Construction resumes at Bell Bowl Prairie near Rockford airport
A protracted legal battle pitting preservationists against state and federal government agencies and officials from the Chicago Rockford International Airport has ended.
Work resumed early Thursday morning on the expansion of the airport’s cargo operations, which includes the construction of a service road through a section of the ancient Bell Bowl Prairie.
Protesters held an all-night vigil at the construction site after rallying in downtown Rockford Wednesday afternoon in a last-ditch effort to halt the project while protecting Bell Bowl from destruction.
“Even if the airport isn’t willing to cooperate with us, we’ve done the work on our side,” Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves member Jillian Neece said during Wednesday’s rally. “We’ve tried to communicate. We’ve tried to make it work and it just hasn’t been able to happen because we haven’t had communication on both sides because they weren’t listening. So, we can stand here knowing that we’ve done everything we can.”
More:FAA gives Rockford airport green light to resume construction at Bell Bowl Prairie
The Natural Land Institute’s motion in federal court to block the airport construction project from resuming was denied Wednesday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration signed off on the expansion last week and noted in a statement that “Chicago Rockford International Airport will retain more than six acres of the Bell Bowl Prairie, including more than three acres of high-quality prairie.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources authorized the destruction of approximately 15 acres of Bell Bowl Prairie.
Bell Bowl is home to indigenous plants and endangered wildlife, including the federally protected rusty patched bumble bee.
Preservationists, including members of the Natural Land Institute, urged airport officials to redesign and reroute the service road to avoid disturbing the prairie.
Chicago Rockford International Airport Executive Director Mike Dunn was not available for comment Thursday morning.
Airport officials have said the expansion project will create hundreds of construction jobs and will enhance the airport’s standing as one of the nation’s busiest cargo operations.
The airport plans to add a 100,000-square-foot air freight facility, ramp expansion and storm water detention basins as part of the project.
Natural Land Institute Executive Director Kerry Leigh said there are benefits that have come out of the efforts to save the prairie.
“There is now a recognition by many that our 20th century environmental protections do not adequately protect against our 21st century issues that we have like extreme climate change, invasive species and that our protections are not protecting habitat," Leigh said. "But I’m disheartened by the hypocrisy of our governments that say they want to protect 30% of our nation’s natural resources by 2030 and they let something so precious go.”
Ken DeCoster covers business news and features. Contact him at 815-987-1391, kdecoster@rrstar.com or @DeCosterKen.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Construction resumes at Bell Bowl Prairie near Rockford airport
