Home > Environmental Law Home > Lawsuits > Rock Island Preserve Saved from Highway 100 in Iowa

Sierra Club Lawsuits

Rock Island Preserve Saved from Highway 100 in Iowa

Case Updates:

April 1, 2004

Rock Island Preserve in Iowa is a 20-acre botanical state preserve consisting of rare native prairie, wetlands and woodland habitat that is home to over 300 species of native plants. However, the chance to preserve this hotspot of ecological diversity did not stop the Linn County Planning Commission from proposing an 8-mile freeway next to the preserve and from filing a lawsuit claiming that the preserve was illegal. Sierra Club stepped in and joined forces with the City of Cedar Rapids to stop the proposed highway expansion and to encourage the Planning Commission to choose a more environmentally sensitive path. In March, the Court handed the residents of Cedar Rapids a victory by dismissing the Commission’s lawsuit and ruling that placing land in a preserve is a lawful public improvement.

Details and Documents: