Bell Bowl Prairie
Bell Bowl Prairie is a remnant dry gravel prairie located on public land in Rockford, Illinois (Winnebago County). It is considered a Category I Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) site due to its high quality natural community of native flora and fauna. It is currently owned by the Greater Rockford Airport Authority (GRAA), a public taxing agency in Winnebago County. According to GRAA, the prairie is "one of the best-preserved prairies in northern Illinois – a glimpse of the Rockford area prior to colonization".Assessed in 2018, 5 acres of the approximately 22-acre prairie were considered high quality (roughly corresponding to the INAI area), and 4.2 acres were considered "moderate quality". In 2021, most of the prairie was planned to be demolished as part of the Chicago Rockford International Airport's expansion plans. Environmental organizations, ecologists, and conservationists working to stop construction within the prairie area argue that the Greater Rockford Airport Authority can redesign the expansion plan without impacting the high quality prairie. After the Natural Land Institute filed a lawsuit against the airport board and several governmental agencies in October 2021, the airport halted construction to begin a renewed round of environmental consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Federal Aviation Administration stated construction is on pause until June 1st, 2022.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bell Bowl Prairie (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).Bell Bowl Prairie
Cessna Drive, Rockford
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Geographical coordinates (GPS)
Latitude | Longitude |
---|---|
N 42.19 ° | E -89.1 ° |
Address
Cessna Drive
Cessna Drive
Rockford
Illinois, United States
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