Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has announced nearly $1 million in grants to support 14 stewardship programs managed by land trusts on land protected by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC). These grants are part of the Illinois Natural Areas Stewardship Grant program, which aims to enhance land and water stewardship activities in natural areas permanently protected within the INPC system. The program addresses the growing stewardship needs of natural areas throughout Illinois by funding projects that help land trusts expand staff and purchase necessary equipment.

The following grants were awarded for fiscal year 2025:

- Clifftop - Conserving Lands in Farm, Forest, Talus, or Prairie (Monroe County): $72,275 for ecological restoration through invasive species removal and fire break installation at White Rock Nature Preserve.

- Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves (Cook County): $58,761 for prescribed fire implementation and invasive species removal at Morton Grove Prairie Nature Preserve, Superior Street Land and Water Reserve, and Old Plank Road Prairie Nature Preserve.

- Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves (McHenry County): $98,907.16 for volunteer recruitment and ecological restoration at Kishwaukee Fen Nature Preserve and Gladstone Fen Nature Preserve.

- Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves (Will and Grundy counties): $99,439.56 for volunteer recruitment and ecological restoration at Short Pioneer Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve and Pilcher Park Nature Preserve.

- Friends of Sangamon Valley (Mason County): $92,047.20 for prescribed fire implementation and invasive species removal at Walden West Land and Water Reserve.

- Great Rivers Land Trust (Madison and Jersey counties): $68,700 for invasive species removal and fire break installation at Palisades Nature Preserve, Missionary Oblates Woods Nature Preserve, and Great Rivers Addition to John M. Olin Nature Preserve.

- Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (Jo Daviess County): $67,900 for geophysical archaeological survey and ecological restoration at Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve and Rutherford Refuge at Twin Bridges Nature Preserve.

- Lake Bluff Open Lands Association (Lake County): $71,760 for prescribed fire implementation and invasive species removal at Skokie River Prairie Land and Water Reserve.

- Natural Land Institute (Winnebago, Ogle, Whiteside counties): $21,624 for a utility task vehicle to support ecological restoration efforts.

- Natural Land Institute (Whiteside County): $20,000 for invasive species removal at Lyndon Prairie Nature Preserve.

- ParkLands Foundation (Woodford & McLean counties): $84,855.01 for a truck, mower, supplies to support prescribed fire implementation & invasive species removal across several reserves.

- Prairie Hills Resource Conservation & Development (McDonough County): $60,276.92 for prescribed fire implementation & invasive species removal across multiple reserves.

- The Nature Conservancy (Lee & Ogle counties): $100,000 to purchase a track loader supporting ecological restoration at Nachusa Grasslands sites.

- The Nature Conservancy (Cook County): $80,000 to support staff & rent equipment for invasive species removal across several nature preserves.

Eligible applicants under this grant program include conservation land trusts exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code with purposes including the restoration or conservation of land significant for native plants or animals.

Funding is derived from a portion of the Illinois Natural Areas Acquisition Fund designated specifically by IDNR for acquiring natural areas as well as stewardship activities supporting habitats critical to endangered or threatened species.