The Reserve Planned Unit Development is a 486 bed student housing complex that has been approved by the Edwardsville City Council, over the objections of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, numerous local residents, and many faculty, staff, and students from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE).  It will be built on New Poag Road, adjacent to Bohm Woods State Nature Preserve, the only old growth forest remaining in Madison County, Illinois.  Old growth forest is exceedingly rare, and to have one of such quality in an increasingly urbanized area like Edwardsville, is nearly unheard of.  The forest interior bird community of Bohm Woods is at risk due to the size and proximity of this high-density development.  Alternative building sites near SIUE are readily available and have already been offered to the developer.  Send a message to Cleveland-based Richland Residential, Inc., that we will not support such an environmentally harmful development in our community.   We request that Richland Residential, Inc. act responsibly and move the Reserve Planned Unit Development to another location so that concerned citizens, led by HeartLands Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to land conservation in southwestern Illinois, can purchase the development site in order to protect Bohm Woods for all.  

Regardless of the eventual outcome, we must purchase remaining agricultural land surrounding Bohm Woods in order to protect it.  Please contribute to the HeartLands Conservancy's fundraising campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/savebohmwoods