Fishers & Farmers Partnership (FFP) for the Upper Mississippi River Basin, a fish habitat partnership, is seeking project proposals to benefit aquatic habitat in Mississippi River basin streams. Federal funding may be available under the National Fish Habitat Partnership through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fund the top ranked proposals. Priority watersheds are…
Prairie State Conservation Coalition of Illinois is happy to announce the release of I-View — a free web-based application and viewer showing, for the first time, all natural lands protected in the state of Illinois. I-View will significantly enhance the ability of conservation organizations, private and public, to do conservation throughout the state. PSCC will own,…
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, along with partners representing agriculture, transportation or utility rights-of-way, conservation lands, urban, and educational sectors are working to develop a plan to increase monarch butterfly habitat in Illinois. A first step is to identify ongoing monarch conservation efforts so that we can better coordinate among them to create more…
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service accepted a 66-acre donation of land from Friends of the Kankakee to officially establish the Kankakee National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area. This became official on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 and becomes the nation’s 564th national wildlife refuge. You can read more here on the FAQ sheet, and here’s…
The 2016 Illinois Fishing Information guide is available in PDF format through the IDNR website in both English and Spanish versions by clicking here. Regulations in the guide are effective April 1 through March 31, 2017. A reminder to anglers, and would-be anglers, that Illinois Free Fishing Days for 2016 are June 17-20, during the…
Mary Burke from the Land Trust Alliance wants to remind everyone there are several informative webinars slated for February. Sign up now and learn some new skills and techniques specific to land trusts! Stewardship & Land Protection Fee Land Management, 2/3 Appraisal Essentials, 2/11 Pipelines and Transmission Corridors: They’re Coming Your Way, 2/17 Fundraising Growing…
In looking at this comprehensive report compiled by GIS Consultant David Holman, conservation projects in Illinois have been plenty in the last year keeping conservationists very busy with many amazing accomplishments. For instance, did you know… The Prairie State Conservation Coalition’s mapping project shows there are 62 501(c)3 environmental nonprofits that hold property or conservation…
In what Land Trust Alliance President Rand Wentworth calls the single greatest legislative action in decades, Congress passed a federal tax incentive bill supporting land conservation. This legislation made permanent the tax incentive for farmers, ranchers and other individuals who place a conservation easement on their land preserving natural resources forever. It also made permanent the IRA charitable rollover. The…
