Chicago Tribune

Rare virgin prairie in Illinois gets reprieve from bulldozer; airport expansion again on hold

Cargo planes are visible behind the Bell Bowl Prairie adjacent to Chicago Rockford International Airport on Oct. 20, 2021, in Winnebago County.

A rare stretch of virgin prairie has received yet another reprieve from the bulldozer, with the Federal Aviation Administration telling the Tribune that Chicago Rockford International Airport has agreed to delay construction until June 1.

The airport’s previous agreement to refrain from construction ended Tuesday.

The airport wants to build a road through the Bell Bowl Prairie, one of the last remaining places in the state where prairie exists much

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