Rockford Airport to Bulldoze Portion of Bell Bowl Prairie
Clip: 3/7/2023 | 2m 27sVideo has Closed Captions
A Rockford airport is likely moving forward with demolition of an ancient prairie.
Barring any 11th hour court decisions, the Greater Rockford Airport Authority will soon resume construction on its cargo expansion project, bulldozing a portion of ancient Bell Bowl Prairie in order to carve out a new roadway.
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Rockford Airport to Bulldoze Portion of Bell Bowl Prairie
Clip: 3/7/2023 | 2m 27sVideo has Closed Captions
Barring any 11th hour court decisions, the Greater Rockford Airport Authority will soon resume construction on its cargo expansion project, bulldozing a portion of ancient Bell Bowl Prairie in order to carve out a new roadway.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>>> AN FAA RULING COULD HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON AN ENDANGERED BUMBLEBEE.
PRAIRIE NEAR ROCKFORD OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, OUR REPORTER JOINED US WITH AN UP DATE.
YOU'VE BEEN COVERING THIS OVER THE LAST YEAR WHAT IS THE LATEST?
>> TO CATCH PEOPLE UP QUICKLY, THE PRAIRIE IS WITHIN THE CAPITAL PROPERTY OF THE GREATER AREA AND THEY WANT TO BUILD AN EXPANSION OF THEIR OPERATION , THE ROAD PLANS TO GO THROUGH THE PRAIRIE AND THE FAA HAD THEM GO BACK TO REVISIT THESE PLANS BASED ON THE DISCOVERY OF THE ENDANGERED BUMBLEBEE PROPERTY.
THEY WENT BACK TO REEVALUATE THEIR PLAN AND ARE GOING WITH AN ALTERNATE PLAN FOR WHERE THE ROADWAY GOES NOW .
THE FAA GAVE THEM THE OKAY TO GO AHEAD WITH THE ALTERNATE.
THEY WOULD TAKE OUT SOME OF THE PRAIRIE.
>> CLEARLY THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL FLYING OBJECTS LIKE VISA WHAT WOULD THIS DO TO THE BEES?
>> THIS WOULD KNOCK OUT A FAIR AMOUNT OF HABITAT WHERE THEY WOULD NEST SO THEY CAN'T DO ANY OPERATION WITHIN THE PRAIRIE OR CONSTRUCTION AFTER MARCH 15 WHICH IS WHY THERE'S A RUSH ON IF THEY ARE GOING TO START CLEARING THE PRAIRIE FOR THE ROADWAY.
THE SUSPICION IS THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AS SOON AS THURSDAY WHICH IS WHY THEY'VE FILED A STAY.
THE COURT SYSTEMS RALLYING ON WEDNESDAY TO TRY TO GET THIS STOPPED.
>> PER THE FAA RULING IF THEY DON'T START TO PAY THIS BY THE 15th THAN THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING THEN?
>> THEY COULD DIG IT UP THROUGH THE 15th THAN THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER 15 AND BY THAT POINT, PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO SAVE THE PRAIRIE.
THEY COULD PUT THE PRESSURE ON GOVERNOR PRITZKER TO GET THE ROADWAY MOVED TO AN ALTERNATE THAT GOES AROUND THE PRAIRIE.
>> SOME OF THE PEOPLE WE HAVE SEEN DEMONSTRATING HERE THERE'S NO CHANCE THEY COULD STOP THE ENTIRE PROJECT?
>> THEY ARE WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE COURTS TOMORROW WHETHER OR NOT A STAY WOULD BE IN PLACE SO THERE ARE MORE JUDICIAL OPTIONS BUT THIS
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