to mitigate impacts on the Line Creek Valley watershed.

To the Park Hill School District and its elected representatives, decision-makers, employees, and agents (hereafter “PHSD”):
We respectfully petition the PHSD to:

• Plan, design, and build its elementary school within “The Last Forest” with the goal of minimizing and mitigating the environmental impact of the development; 
• Postpone any additional construction activities in “The Last Forest” area until the demands of this Petition are resolved;
• Reconsider the location of the LEAD center, high school and sports fields and not continue with plans to build these facilities on “The Last Forest” property;
• Engage, consult, and hire competent and experienced environmental land use planners to design and plan PHSD’s facilities;
• To research environmental friendly technologies and building construction techniques that have been employed by other school districts to mitigate the environmental impact of PHSD’s development and to integrate those measures into its planning and construction;
• To cooperatively partner with the Missouri Dept. of Conservation and any other governmental agencies to meet the goal of mitigating the environmental impact of PHSD’s planned developments;
• To cooperatively partner with citizen and non-governmental groups to meet the goal of mitigating the environmental impact of PHSD’s planned developments;
• To donate or sell any land in excess of what is needed for PHSD’s facilities to supplement the creation of “The Last Forest” as a conservation area, or alternatively, to place conservation easements on the excess land.
• To support and facilitate the creation of "The Last Forest" as a conservation area.

To the City of Kansas City, Missouri, by and through its elected representatives, staff, employees, and representatives (hereafter “KCMO”):
We respectfully petition KCMO to:

• Relocate the route of the proposed but unbuilt, unpermitted, and unfunded Line Creek Parkway out of “The Last Forest” area;
• To prohibit any future zoning or permitting that would allow construction or environmental despoliation within “The Last Forest” area;
• Donate for inclusion in "The Last Forest" conservation area the 23.25 acres owned by KCMO (identified as Platte County Assessor’s Office parcel #19-5.0-16-000-000-013.000); and
• To support and facilitate the creation of "The Last Forest" as a conservation area.

To the Line Creek Forest-area Missouri State Senators and State Representatives:

• We respectfully petition you to:
• Undertake any legislative actions that would support, aid, facilitate, and fund the creation of "The Last Forest" conservation area;
• Identify and engage any federal and state governmental agencies to aid in the acquisition, creation, and preservation of the "Last Forest" as a conservation area; 
• Identify and engage any citizen’s groups and/or non-governmental agencies to aid in the acquisition, creation, and preservation of "The Last Forest" as a conservation area;
• Identify and secure any State of Missouri public funds for the acquisition, creation, enhancement, and maintenance of "The Last Forest” as a conservation area.

To Platte County Missouri Board of Commissioners:
We respectfully petition the Platte County Missouri Board of Commissioners, specifically 1st District Commissioner Dagmar Wood, to:

• Undertake any county legislative actions that would support, aid, encourage, facilitate, and fund the creation of "The Last Forest" conservation area;
• Identify and engage any County of Platte County Missouri departments and boards to support, aid, encourage, and fund the creation of "The Last Forest" conservation area; 
• Identify and engage any federal and state governmental agencies to aid in the acquisition, creation, and preservation of "The Last Forest" as a conservation area; 
• Identify and engage any citizen’s groups and/or non-governmental agencies to aid in the acquisition, creation, and preservation of "The Last Forest" as a conservation area; and
• Identify and secure any County of Platte County Missouri funds, including but not limited to Parks and Recreation funds generated from the Platte County Parks tax, for the acquisition, creation, enhancement, and maintenance of "The Last Forest” conservation area.