Governor Ryan Announces $7 Million in Grants for Local Conservation 2000 Projects

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today announced more than $7 million in grants to 34 local private-public partnerships for natural resource protection projects under the Illinois Conservation 2000 program.

"Local citizens and private property owners working together are the keys to the success of Conservation 2000," Ryan said. "These grants, combined with local matching funds and other support, provide important land management, habitat enhancement, and resource conservation projects in watersheds throughout Illinois."

The Governor noted that the partnerships are matching their state funding with $9.8 million in cash, in-kind and other contributions, boosting the value of the projects to nearly $17 million.

"With this funding, more than 18,660 acres of habitat will be improved and more than 1,300 acres will be protected either through conservation easements or acquisition. In addition, more than 1 million trees will be produced to reforest about 2,250 acres," the Governor said.

Partnerships affecting the Illinois River basin will receive nearly $2.6 million in grants and are matching that with more than $2.8 million in contributions, bringing local partnership efforts in the target area to more than $5.4 million

Conservation 2000 provides technical and financial assistance to landowners interested in improving and enhancing the ecology in environmentally sensitive watersheds throughout the state. The program provides funding for habitat protection and restoration, environmental education, planning and research projects proposed by the local watershed partnership organizations.

A list of grant recipients follows.

Conservation 2000 Grants

American Bottom Partnership
Counties: Jersey, Macoupin, Montgomery, Madison, Monroe, St. Clair, Randolph
Primary Contact: Ed Weilbacher, 618/566-4451

Collinsville Area Recreation District, $350,000. Willoughby Farm Acquisition. C2000 funds will be used to pay for the acquisition costs of purchasing this 40-acre site from the Trust For Public land. This project will be located in Collinsville, Madison County.

Southwest Illinois RC&D, Inc., $42,900. River Corridor Resource Inventory. Data will be collected, cataloged and analyzed to identify "high" quality resources, potential resource connections/linkages, quantify habitat diversity, areas worthy of reforestation or enhancement and a need for buffer areas. This project will be located in Madison, St. Clair and Monroe Counties.

Madison County, $170,800. Old Cahokia Creek Restoration - Willaredt Property. C2000 funds will be used to purchase 64 acres for restoration of Old Cahokia Creek stream channel upstream of Chain of Rocks Road and adjacent to Sand Road. This project will be located approximately two miles west of Glen Carbon in Madison County.

Watershed Nature Center Nature Preserve, $4,600. Phase Two Restoration of Habitat Integrity at Watershed Nature Center. Funding will be used to contract Forest Improvements, Inc. to retreat the exotic species on previously improved 10 acres of the preserve funded by C2000 and to treat 11 more acres of prairie and forest. This project will be located approximately two miles north of Edwardsville in Madison County.

Trailnet, $10,000. Eagle Days at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. This is a proposed outreach program meant to educate people on the habitat, ecology and need for protection of the Bald Eagle. This project will be located at Alton in Madison County.

Southwest Illinois RC&D, Inc., $74,750. Horseshoe Lake Wetlands 31.96 Acres. Wetlands will be acquired immediately south of Horseshoe Lake and south and east of Canteen Lake. This project will be located near Horseshoe Lake State Park in Madison County.

Big Rivers Partnership
Counties: Greene, Jersey and Calhoun
Primary Contact: Annie Hoagland, 618/466-4364

Lewis and Clark College, $20,000. Watershed Curriculum Project. Funds will be used to develop a "Traveling Watershed" program for grades 3 through 8 for all schools affected by the Piasa Creek Watershed. This project will affect residents in Jersey and Madison Counties.

Great Rivers Land Trust, $200,000. Piasa Creek Land Acquisition. C2000 funds will be used to purchase approximately 130 acres from willing sellers in a targeted area along the riparian corridor of Piasa Creek. This project will be located approximately4 miles northwest of Godfrey in Madison County.

The Nature Institute, $25,090. Migratory Bird Habitat Restoration. Funds will be used to implement an invasive weed removal program, particularly targeting varieties of honeysuckle. This project will be located approximately two miles northwest of Alton in Madison County.

Cache River Partnership
Counties: Union, Johnson, Alexander, Pulaski, Pope and Massac
Primary contact: Don Hankla, 618/833-5343

Friends of Cache, $16,300. GIS Technology for Cache River Watershed. Funds will be used for software, hardware, training and data acquisition to be able to manipulate image data, categorize land cover, land use, extract, slope, aspect, contours from digital elevation models, mosaic images, and hydrologic modeling to measure and analyze the effects of this very complex system. This project will be located at Ullin and will benefit residents of Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski and Union Counties.

Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., $99,934. Private Lands Forestry Project. Funds will be used to reimburse landowners on a per acre basis for completed thinning practices on their woodlands. Payments will be consistent with the guidelines set forth by IDNR-C2000 cost share guidelines. This project will benefit Alexander, Johnson, Massac. Pulaski and Union Counties.

Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., $200,000. Cache Watershed Special WRP Phase VI. Funding will be used as cost share on easements acquired by USDA-NRCS (totaling 12,000 acres at an estimated cost of $12,000,000). This project will benefit Alexander, Johnson, Massac. Pulaski and Union Counties.

Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., $300,000. CRP Reforestation Project, Phase II. This project will enable the acceleration of the planting of trees on the lands that have been enrolled for reforestation under the CRP program. This project will be located approximately one mile north of Karnak in Pulaski County.

Friends of Cache, $10,125. Old Cache Channel Fisheries Enhancement Project. Funds will be used to improve fish habitat and reproduction and to improve recreational fishing throughout the Old Cache Channel in Alexander and Pulaski counties. This project will be located throughout Alexander and Pulaski Counties.

Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., $55,045. Horseshoe Lake Watershed Project - Phase II. The Pulaski - Alexander SWCD will conduct an open sign up at the USDA service center located in Tamms, IL. These practices will reduce on-site erosion and the resulting sediment pollution in Horseshoe Lake. This project will be located at Horshoe Lake in Alexander County.

Carlyle Lake Partnership
Counties: Montgomery, Bond, Marion, Clinton, Fayette, Effingham, Christian and Shelby
Primary Contact: Jim Harris, 314/966-8404

Illinois Audubon Society, $12,000. Development of the Southern Till Prairie Preserve. A total of 80 acres will be restored to a prairie community representative of the Southern Till Plain Natural Division. This restoration will include several natural prairie communities including dry-mesic, clay or hardpan, mesic, and wet-mesic. This project will be located approximately one mile north of Kinmundy in Marion County.

Ballard Nature Center, $5,575. Forest Community Education Trail. A 1 ½ mile long self guided interpretive trail will be developed that will follow the contour of a developed trail system. This project will be located approximately two miles east of Altamont in Effingham County.

Ballard Nature Center Foundation, $5,710. Environmental Education Kits. Ten environmental education kits would be developed by the Ballard Nature Center for use by educators within the Carlyle Lake Watershed. Each kit will be available for loan, at no cost, to educators and organized groups. This project will be located approximately two miles east of Altamont in Effingham County.

Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District, $13,420. Carlyle Lake Watershed Newsletter. Fayette County SWCD will continue to coordinate publishing and mailing the newsletter, using its bulk mailing permit. This project will be administered from Vandalia in Fayette County and will benefit residents in all counties of the Partnership.

Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District, $160,775. Wetland Restoration. This project will entail the purchase of a permanent easement on 115 acres, followed by wetland restoration on the cropland. This project will be located approximately seven miles southeast of Ramsey in Fayette County.

Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District, $110,000. CRP Grassland Habitat Incentive Program. Five hundred acres of critically needed grassland habitat will be created in a project area surrounding Prairie Ridge State Natural Area in Marion County. This project will be located east of Kinmundy in Marion County.

Little Wabash Audubon Society, $3,150. Outdoor Days. A two day outdoor appreciation event will be hosted by the Little Wabash Audubon Society in cooperation with other environmental and conservation groups rom within and around the watershed. This project will be located at Ballard Nature Center, near Altamont, in Effingham County.

Chicago Wilderness Partnership
Counties: McHenry, DuPage, Cook, Will and Lake
Primary Contact: Julie Smentek, 312/346-2540 ext. 30

The Nature Conservancy, $49,105. Habitat and Restoration at Indian Boundaries Prairies. At Gensburg Markham Prairie South, approximately 12 acres of mesic and sedge meadow/wet prairie plant communities will be restored. This project will be located at Markham in Cook County.

The Nature Conservancy, $39,040. Exporting Concepts of Watershed - Sensitive Development to Fox River Communities. Funding will be used for the development of outreach/educational materials and for the position of Outreach Coordinator. This project will benefit residents of McHenry, Kane and Lake Counties.

The Morton Arboretum, $229,205. Status and Temporal Change in Chicago Region. Research will be conducted, including the resampling of vegetation from previous Natural Areas Inventory maps, placement of data in a database, transect locations from GPS and maps will be provided, and a quantitative report describing the condition and temporal change with management of those natural areas will be written. This project will be located at Lisle in DuPage County.

Chicago Wilderness, $20,000. Chicago Wilderness Mighty Acorns Program: A Self Sustaining Future. The goal of the Mighty Acorns program is to introduce young people to nature though stewardship and exploration in a way that fosters a personal connection to nature. This project will be administered from Chicago and will benefit residents of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties.

Friends of the Chicago River, $9,880. Elementary River Biodiversity Curriculum Development Project. The FOCR and the IDELC will develop a river biodiversity curriculum for grades K-4 by holding a five-day curriculum development workshop at the IDELC with 20 teachers and by then having the teachers test the curriculum in their classrooms. The curriculum will be revised and published after a follow-up evaluation session with the teachers. This project will be located at Chicago in Cook County.

Dennis Dreher, $90,000. Northeastern Illinois Natural Resources Outreach and Technical Assistance. NIPC proposes to work directly with local government and relevant organizations and agencies, in cooperation with Ecosystem Partnerships, IDNR Ecosystems Division staff and Ecosystem Administrators to promote improved planning, protection, acquisition, and restoration practices that better conserve terrestrial and aquatic resources. This project will be administered from Chicago and will benefit Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties.

Driftless Area Partnership
Counties: Jo Daviess and Carroll
Primary Contact: Steve Lorig, 815/845-2209

Jo Daviess County Natural Areas Guardians, $7,755. Prescribed Burn Safety Equipment. Protective clothing, including eyewear and breathing protection will be purchased using C2000 funds. This project will be located near Elizabeth in JoDaviess County.

Natural Land Institute, $40,140. Centennial Farm Prairie Enhancement. Funding will be used to purchase and install prairie seed for a dry dolomite prairie restoration effort. This project will be located approximately nine miles northeast of Fulton in Whiteside County.

Natural Land Institute, $55,440. Hanover Bluffs Forest Protection Project. Funds will be used to assist with the fee-simple acquisition of three tracts of land totaling 35 acres. This project will be located approximately one mile southwest of Hanover, in JoDaviess County.

Northwest Illinois Prairie Enthusiasts, $17,550. Habitat Selection by Grassland Birds. This project will assess habitat selection and population levels of grassland birds in a variety of habitats. The study will test the hypothesis that vegetation structure is more important than species composition for these birds. This project will be located throughout JoDaviess and Carroll Counties.

Apple Canyon Lake POA, $21,435. Apple Canyon Lake Prairie Restoration. A 25 acre site, known as North Bay, will be restored to conditions present at pre-settlement times. This project will be located approximately five miles southwest of Apple River in JoDaviess, County.

DuPage River Coalition (formerly known as the Upper DuPage River Partnership)
Counties: Will, DuPage, Cook and Kane
Primary contact: Brook McDonald, 630/428-4500

DuPage County, $96,665. Bloomingdale Water Quality Improvement Project. C2000 funds will be used for the removal of the concrete channel lining and installation of native vegetation. This project will be located at Bloomingdale, in DuPage County.

Embarras Partnership
Counties: Douglas, Edgar, Coles, Cumberland, Clark, Jasper, Richland, Crawford and Lawrence
Primary contact: Vince Gutowski, 217/581-3825

Illinois Audubon Society, $77,000. Prairie Restoration to Provide Nesting Habitat for Threatened and Endangered Grassland Birds. Native plant communities will be re-established on 40 acres utilizing local ecotype seed collected from remnant prairies on the Southern Till Plain Natural Division. This project will be located approximately three miles south of Newton in Jasper County.

Illinois Audubon Society, $8,400. Grassland Habitat Improvement for Threatened and Endangered Species. Native prairie communities will be recreated on one half of a tract of land, with the other half being restored with native cool season grasses. This 34-acre project will be located approximately three miles south of Newton in Jasper County.

Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District, $3,150. Tree Planter Enhances Habitat. A three point hitch tree planter and transportation trailer will be purchased. This project will be administered from Toledo and will benefit Cumberland County.

City of Charleston, $272,217. Charleston Reservoir/Embarras River and Habitat Protection. This project will acquire 206 acres of high quality habitat in the Charleston Reservoir/Embarras River watershed and protect it from residential development and other incompatible land use. This project will be located at Charleston in Coles County.

Vincennes University, $301,875. Conservation of Robeson Hills Natural Area, Lawrence County. A conservation easement on 300 acres will be purchased at a bargain price. This project will be located approximately nine miles east of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence County.

Fox River Partnership
Counties: McHenry, Lake, Kane, Kendall, DuPage, LaSalle and Cook
Primary contact: John Thompson, 847/741-8000

McHenry County Conservation District, $81,100. Nippersink Creek Restoration. This project will provide increased floodwater storage capacity, improve surface water quality, and enhance canoeing and fishing benefits to users. This project will be located approximately two miles north of Wonder Lake in McHenry County.

LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District, $4,420. Rasmusen Natural Area Enhancement. Funds will be used to purchase lumber and hardware needed to construct one bridge, six benches and twenty interpretive trail signs. Brochures and educational material for the site will be developed, printed and distributed to area schools and community organizations. This project will be located approximately one mile northwest of Millington in LaSalle County.

Fox River Ecosystem Partnership (FREP), $72,000. Marketing the Integrated Management Plan for the Fox River Watershed in Illinois. The multi-staged work plan for the coordinating consultant and FREP includes: enhanced communications with target entities through a quarterly newsletter, distribution of educational materials illuminating the Integrated Management Plan, assistance of entities in implementing the Plan recommendations, maintenance of a comprehensive and interactive FREP website, coordination of in-kind hours provided by FREP members to promote and support the Plan in their own communities and distribution and refinement of the Plan tool kit. This project will be administered in Aurora and will benefit Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties.

St. Charles Park District, $8,848. Stream Corridor and Channel Restoration. Using rocks, rootwads, and logs, This project proposes to restore a damaged expanse of stream corridor and channel. This project will be located at St. Charles in Kane County.

Fox Valley Park District, $17,089. Native Plant Shoreline Stabilization. Native species that have been identified by IDNR studies that are compatible to urban areas and have the ability to withstand periodic flooding and ice flows that occur along the banks of the Fox River will be reintroduced. This project will be administered in Aurora and will benefit Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties.

Kane County Environmental Management Department, $67,000. Economic Analysis and Model Ordinance Language Development, Blackberry Creek Watershed. The fundamental goal of This project is to improve water quality and reduce flooding in the Blackberry Creek Watershed, and ultimately in all waters in Northeast Illinois, by modifying future development plans. This project will be located in Blackberry Creek watershed, in southern Kane and northern Kendall Counties.

Village of Oswego, $30,000. The Ponds of Fox Chase. The village of Oswego will construct siltation control and will plant wetland and native prairie plants. This project will be located in Oswego, LaSalle County.

Windstone Subdivision Homeowners Association - Lake Committee, $19,396. Windstone Subdivision Lake Riparian Restoration. Funds will be used to restore the riparian zone of Windstone Lake in order to address poor habitat and water quality from poor land management practices, runoff pollutants and on-going storm water runoff from drainage systems. This project will be located approximately two miles northeast of Sugar Grove in Kane County.

Fox Valley Land Foundation, $50,496.55. Conservation Easement Acquisition/Helm Woods - Orchid Site. Funds will be used to acquire a conservation easement on a 3.5 acre tract of land adjacent to both Helm Woods Nature Preserve and the Carpentersville White Fringed Orchid site. This project will be located one mile south of Barrington Hills, in Kane County.

McHenry County Defenders, $20,457. Ecotourism to Protect Natural Resources. To market ecotourism activities, a brochure, descriptive map and web site will be designed, produced, and distributed to promote recreational and restoration activities which are non-invasive and educational. This project will be administered from Woodstock in McHenry County and will benefit Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties.

Headwaters Partnership
Counties: Ford, Champaign and Douglas
Primary contact: Leon Wendte, 217/398-5201 ext. 3

Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District, $262,310. St. Joseph Wetland Establishment. Funds will be used to restore 45 acres of wetland on a 61 acre parcel located adjacent to an abandoned meander of the Salt Fork River near St. Joseph, Illinois. This project will be located approximately one mile west of St. Joseph in Champaign County.

Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District, $82,800. Barnhart Prairie CR. The current landowners are requesting a permanent easement on 16.2 acres. This project will be located approx one mile south of Urbana, in Champaign County.

Earth Partners, $12,305. Habitat and Your Watershed - Four Day K-12 Workshop (25 Teachers). Teachers will attend a four day workshop which will provide hands-on activities at the Barnhart Prairie site. This project will occur approx one mile south of Urbana, in Champaign County.

Champaign County Forest Preserve District, $12,040. Native Plant Propagation and Habitat Restoration Workshop for K-12 Educators and Professionals Working with Persons with Disabilities. This four day training session would provide hands-on training for K-12 educators, therapeutic recreation professionals, students, aides and care givers relation to native plant propagation techniques and restoration practices. This project will benefit Champaign County.

Heart of the Sangamon River Partnership
Counties: Macon and Piatt
Primary contact: Paul Marien, 217/423-7708

Macon County Soil and Water Conservation District, $4,800. Riparian Buffer and Wildlife Habitat Planter. The Macon County SWCD will purchase a minimum 800# tree planter designed to plant seedlings up to 6 foot whips. The planter would be available for use throughout the county. This project will be administered from Decatur and will benefit Macon County.

Millikin University, $22,405. Wetland and Stream Stewardship Educator Workshop. During the summer of 2002, a four day wetland and stream stewardship educator workshop will be held for up to 40 educators at the Rock Springs Nature Center, Macon County Conservation District, in Decatur, Illinois.

Macon County Conservation District, $3,200. Prescribed Prairie Burn Training. The comprehensive course will include basic fire fighting training, an introduction to fire behavior and hands-on training. This project will be located at Decatur, in Macon County.

Illinois River Bluffs Partnership
Counties: LaSalle, Putnam, Lee, Bureau, Marshall, Woodford, Peoria and Tazewell
Primary contact: Maury Brucker, 309/696-5490

The Nature Conservancy, $3,050. Outreach to Developers in the Illinois River Bluffs. The Conservancy will conduct a series of roundtables with developers for one year (2002). C2000 funds will be used to create resource packets that will focus on sustainable development alternatives. This project will be located at Peoria and will benefit Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties.

LaSalle County, $23,000. Catlin Park Aquatic Habitat and Wetland Restoration. This project will restore the aquatic habitat of Catlin Park's 2 ½ acre lake, construct grass waterways with water and sediment control structures in the drainage ways above the lake, and replace the upper part of the lake with a wetland to filter runoff before it enters the lake. This project will be located approximately four miles southwest of Ottawa in LaSalle County.

Prairie Rivers Resource Conservation and Development, $7,200. Building the Foundation for Conservation Development. This project will audit the existing regulations for East Peoria/Tazewell County, develop a report and hold a workshop for local officials to discuss findings and recommendations, and explore the local government approval process for proposed conservation development in the Farm Creek watershed adjacent to East Peoria. This project will be located at East Peoria, in Tazewell County.

City of Peoria, Department of Planning and Zoning, $95,525. Peoria Area Environmental Corridor Inventory. C2000 funds will be used to create a Peoria Area Environmental Corridor Inventory. This project will be located at Peoria.

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, $45,600. Integrating WaterMarks CD-ROM and Watershed Education in the Classroom. A three day workshop on WaterMarks for up to 35 educators will be developed and lesson plans will be created that can be provided to teacher throughout the partnership. This project will be located at Peoria and will benefit Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford Counties.

Peoria Park District, $95,960. Mossville Watershed Parkland Ecological Restoration Project. The objective is to restore the ecological integrity and stability of the biotic communities on sites within Peoria Park District natural areas. This project will be administered from Peoria and will benefit Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties.

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, $9,600. Kickapoo Creek Stream Bank Stabilization Survey. TCRPC will conduct a survey of the creek along a 14 mile stretch from Wildlife Prairie Park to the Creek's delta, near Bartonville, to help determine the feasibility of establishing functional habitat areas along parts of the corridor. This project will be located near Hannah City in Peoria County.

Kankakee River Basin Partnership
Counties: Will, Kankakee, Iroquois, Vermilion and Ford
Primary contact: J.R. Black, 815/939-4971

The Nature Conservancy, Illinois Chapter, $124,800. Wet Prairie and Oak Savanna Restoration at Kankakee Sands. This project seeks to restore the historic plant communities and the ecological processes that sustain them. Restoration will occur at Black Oak Barrens Preserve in the Kankakee Sands, located approximately two miles west of Hopkins Park in Kankakee County.

Kankakee River Conservation District, $445,050. Land Interest Acquisition - Nelson Family. Approximately 215 acres of riparian land adjacent to the Kankakee River in Kankakee County near the state line will be acquired fee simple title from the Nelson Family. This project will be located approximately six miles east of Momence in Kankakee County. Northern Illinois Anglers Association, $5,487.50. Adopt a River (Pilot Project). A community based voluntary river clean up program will be implemented. This project will be administered from Bourbonnais and will benefit Iroquois, Kankakee and Will Counties.

Kaskaskia River Partnership
Counties: Bond, Madison, St. Clair, Clinton, Washington, Marion and Jefferson.
Primary contact: Ed Weilbacher, 618/566-4451

Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., $226,530. Hole in the Doughnut Project. This pilot project will provide incentives to landowners within the Kaskaskia River bottomland hardwood forest to incorporate key parcels of property into conservation enhancement programs. This project will occur at a yet-to-be-determined location and will be administered from Mascoutah in St. Clair County.

Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., $241,250. Kaskaskia Tree Seedling Program. This project will provide funds that will locally produce seedlings, using seeds from a local source, to help alleviate the statewide shortage of bare root nursery stock. This project will benefit Bond, Clinton, Montgomery and Washington Counties.

Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc., $16,500. Lower Kaskaskia River Floodplain Lake Fish Nurseries Study. The purpose of this study is to further evaluate physical characteristics that may affect fish community composition in oxbow lakes of an unchannelized reach of the Lower Kaskaskia River. This project will be located near New Athens in St. Clair County.

Illinois Audubon Society, $6,500. Native Ecosystem Restoration. Ten acres of cool-season grass fields will be converted to a mix of over 50 species of native grass, graminoids, and forbs representative of the presettlement woodland and savanna flora of the Southern Illinois Till Plain Natural Division. This project will be located approximately one mile north of Hillsboro in Montgomery County.

City of Hillsboro, $3,438. Cypress for Shoreline Habitat and Stabilization. Seedlings will be planted in early spring in critical locations in an effort to protect and stabilize 600 feet of shoreline. This project will be located in Hillsboro, Montgomery County.

City of Litchfield, $3,438. Cypress for Shoreline Habitat and Stabilization. Seedlings will be planted in early spring in critical locations in an effort to protect and stabilize 600 feet of shoreline at Lake Lou Yeager. This project will be located in Litchfield, Montgomery County.

City of Greenville, $25,000. Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Project. Cropland will be reduced to 39 acres for traditional crops while warm season grasses will be planted as filter strips along the streamside bottomland forest (2.7 acres). Two acres of wetlands and 4.1 acres of bottomland forest will be added, 2.7 acres of grassed waterways will be planted and 7.8 acres of prairie grass will be planted on highly erodible soil. This project will be located at Greenville, Bond County.

Robert Ford, $5,185. Habitat Improvement - Bob Ford. This project will allow for the improvement of habitat for riverine and sport fish, improve wetland productivity for waterfowl and improve forest diversity by converting parts of maple/box elder stands to oaks. This project will be located approximately five miles north of St. Libory in St. Clair County.

Kingsbury Park District, $27,260. Habitat Improvement and Repair at Kingsbury Park District Nature Preserve. This project is being proposed in order to improve 34 acres of existing hardwood forest and to replace degraded wildlife habitat on a 6 acre abandoned field with oak-savanna planting. This project will be located approximately five miles northeast of Greenville in Bond County.

Kinkaid Area Watershed Partnership
Counties: Ferry, Jackson, Washington
Primary contact: Lou Strack, 618/684-5370

Kinkaid - Reed's Creek Conservation District, $29,000. Watershed Evaluation and Management Plan. A study of three sub-watersheds that are major contributors to heavy sedimentation will be performed to determine the sources of sediment load, identify corrective work needed, prioritize needed remedial action, estimate cost of each section of corrective work needed and prepare a written report for use in the implementation of corrective work. This project will be administered in Murphysboro, Jackson, County.

Kishwaukee River Partnership
Counties: McHenry, Boone, Winnebago, DeKalb and Ogle
Primary contact: Ders Anderson, 312/427-4256 ext. 237

DeKalb County Forest Preserve District, $4,760. Wilkinson/Renwick Marsh Junk Removal. The grant would assist with contracted labor costs to remove and transport junk to a recycling center or landfill. This project will be located approximately five miles north of DeKalb in DeKalb County.

Openlands Project, $45,500. Kishwaukee River Strategic Plan for Habitat Conservation and Restoration. A consultant will be hired to compile watershed habitat information into a GIS system database including IDNR and local data. This project will be administered from Chicago and will benefit Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, Ogle and Winnebago Counties.

McHenry County Defenders, $18,650. Kishwaukee Sustainable Development Guide. The Sustainable Development Guide for Kishwaukee Municipalities will be produced and distributed to 27 public bodies within the watershed to help raise awareness of the high quality natural resources of the Kishwaukee watershed among municipal and county officials in Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, Ogle and Winnebago counties.

Boone County Soil and Water Conservation District, $18,200. Beaver Creek Watershed Assessment. The purpose of this project is to develop a baseline characterization of the Beaver Creek Watershed. This project will be administered from Freeport and will benefit Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, Ogle and Winnebago Counties.

McHenry County, $50,000. Groundwater Resources Management Plan. C2000 funds will be used to pay part of the cost of Engineering Services for Phases 3 and 5 of the Groundwater Resources Management Plan. This project will be administered from Woodstock and will benefit Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, Ogle and Winnebago Counties.

Lake Calumet Partnership
Counties: Cook
Primary contact: Mike Siola, 773/995-2964

Southeast Environmental Task Force, $16,164. Calumet Ecosystem P2 Project. Environmental management systems will be used to help implement methods that improve environmental performance and achieve measurable reductions of air and water emissions and waste generation. This project will be located in Chicago and will benefit Cook County.

Chicago State University, $24,325. Chicago State University Community Teaching and Research Prairie Garden. Three acres of a former industrial site will be converted into a prairie habitat and research garden on the CSU campus. This project will be located in Chicago and will benefit Cook County.

Lower Des Plaines Partnership
Counties: Cook, DuPage, Will
Primary contact: Gary Mechanic, 773/267-0146

Forest Preserve District of Cook County, $11,518. Chicago Portage National Historic Site Habitat Enhancement Project. This project will focus on 20 acres within the Chicago Portage/Ottowa Trail site and will involve the removal of non-native species, the re-introduction of native plant species, monitoring of the restored area and an exhaustive botanical survey of this site. This project will be located near Willow Springs in Cook County and will benefit Cook, DuPage and Will Counties.

The Wetlands Initiative, $44,776. Enhancing the Aquatic Habitat of the Lower DesPlaines River. Benthic mesh will be installed in an old borrow pit connected to the river in Waterfall Glen Nature Preserve of DuPage County. Monitoring of fish populations will be done for the following two years and a final report published at the conclusion of the study. This project will be located north of LeMont in DuPage County.

Will S. Cook Soil and Water Conservation District, $9,300. Outreach on the Long Run Creek Watershed. The planning committee proposes to educate the Long Run Creek watershed residents by holding workshops and distributing educational brochures, pamphlets, and their watershed resource plan. This project will be located near Lockport and will benefit Cook and Will Counties.

The Wetlands Initiative, $21,800. Des Plaines River Channel Restoration. Funds will be used to conduct a hydrologic study, develop a construction plan, purchase 400 tons of rock, purchase benthic mesh and implement construction. This project will be located near Willow Springs in Cook County.

I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor Civic Center Authority, $81,600. Santa Fe Prairie Vegetative and Hydrological Restoration. The restoration of appropriate hydrologic conditions will be accomplished through installation of a "duckbill" valve in a drainage ditch. This project will be located near Willow Springs in Cook County.

Lower Rock River Partnership
Counties: Lee, Whiteside, Rock Island, Henry, Bureau, Ogle and Carroll
Primary contact: Don Swensson, 309/762-5417

John Kenney, $20,200. Native Plantings on WRP. The money from this grant will be used to purchase native grass and flower seed, which would lower the cost of restoration practices. A shallow water habitat for migratory waterfowl will be created as well as an upland, dryland native grasses and flowers area. This project will be located in Lee County, approximately nine miles southeast of Oregon.

Whiteside County Soil and Water Conservation District, $1,000. Woody Plant Removal From Prairies. The proceeds of this grant will be used to purchase a tree saw to be used at areas such as the Lyndon-Agnew Prairies, Nachusa Grasslands and Rockwood State Park, as well as on private lands. This project will be located at sites throughout Whiteside County.

Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy c/o Bill Kleinman, $89,940. Stream Restoration. Franklin Creek would be restored to its 1940s meandering channel and a series of riffle and pools would be created. This project will be located in Lee County, approx 10 miles southwest of Oregon.

Lower Sangamon Valley Partnership
Counties: Mason, Logan, Cass, Menard, Morgan, Sangamon and Christian.
Primary contact: Heather Hendrix, 217/528-1324

Christian County Soil and Water Conservation District, $15,000. No-Till Grass Drill for Conservation. The Christian County SWCD would maintain ownership of a no-till drill to be available to be used for native cool and warm season grass establishment. This project will be administered from Taylorville and will benefit Christian County.

Sangamon County Soil and Water Conservation District, $59,720. Prairie Creek Environmental Habitat. C2000 funds will be used to purchase permanent signs, an outdoor donor board/site map, a waterfowl viewing blind, trail-side learning stations, and the completion of tree planting at an existing outdoor classroom. This project will be located approximately 5 miles east of Pleasant Plains, in Sangamon County.

Friends of Carpenter Park, $27,050. Sangamon County Natural Areas Inventories. The Friends of Carpenter Park would hire part-time staff to focus on the greenspaces outlined in the Sangamon County Greenspace Plan. This project will hire a field researcher, assistant field researcher and writer to perform surveys for 20 days during the growing season. This project will be located in Springfield, Sangamon County.

Mackinaw River Partnership
Counties: Woodford, Tazewell, McLean, Mason, Livingston and Ford
Primary contact: Kevin Coulter, 309/467-4662

Parklands Foundation, $12,800. Equipment for the Stewardship of Wildland - Parklands Foundation. Funds will be used to acquire the safety and management equipment requested which includes a Polaris ATV, a 55-gallon sprayer, and Midland radios which will be used year round for prescribed burning, exotic/woody control and trail/boundary maintenance activities. This project will be located at Bloomington, McLean County.

The Nature Conservancy, $3,455.65. Interpretive Trail and Guide at Sibley Grove Preserve in the Mackinaw River Watershed. Funds requested to purchase materials to be used in building the interpretive trail and kiosk and to cover a portion of the costs of the trail guides. This project will be located at Sibley in Ford County.

North Branch of the Chicago River
Counties: Cook, DuPage, and Lake
Primary contact: Sean Wiedel 847/918-7693

Illinois Institute of Technology, $14,061. Locating Undocumented Point-Source Discharges to the Chicago River. Funds will be used to assemble a boat-mounted, submersible water quality probe. The probe will provide simultaneous real-time measurements of temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and pH. This project will be located near Morton grove, in Cook County.

Illinois Institute of Technology, $34,270. A Water Quality Model for the Chicago River. Collect, inventory, and organize available data, including USGS digital maps and flow data, and water quality data. This data will be used to simulate the biological, chemical, and physical reactions that determine water quality using NPSM. This project will benefit Cook and Lake Counties. Park District of Highland Park, $28,000. Fink Pond Enhancement. Funds will be used for interpretive signs and environmental education development, interpretive boardwalk, project management, plantings, storm water re-direction, and outlet control structure. This project will be located in Highland Park, Lake County.

Abbott Laboratories, $15,056. Riparian Restoration Aids Endangered Orchid and Reduces Site Erodibility. Funds will be used to clear woody brush and selected trees, herbicide stumps, stabilize any barren ground with short-lived native vegetation, hand pollinate orchids, and distribute a portion of orchid seed. This project will be located near North Chicago, in Lake County.

Prairie Parklands Partnership
Counties: Cook, Will and Grundy
Primary contact: Joyce O'Keefe, 312/427-4256

Will County Forest Preserve District, $43,770. Prairie Parklands Wayfinding Project. Funds will be used to develop seven wayside exhibits to be placed in six different locations within the Prairie Parklands. This project will be located at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, near Joliet, in Will County.

BP Amoco Chemical, $8,500. Prairie Restoration and Outreach. Funds will be used to purchase additional big blue stem, little blue stem and Indian grasses and forbes seeds. Three mowings for weed control will be done on the west end of the prairie. Bluebird houses will be added to a portion of the property. This project will be located approx 4 miles northeast of Channahon in Will County.

Northeastern Illinois University, $20,000. Gauging Restoration Success Using the Insects. Exhaustive insect surveys will be conducted within five prairie remnants and the Midewin Grasslands. Aerial nets, sweep nets, vacuum collecting devises, black lights and funnel-type light traps will be used to collect the insects. This project will be administered from Chicago and will benefit Will County.

Rock River Partnership
Counties: Ogle
Primary contact: David Clutter, 815/964-6666

Irene Wescott, $107,250. Dayseville Tract Easement Project. Funds will be used, in conjunction with the USDA, to purchase the remaining 25% of the development rights value to assure the protection of this site. This project will be located at Oregon in Ogle County.

Natural Lands Institute, $66,300. Rock River Hills Prairie Restoration Project. Funds will be used to purchase and install local prairie seed. A professional contractor will be hired to install the seed.

Ogle County GIS Part, $15,000. Ogle County GIS Partnership Project. Mapping of the Rock River Partnership will be performed and will consist of 8 partnership wide basic framework layers that include: digital orthophoto, parcels-cadastral, addresses, survey control, limited planimetrics, zoning-jurisdictional, and street centerlines.

Sinkhole Plain Partnership
Counties: Monroe, Randolph, St. Claire.
Primary Contact: Cheryl Houghlan, 618/443-4382 x 3

Ozark Underground Laboratory, $6,470. Karst Short Course. A one day karst short course will be held annually for two years. This project will benefit Monroe, Randolph and St. Clair Counties.

The Karst Conservancy of Illinois, Inc., $8,000 Pautler Cave Recharge area Sinkhole Cleanup. Two trash filled sinkholes within the Pautler Cave system will be cleaned up. This project will benefit Monroe, Randolph and St. Clair Counties.

Spoon River Partnership
Counties: Fulton, Warren, Know, Peoria, Stark, Marshall, Bureau, McDonough and Henry
Primary contact: David King, 309/833-4747

Peoria County Soil and Water Conservation District, $6,000. Peoria County. SWCD Tree Planter. A tree planter will be purchased for use in Peoria County and made available to anyone on a first come first served basis. This project will benefit Peoria County and be administered from Peoria.

Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District, $2,000. Conservation Field Day. The purpose of this project is to educate Fulton County sixth grade students about current environmental issues through collective and individual hands-on instruction during an intensive one day seminar. This project will be administered from Lewistown and will benefit Fulton County.

Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District, $76,400.00. Spoon River Protection Program Phase 2. Funds will be used to work with 25 additional land owners to encourage the installation of conservation practices. This project will be administered from Monmouth and will benefit Warren County.

Sugar-Pecatonica Rivers Partnership
Counties: Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Carroll and Ogle
Primary contact: Sue Merchant, 815/964-6666

Landowner, $18,709. Otter Tail Restoration. A water control structure and culvert pipe will be installed that will allow for maximum water retention from floodwaters on the site. This project will be located approximately five miles east of Durand in Winnebago County.

Natural Land Institute, $7,650. Pecatonica River Watershed Protection, Part 2. Funds will be used to pay for two programs and two tours that would feature the history and culture of the Sugar-Pecatonica Rivers watershed. This project will be located at Pecatonica in Winnebago County.

Natural Land Institute, $149,984. Raccoon Creek Restoration Project. The creek will be diverted into its old channel and the ditched segment of the creek will be blocked using soil piled along the ditch. Bioengineering practices will be used to stabilize the channel and native riparian wetland vegetation will be planted along the banks. This project will be located west of Rockton in Winnebago County.

Stephenson County Soil and Water Conservation District, $25,300. Habitat Reforestation. A tractor mower and sprayer will be purchased to assist landowners in reforestation efforts. This project will be administered from Freeport and will benefit Stephenson County.

Thorn Creek Macrosite
Counties: Cook and Will
Primary contact: John Mendelson, 708/534-4542

Forest Preserve District of Will County, $115,575. Thorn Grove Preserve Acquisition. Funds will be used to purchase a 10.05 acre parcel bordering the Thorn Grove Preserve. This project will be located Near Steger in Will County.

Village of Park Forest, $55,500. Central Park Wetland Restoration. Funding requested through the C2000 program will be used to continue management and restoration of a 40 acre site and will allow for the movement toward interpretation, education and public enjoyment of the site. This project will be located near Park Forest in Cook County.

Governors State University - SMRLC, $12,636. Stakeholder Survey of the Thorn Creek Watershed. This project is intended to increase community awareness of and participation in the Thorn Creek Ecosystem Partnership and to ensure the effective implementation of its' watershed plan. This project will be located approximately 3 miles northeast of Monee in Will County.

Governors State University, $13,840. GSU - Thorn Creek Reserve: Fire, Restoration, Education, and Recreation. Equipment will be purchased for long term maintenance and restoration of the reserve. This project will be located in Will County, approximately two miles south of Park Forest.

Butterfield Creek Steering Committee, $25,340. Small Site Water Stewardship Workshop. The purpose of this project is to promote the use of management techniques on small sites, both developed and redeveloping, in order to improve habitat and biodiversity, retain storm water and encourage infiltration, and reduce the use of chemicals on landscapes. This project will be located near Homewood in Cook County.

Center for Neighborhood Technology, $33,250. Visioning and Indicators. C2000 funds will be used to conduct a series of seven sessions in the watershed, the purpose to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the watershed, the concerns for its residents, and the hidden assets of its communities. This project will be located approximately one mile north of Ford Hts, in Cook County.

Upper Des Plaines River Partnership
Counties: Lake, DuPage and Cook
Primary contact: Dianne Turnball, 847/548-4062

Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, $28,850. NE IL E/T Fish Species Recovery Project. Information on the distributions of banded killfish, blackchin shiner, blacknose shiner, and pugnose shiner will be gathered and summarized by reviewing historical survey data from the IHNS, IDNR, Chicago's Field Museum, and the local forest preserve and conservation districts. This project will be administered from Dundee and will benefit Cook and Lake Counties.

Liberty Prairie Conservancy, $15,000. Water Quality Component for the Bull Creek Watershed Implementation Plan. Working with local stakeholders in the watershed, the project will come up with a set of recommendations with respect to biodiversity and water quality that can be included in the Bull Creek Watershed Implementation Plan. This project will be administered from Grayslake and will benefit Lake County.

Storm Water Management Comm., $40,000. Multi-objective Storm Water Management Along Mill Creek. This study will identify opportunity sites for multi-objective, environmentally friendly floodwater storage sites in the Mill Creek subwatershed of the Des Plaines River in Lake County, Illinois. This project will be administered from Libertyville and will benefit Lake County.

Upper Kaskaskia River Partnership
Counties: Champaign, Piatt, Macon, Shelby, Moultrie, Coles and Douglas
Primary contact: Steve Jurgens, 217/728-4214

Earth Partners, $15,321. Hands-on Habitat Training in Ecosystems Using Field Sites and Technology for K-12 Teachers. A four-day workshop will be developed for teachers with actual hands-on experiences at local habitat/watershed sites. Teachers will receive intensive training from scientists and environmental educators from IDNR, SWCD's, extension units, universities, Champaign County. FPD, Douglas Hart Nature Center, and many other organizations. This project will be administered from Champaign and will benefit Champaign, Douglas and Moultrie Counties.

Upper Rock River Partnership
Counties: Stephenson, Winnebago
Primary contact: Ed Johnston, 815/987-4247, ext. 130

Winnebago County Forest Preserve District, Rockford Park District, and Rock River Homeowners Association, $107,900. Rock River Shoreline Stabilization. Financial assistance will be given for the design and construction of the shoreline erosion control methods at all three sites, as well as the production of a video and on-site signage and a supplementary publication to the video. This project will be administered from Rockford and will benefit Winnebago County.

Upper Salt Creek of the Sangamon
Counties: DeWitt, Logan, Macon, McLean, Piatt
Primary contact: Shelly Finfrock, 217/935-6504

DeWitt County Soil and Water Conservation District, $4,800. Native Seedling Planter. Funds will be used to purchase a pull-type tree planter for use by landowners within the Ecosystem Partnership area. This project will be administered from Clinton and will benefit DeWitt County.

DeWitt County Pheasants Forever, $6,720. Traux Trillion Seeder Purchase. Funds will be used to purchase a Traux Trillion Seeder to be used by the local Pheasants Forever chapter and to be made available to local SWCD offices to loan to interested farmers or landowners. This project will be administered from Clinton and will benefit DeWitt County.

DeWitt County Pheasants Forever, $18,900. Native Grass Purchase. Funds will be used to purchase native warm season grasses to establish approximately 175 acres of wild life habitat filter strips - CRP - erosion control. This project will be administered from Clinton and will benefit DeWitt County.

Vermilion River Partnership
Counties: Vermilion and Iroquois
Primary contact: Kevin Green, 217/442-8511

Vermilion County Soil and Water Conservation District, $12,000. Observation Deck at Wetlands. Funds will be used to build an observation deck to compliment the wetland boardwalk at the north end of Lake Vermilion. This project will be located approximately fiver miles north of Danville, in Vermilion County.

Vermilion County Soil and Water Conservation District, $32,000. Install 1000 Acres of Native Plant Habitat. This project will fund the installation of plants on 400 acres of land, bringing the total acreage planted to 1,000. This project will be administered from Danville and will benefit Vermilion County.

Vermilion County Soil and Water Conservation District, $5,600. Environmental Education for Teachers. Educators will meet for an all day workshop at Forest Glen Forest Preserve to learn of Aldo Leopold and receive materials from the Leopold Education Project to use in development of a land ethic. This project will be administered from Danville and will benefit Vermilion County.

Vermilion County Soil and Water Conservation District, $38,484. Landowners Education Project. This is a two-year project to contact the major riparian landowners along the North Fork of the Vermilion River between Rossville and the Route 1 Bridge and along two of the river's tributaries, the Middle Branch and the East Branch. This project will be administered from Danville and will benefit Vermilion County.

Vermilion County Soil and Water Conservation District, $8,300. Vermilion River Re-discovery. A freestanding floor display will be created that illustrates the natural beauty of the Vermilion River and promotes its value as a natural resource. This project will be administered from Danville and will benefit Vermilion County.

Vermilion Watershed Task Force Partnership
Counties: LaSalle, Livingston, Woodford, Marshall, McLean, Ford and Iroquois
Primary contact: Bob Lawless, 815/692-4433

Vermilion County Conservation District, $3,318. G.E.M. - Get Environmentally Motivated! (Humiston Woods Nature Center Teacher Training). Funds will be used to plan and implement a 3-day summer teacher training at Humiston Woods Nature Center. This project will be located at Humiston Woods, near Pontiac, in Livingston County.

Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District, $1,211. Talons, Feathers, and Beaks (A Raptor Education Experience). Funding will be used to schedule the World Bird Sanctuary for a series of Raptor Awareness Education Programs as the "main event" for the 2002 Livingston County Conservation and Agriculture EXPO. This project will be administered from Pontiac and will benefit Livingston County.

Pheasants Forever, $2,234.46. Boundary Protection and Delineation - Griswold Railroad Prairie Preserve. Funds will be used to re-establish the property line and to replace missing and/or badly deteriorated fences for the mutual protection of the nature preserve and adjacent farmland from encroachment. This project will be located approximately 3 miles northeast of Saunemin in Livingston County.

Prairie Lands Foundation, $1,366.23. Boundary Protection and Delineation -Sunbury Railroad Prairie (dedicated). Funds will be used to re-establish the property line and to replace missing and/or badly deteriorated fences for the mutual protection of the Dedicated Nature Preserve and adjacent farmland from encroachment. This project will be located approximately nine miles west of Dwight, in Livingston County.

Prairie Rivers Network, $12,973. Purchase of Traux Drill. Funds will be used to purchase a Traux 8-foot no-till drill for use in Livingston County. This project will benefit Livingston County.

Prairie Rivers Network, $6,480. Humiston Woods Nature Center Biotic Inventory. Funding will be used to conduct a biotic inventory of Humiston Woods Nature Center. This project will be located at Humiston Woods, near Pontiac in Livingston County.