Illinois

American Farmland Trust
Increasing Technical Support for Priority Conservation Practices in the Vermilion Watershed (IL)
Increase capacity for a full-time Conservation Technician position in the Vermilion Watershed, Illinois to promote priority conservation practices, develop conservation plans, assist Farm Bill contracting and support farmers to implement practices to reduce sediment and nitrogen losses. Project will prevent 15,000 pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment runoff pollution annually by implementing 30 Best Management Practices and improving management on 6,000 acres of private working lands.
$192,604

Bat Conservation International
Creating Native Prairie in Right-of-Ways to Increase Insects for Declining Bat Populations (IL, WV)
Improve foraging conditions for bats as a long-term and scalable strategy to improve survival and aid recovery of bat populations impacted by White-nose Syndrome. Project will determine if restoring native plant communities on rights-of-way in Illinois and West Virginia can increase available insect prey for bats, particularly during fall and spring.
$224,999

Chicago Public Schools, District 299
Installing Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Chicago’s Historically Underserved Public Schools (IL)
Install green stormwater infrastructure on public schools in Chicago to address water quality and flooding issues for Chicago’s combined sewer system and waterways. Project will restore approximately 70,000 square feet using stormwater best management practices with a designed retention capacity of 600,000 gallons and annual infiltration of 2 million gallons.
$440,000

Ducks Unlimited
Expanding Agricultural Conservation and Adoption of Farm Bill Conservation Programs (IA, IL, IN, MO)
Promote and implement Farm Bill conservation programs within the agriculturally based communities of central/northcentral Iowa, northern Illinois/Indiana and central/northwest Missouri. Project will work directly with 390 producers to design and implement wetland friendly conservation practices to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous runoff and improve water quality and wildlife habitats on 4,050 acres of cropland.
$240,000

Friends of the Forest Preserves
Restoring Wetlands and Building Community at Possum Hollow Woods (IL)
Engage volunteers, Conservation Corps members and high school students to restore 38 acres of habitat for birds, amphibians and native plants at Possum Hollow Woods forest preserve. Project will improve regional water quality, plant native seeds, increase habitat for rare species through invasive species management, and engage urban stewardship communities to benefit the riparian corridor of Salt Creek in Cook County, Illinois.
$40,000

Lake County Forest Preserve District
Restoring Hydrology in Prairie Wolf Forest Preserve to Benefit Marsh-Dependent Species (IL)
Improve hydrologic function and habitat diversity along the North Branch of the Chicago River by removing or disabling more than 5,000 linear feet of drain tile and clearing invasive species across 146 acres of Prairie Wolf Forest Preserve. Project will restore diverse habitat for multiple species of conservation concern, create or enhance 23 acres of wetland and store an estimated 2 million gallons of stormwater annually.
$177,260

Lake County Forest Preserve District
Expanding Invasive Species Control in the Greenbelt Forest Preserve (IL)
Improve the ecological health of Greenbelt Forest Preserve by increasing the abundance and diversity of the preserve’s native plants and animals, reducing stormwater runoff and reducing sediment and pollutants entering Lake Michigan. Project will re-treat invasive plants across 187 acres of previously restored habitat and address untreated buckthorn thickets on 43 adjacent acres that threaten the previously restored areas.
$100,000

National Audubon Society
Restoring Wetland Habitat and Improving Public Access to Deadstick Pond (IL)
Restore and develop public access to Deadstick Pond and adjoining riverfront trail, greatly expanding marsh bird habitat, greenspace connectivity and recreational access in the Calumet Region. Project will restore 24 acres of high quality hemi-marsh and 25 acres of wet prairie habitat by designing and installing a new water control structure, regrading the channel to maximize water control and treating invasive species.
$262,178

NeighborSpace
Improving Stormwater Management by Installing Green Stormwater Infrastructure in South Chicago (IL)
Install green stormwater infrastructure at the Calumet River Gateway Garden in South Chicago. Project will install bioswales, rain gardens and an artificial river to retain 810,560 gallons of stormwater annually, improve water quality in the Calumet watershed and educate local residents about the purpose and importance of stormwater management and resiliency.
$300,000

Pollinator Partnership
Project Wingspan: Enhancing Agricultural Lands for Pollinators (IL, IN, MI, OH)
Enhance and increase connectivity of pollinator habitat on Midwestern private agricultural lands and public conservation lands by providing technical assistance to landowners, collecting and distributing seeds and propagating seedlings. Project will collect 55 pounds of milkweed seeds, propagate 3,000 milkweed seedlings, host 14 events to engage 2,000 people and prescribe management actions to improve 2,000 acres of habitat.
$99,570

The Nature Conservancy
Leveraging Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) to Finance Construction and Maintenance of Future GSI through StormStore (IL)
Install green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) along portions of the Little Calumet and/or the southernmost Lower Des Plaines watershed with a minimum design retention capacity of 100,000 gallons volume of runoff captured. Project will demonstrate how stormwater credit trading programs can be used to provide a sustaining source of construction capital to support future construction and maintenance of GSI projects.
$247,000

The Nature Conservancy
Controlling Invasive Species in the Calumet Region through Strategic Retreatment (IL, IN)
Enhance and intensify prior restoration efforts on 540 acres of wetland communities at six sites in the bi-state Calumet region of southern Lake Michigan, including marsh and hemi-marsh, dune, and swale and wet prairie habitat through invasive species control. Project will employ herbicide and prescribed fire practices to sharply reduce remaining invasive patches, halting expansion, removing seed sources that cause re-invasion and improving overall habitat conditions.
$543,449