Preserve's Sugar Creek Administration Center To Reopen

Press release from the Forest Preserve District of Will County:

12/23/2020

After being closed due to COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet will reopen to the public at 8 a.m. Monday, January 4, in time for the first day of 2021 camping and picnic permit sales.

The building will be open normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday going forward. However, residents are encouraged to take advantage of online permit sales by visiting the Camping and Picnicking pages. Those who do visit Sugar Creek will be required to wear face masks, and building capacity limits will be enforced as part of COVID-19 pandemic protocols.

All Forest Preserve District visitor centers were closed in November as part of the state’s Tier 3 COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Visitor centers that will remain closed are: Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville, Monee Reservoir Visitor Center in Monee Township and Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township.

Dog parks, preserves, trails, campgrounds and latrines will remain open. Employees will continue to work on site or remotely, as they have been throughout the pandemic, and phones will be staffed during normal visitor center hours.

According to a press release from the governor's office, Tier 3 mitigations are necessary to "suppress the spread of the virus and ensure our hospitals do not become overrun." The state is encouraging everyone to limit gatherings and to stay home "to the greatest extent possible."

All indoor Forest Preserve programs have been canceled for the time being, and outdoor in-person programs are limited to 10 or less, per state guidelines. Online programs will continue via Zoom webinars and Facebook Live presentations. Program listings can be found on the Event Calendar.

Face masks are required for outdoor program participants, with the exception of those younger than 2 years old and those with a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing one, per state guidelines.

Throughout the pandemic, the Forest Preserve has been urging everyone to abide by advice from health experts to:

• Wear masks outdoors if you can't maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from others.
• Wash your hands with soap and water frequently for at least 20 seconds.
• Bring hand sanitizer with you if you can't wash your hands.
• Use disinfecting wipes on surfaces that may have been touched by others.
• Choose to visit outdoor recreational sites that are less crowded or go at a time when there will be fewer people at the same location.
• Stay home if you feel sick.

For more information on COVID-19 in Will County, visit the Will County Health Department's website.

This press release was produced by the Forest Preserve District of Will County. The views expressed are the author's own.