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The Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary Trust and the
sanctuary’s neighbors are looking ahead after the Sangamon County
Board voted last week to approve the trust’s request for a
conditional-use permit to establish a public park on 27.2 acres of the
120-acre Loami sanctuary, located at 9560 Withers Rd. The neighbors initially cited safety and security
issues, postponing the County Board’s final vote twice since June
[see Amanda Robert, “Prairie wildfire,” Sept. 6]. But JPMorgan,
the administrator of the Nipper trust, has compromised by limiting public
access to the sanctuary to three days a week, requiring groups to schedule
appointments, and hiring an on-site tour guide. The neighbors, in turn,
have agreed to form a support organization to arrange for volunteers to
serve as custodians and guides for the sanctuary.
“This is something that has provided us with the
opportunity to step back and say, ‘Here are a few things the
neighbors want,’ and, to be honest, the bank was just really
great,” says Craig Hall, who represents District 7 on the County
Board. “Hopefully it’s an agreement that we can use as an
example in the future.”
The Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1992
by the estate of Frank and Gladys Nipper, who stipulated that the property
should be open for educational purposes and to naturalists and wildlife
groups. Conservationists have since begun restoring native prairie, wetland
areas, and bottomland forest and have reintroduced more than 150 species of
flowers and plants.
Contact Amanda Robert at arobert@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Oct 11-17, 2007.
