The Plum Island Eagle Sanctuary is a 52-acre island in the Illinois River owned by the Illinois Audubon Society.[1] It was purchased in 2004 to act as a wildlife sanctuary,[1] to encourage and support the nesting and breeding of the bald eagle.[2] It is close to Matthiessen State Park and adjacent to Starved Rock State Park.
When purchased, it had been slated by developers for development of fifty high-priced homes, and fully half of the island would have been bulldozed, destroying both bald eagle nests and Native American burial sites.[3] Audubon Society and its supporters successfully prevented Plum Island from being developed into a resort area and upscale condominiums. The group of supporters who accomplished this was led by the Illinois Audubon Society with substantial support from Friends of Plum Island, Save Our American Raptors, the Sierra Club of Illinois, and then Illinois Lt. Governor (now Governor) Pat Quinn.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency provided a small grant to help fund removal of debris, old cabins and a boat from the island.[4]
The island is closed to the public, except for restoration activities.[5] The Illinois Audubon Society wanted to save the island for the eagles, to preserve the scenic view from Starved Rock, and to protect the Native American archaeological sites which are there.[5]
The first release of rehabilitated eagles at the sanctuary occurred on November 12, 2011.[6] Two juvenile bald eagles were rescued and raised by the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation organization on June 2, 2011 and were released back to the wild at Plum Island to blend with the current eagle population.