Rockford airport halts expansion into Bell Bowl Prairie
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — An airport expansion has been temporarily halted to allow for more environmental study, and it will be redesigned to minimize its impact on a rare native prairie.
Officials with the Chicago Rockford International Airport announced those changes Thursday afternoon as pressure from conservationists to save the Bell Bowl Prairie from bulldozers mounted. The announcement came one day after the Natural Land Institute filed a federal lawsuit aimed at temporarily stopping the expansion.
The airport is in the process of redesigning a portion of its expansion to remove a detention basin that was originally planned in the prairie. Construction that was set to resume Monday will now be suspended within the prairie’s footprint until the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service can do more study on the potential impact on the endangered rusty patched bumble bee, which was discovered in the prairie in August.
“During the coming months, we will continue to work with the FAA, (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), and the USFWS to ensure the project continues and we can plan and develop in compliance with the federal and state regulations for the endangered species,” said Zack Oakley, the deputy director of operations and planning at RFD. “We anticipate the resumption of the project in the spring of 2022.”
The Natural Land Institute said later Thursday that it reached an agreement through U.S. District Court with the airport to delay construction until March 1. That means its lawsuit was withdrawn, but it could refile at a later date if it’s not satisfied with the airport’s actions. The organization said it would work with the airport on a design that protects the prairie.
Mayor Tom McNamara said via Twitter that he applauds the decision by the Greater Airport Authority to pause construction.
“I now urge the board to have meaningful dialogue with all parties that takes into account the area’s natural resources, as well as the economic impact of the expansion,” he wrote.
The airport noted that it had previously completed an environmental assessment in 2019 and received a finding of “no significant impact.” It had put all construction work on hold until Monday after the rusty patched bumblebee was found on the site.
This $50 million dollar cargo expansion is estimated to create hundreds of construction jobs and generate up to 600 permanent jobs at the airport. It would also continue to strengthen the airport’s success as the fastest-growing cargo airport in the world.
But conservationists have contended that the work could be done in a way that does not destroy one of Illinois’ last remaining remnant prairies, a place where endangered plants, bees and birds have been found.
A grassroots group called Save Bell Bowl Prairie has been pushing for the airport to redesign its expansion in a way that spares the prairie.
The Natural Land Institute on Thursday said in a news release that the airport has only pledged to move the detention pond, “and makes no mention of the planned roadway going through the highest
quality part of the prairie, or re-siting the proposed building.”
The organization said it will continue to pursue legal remedies to protect the remaining prairie and make sure it has access to monitor the prairie.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.
