NW Cook Greens

July 7, 2007, Update: Pyramid Park Safe For Now

I recently received this note from Environment Illinois:

Nearly a thousand of you emailed your legislators to urge them to oppose the sale of a large portion of Pyramid State Park-Illinois largest state recreation area and a habitat restoration success story-to the private developer Toney Watkins Company. I wanted to let you know that your efforts are paying off! Since you took action, the bill allowing the swap has stalled, and one Perry County official was quoted saying the company is looking elsewhere in the region for private land to purchase.

All told, over two-dozen environmental and conservation groups, as well as several newspapers, came out in opposition to the proposal. We'll keep an eye out as things can change fast in the legislature, but for now our actions seem to have saved Pyramid Park. Thank you so much for your help!

Rebecca D. Stanfield
Environment Illinois State Director
RebeccaS@environmentillinois.org
http://www.environmentillinois.org

It looks like the park is safe for now. Yay!
- Rick S.
-----

Original Post

A company called the Toney Watkins Company wants 2000 acres in the middle Pyramid State Park, Illinois's largest park area, to build a theme park resort similar to Branson, Missouri.

Never before has Illinois sold state parkland for private development, and we shouldn't start now, especially with an unscrutinized proposal from a previously unknown company. Please take a moment to write to your legislators and urge them to oppose the Pyramid Park Land Swap.

To take action, click on this link: Save Pyramid Park

Then ask your friends and family to help by forwarding this link to them.

BACKGROUND

Located in Perry County in southern Illinois, Pyramid Park is Illinois's largest state recreation area. The parcel of land sought was purchased in 2001 under the Open Land Trust program and has been restored as grasslands habitat. Last year, the National Audubon Society designated Pyramid Park an Important Bird Area because several endangered and threatened species, such as Henslow's sparrow, have returned and thrive there.

In exchange for the parkland, Toney Watkins Company is offering a similarly-sized parcel it owns, but the offered land is the site of former strip mine and has never been reclaimed or restored. Moreover, the land the company wants is right in the middle of Pyramid Park, so that what is now one contiguous park would be split into three separate parcels.

According to the Southern Illinoisan, Toney Watkins Company was established for the sole purpose off establishing the resort in Pyramid Park and has no track record of successfully completed projects. Although the Park is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the agency only recently became aware that a proposed amendment to House Bill 29 would authorize the land swap. Neither DNR nor the state's environmental groups have had opportunity to fully analyze the environmental impact of the proposal.

Never before has Illinois sold state parkland for private development, and we shouldn't start now, especially with an unscrutinized proposal from a previously unknown company. Please take a moment to write to your legislator and tell them to oppose the Pyramid Park Land Swap.

To view the Southern Illinoisan article, visit: Questioning The Pyramid Park Land Swap.

To take action, click on the link below or copy and paste it into your web browser: Save Pyramid Park

Thank you.