ROCKFORD (WBBM NEWSRADIO) --The existence of an endangered bumblebee has convinced the Rockford Airport Authority to hold off on plans to bulldoze rare prairie land as part of an expansion project.
The decision came after a federal lawsuit was filed seeking to stop destruction of the prairie land that could have started on Monday- the end of a temporary reprieve for the federally endangered Rusty patched Bumblebee.
The lawsuit was filed by the Natural Land Institute. "People are no longer just fighting to save an endangered bee or an endangered plant or even an whole ecosystem," said Kerry Leigh, the organization's director. "Only one one-hundredth of one percent of all types of prairie remain in Illinois- shamefully still called the prairie state."
Leigh also said those opposed to the expansion project want "additional environmental assessment of this unique and precious prairie."
Now, the Airport Authority said it will re-evaluate the potential impact of the project on the bumblebee.
Related
