This page was written before Bell Bowl had its own website. Check there for the latest.
Here’s some good news: The Greater Rockford Airport Authority has agreed to halt development and construction within the footprint of the Bell Bowl Prairie until March 1st, 2022 or as otherwise agreed or directed by the court or agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. BUT …
IT’S NOT OVER YET. After consultation is concluded the Bell Bowl Prairie could still be under threat!
Bell Bowl Prairie is scheduled for almost complete destruction as part of the expansion of the Chicago Rockford International Airport.
There is a temporary hold on construction until November 1st, 2021, due to the discovery of a federally Endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee. In 1968, this prairie was saved by George Fell, founder of the Natural Land Institute. We believe it can be saved again!
The following is taken from a blog post by Cassi Saari
There is less than one-hundredth of one percent (0.01%) of prairie remaining in the state of Illinois (Robertson 2008). Gravel hill prairies such as Bell Bowl represent a tiny fraction of that: 148 acres in total across the entire state in various states of quality (IDNR-b). Losing 5 acres of high quality gravel hill prairie is an unacceptable loss that cannot be mitigated with any effort known to science.
According to the draft Environmental Assessment (EA, 2019), iNaturalist records, and other reportings from the Natural Land Institute and regional naturalists, numerous plant species with a coefficient of conservatism (floristic quality rating) of 10 out of 10 occur at the site (FAA 2019, Save Bell Bowl Prairie, pers. comm.). These are plants that are restricted to occurring naturally in only the finest quality habitats in Illinois (Wilhelm and Rericha 2017).
Please share! The rarity of this ecosystem in Illinois cannot be understated. Of the Prairie State's original 22 million acres of prairie ONLY 2,300 acres remain.
photo of a Brown Thrasher, one of the nesting birds of Bell Bowl Prairie, by John C. Longhenry.
We need everyone's help to Save Bell Bowl and here's what you can do:
Sign The Illinois Environmental Council action alert to send a letter to Governor Pritzker.
Contact the US Fish and Wildlife Service and ask them to protect the endangered Rusty-Patched Bumblebee: Kraig McPeek, project leader, RockIsland@fws.gov
Contact the Airport Authority Board and Staff:
Paul Cicero, Board Chairman: pcicero@flyrfd.com
Tom Myers, Vice Chairman: tmyers@flyrfd.com
Thomas Dal Santo, Board Commissioner: tdalsanto@flyrfd.com
Leslie West, Board Commissioner: lwest@flyrfd.com
Mike Schablaske, Board Commissioner: mschablaske@flyrfd.com
Tonya Lamia, Board Commissioner: tlamia@flyrfd.com
Mike Dunn, Executive Director: mikedunn@flyrfd.com
Zack Oakley, Deputy Director of Operations and Planning: zoakley@flyrfd.com
Contact the Governor directly: 217-782-6830, 217-782-6831, 312-814-2121, or 312-814-2122
The airport has received over $44 million in federal funds from lawmakers since 2015 (WIFR 2021-10-01). These Illinois lawmakers are, potentially unknowingly, supporting the destruction of native habitat:
U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos: https://bustos.house.gov/contact/, 202-225-5905
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin: https://www.durbin.senate.gov/contact/email, 309-786-5173 (Rock Island), 202-224-2152 (D.C.), 217-492-4062 (Springfield)
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth: https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/connect/email-tammy, 309-606-7060 (Rock Island), 202-224-2854 (D.C.), 217-528-6124 (Springfield)
Local Public Radio Station Coverage:
If you are a Facebook user, you can join the Save Bell Bowl Prairie group to stay up to date: https://www.facebook.com/groups/581138436414631/