Special Wildlife Funds - IL Habitat Fund (FY25)

The Illinois Habitat Fund provides grants to appropriate not-for-profit organizations and to governmental entities for projects designated exclusively for the preservation and maintenance of high-quality habitat lands for wildlife. Grants through the Illinois Habitat Fund are competitive and are evaluated for their merit. Any species referenced in these grant applications should also be referenced in the Illinois Wildlife action Plan. These funds are provided through the purchase of Illinois Habitat Stamps. Projects that help meet the targeted goals of the Forest and Woodland, Farmland and Prairie, or Wetland Campaigns delineated in the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan Implementation Guide, that offer reasonable costs, that list methods that are feasible and appropriate, and offer public access tend to receive higher scores. Grant funding through this Fund supports activities and programs undertaken by land managers to preserve, protect, acquire, manage, and maintain high quality habitat for future generations. Goals include improving habitat quality and connectivity. Habitat can be characterized by such parameters as type, native diversity, size, structure, scarcity, and location. Connectivity is defined as linkage with neighboring habitat, whether existing or potential. Illinois’ habitat includes all wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands, natural or altered, that support or have the potential to support populations of wild animals in any or all phases of their life cycles. See 520 ILCS 25/10 for full text of the Habitat Endowment Act. Grant Program Administration: The Office of Resource Conservation’s Division of Wildlife Resources administers four special grant programs that are funded by Illinois sportsmen through the purchase of Habitat Stamps and Migratory Waterfowl Stamps. https://dnr.illinois.gov/grants/habitat-funding-opportunity.html Matching funds are not required but are considered as making a grant application more competitive. These Funds are governed by Administrative Rule set forth in 17 Ill. Adm. Code 3060. The Grantee agrees and understands that the grant shall be administered pursuant to the Administrative Rule and shall comply with these terms and conditions.

Illinois Habitat Fund

10% de minimus or NICR

Please attach a recently signed W-9 form to your application documents

Must have expertise, equipment, adequate staff/workforce and permission from the landowner (if applicable) to develop and/or manage habitat. Eligible recipients are limited to managers of land. Eligible projects are limited to those seeking to preserve, protect, acquire or manage habitat in Illinois.

The Illinois Habitat Fund provides grants to appropriate not-for-profit organizations and to governmental entities for projects designated exclusively for the preservation and maintenance of high-quality habitat lands. This Fund is part of the Special Wildlife Funds Grant Program. Grants through the Illinois Habitat Fund are competitive and are evaluated for their merit. Grant funding through this Fund supports activities and programs undertaken by land managers to preserve, protect, acquire, manage, and maintain high quality habitat for future generations. Goals include improving habitat quality and connectivity. Habitat can be characterized by such parameters as type, native diversity, size, structure, scarcity, and location. Connectivity is defined as linkage with neighboring habitat, whether existing or potential. Illinois’ habitat includes all wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands, natural or altered, that support or have the potential to support populations of wild animals in any or all phases of their life cycles. See 520 ILCS 25/10 for full text of the Habitat Endowment Act.

Performance Reporting: The grantee shall be required to provide reporting of its activities under this project. The DNR may withhold or suspend payment if the grantee fails to submit the required reports and/or may add a grantee to the statewide Stop Payment List (see: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/GATA/Documents/Resource%20Library/GCES.pdf) which may impact eligibility for future awards. The following reports are required under this Agreement, and the forms can be found at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/grants/Pages/Special-Wildlife-Funds-Grant-Program.aspx : a) Quarterly Progress Reports: If the amount of grant funds awarded exceeds $25,000.00, the grantee is required to provide to the DNR quarterly progress reports that describe the progress of the project and expenditures of funds according to the budget line items as detailed in the approved Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance. The Quarterly Progress Report will be due as follows: Period of Work Quarterly Progress Report Due Before January 1 – March 31 April 30 April 1 – June 30 July 31 July 1 – September 30 October 31 October 1 – December 31 January 31 b) Annual or Final Report: The grantee shall submit a written Final Report to the department no later than 30 days following the completion of the Project or the ending date of the grant agreement, whichever is earlier, in accordance with the applicable administrative rules. The Final Report shall include: • Grant Agreement Number • Grantee name, address and telephone number • Time-frame of the report • Name and telephone number or e-mail address of grantee representative completing the report • Project objective as described in the application and grant agreement • Completed Project description, • Summary of the Project accomplishments (if applicable) as follows: for habitat preserved, protected, acquired, managed or improved (list of wildlife and/or native plant resources [by species] that benefit from the Project and how they benefit; acres planted in cool season grasses, warm season grasses, forbs, legumes, shrubs, trees or other appropriate description, including whether the acres were new or replanted; acres sprayed or controlled through the use of herbicides; acres upon which controlled burns were undertaken; acres affected through woody vegetation and/or tree removal; acres planted, disked, mowed, sprayed, or burned; trees/shrubs planted or removed with equipment purchased through the grant; number of cooperators involved in the Project); Total project expenditures itemized to include the following: name and address of vendor, item description identifying details (if applicable), quantity purchased, date item purchased; Project expenditures paid by funds other than Special Wildlife Grant Funds; Documentation to support the summarized report including a complete list of landowner names and full address (note if absentee owner), acreage location and acres affected by the project. Multiple conservation practices on the same acreage do not multiply the acreage. On habitat development projects where other governmental or private funding programs are involved, the grantee is required to provide detailed information including but not limited to the type of eligible conservation practice completed, the amount ($) of other cost sharing provided, the name of the cost share provider, and length of time committed to maintain the developed habitat area. c) Equipment Use Report: If the grant is for the purchase of equipment, a similar written report of equipment usage shall be due to the DNR by December 31st in each of the first five years following the purchase of equipment. The Equipment Use Report shall include the following: • Details on the Grant recipient: • Grant Agreement Number • Grantee name, address and telephone number • Time-frame of the report • Details on the piece of equipment: • Equipment type, model number and serial number • Storage location address • Acre or odometer meter reading at the beginning and ending of the reporting period • Contact person name and telephone number • Rental rate charged and total fees collected for the use of the equipment • Description of any equipment maintenance and total expenditures for maintenance, supported by paid invoices • Detailed information on the use of the equipment, including: • Date equipment was used • Location of equipment use, including county, township, range and section • Landowner name and full address (note if absentee owner) • Description of how equipment was used: • management practice completed (planting, disking, mowing, herbicide application, prescribed burn) • materials planted including the quantity and species planted and provide details of seed mix contents; • acres established, enhanced or otherwise affected and how. (Note when multiple practices are on the same acres.) Failure to provide reports in a timely fashion shall render the grantee ineligible to receive payments under the current award and make them ineligible for future awards. Deadlines for reports may be extended for just cause when such requests are submitted in writing at least two weeks prior to the deadline.

Susan J. Duke One Natural Resources Way Springfield, Illinois 62702-1271 217-785-4416 susan.duke@illinois.gov