Natural Areas Stewardship Grant Program

The Illinois Natural Areas Stewardship Grant Program is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to support stewardship and conservation activities on protected natural lands throughout Illinois. The program was established using funds from the Illinois Natural Areas Acquisition Fund (NAAF), which was created under the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Act. The fund supports the acquisition, protection, and stewardship of natural areas and habitats for endangered and threatened species across the state. The stewardship grant program specifically provides financial assistance to Conservation Land Trusts to improve stewardship activities on dedicated Illinois Nature Preserves, dedicated buffers, and registered Land and Water Reserves while also increasing the stewardship capacity of eligible conservation organizations. The program prioritizes projects addressing urgent ecological threats where qualifying natural features protected by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission are at risk of degradation or loss. The funding opportunity supports a wide variety of stewardship-related activities designed to preserve, maintain, restore, and improve native ecological communities. Eligible activities include invasive species control, prescribed burns, restoration and enhancement of native plant communities, and implementation of stewardship actions identified in approved management schedules. Grant funds may also support contractual services, purchase or rental of necessary supplies and equipment such as UTVs, sprayers, trailers, radios, herbicide, seed, and hand tools, as well as staff time directly associated with the project. Fringe benefits are not eligible expenses. Indirect costs are allowable if the applicant maintains either a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, a state negotiated rate, or elects to use the de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs. Projects must align with approved Illinois Nature Preserves Commission management schedules and all proposed stewardship methods must already be authorized within those schedules. Eligible applicants are Conservation Land Trusts that are exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and whose organizational purposes include restoration and stewardship of land for conservation purposes. Organizations whose primary purpose is fundraising for local government conservation agencies are not eligible. Applicants must also satisfy multiple state and federal registration requirements prior to application submission, including maintaining an active DUNS number and System for Award Management registration unless exempt under federal regulations. Additionally, all applicants must complete prequalification through the Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Grantee Portal. This process includes financial and administrative risk assessment, verification against debarment and suspension lists, and confirmation of good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State. Eligible project lands must be formally protected through dedication or registration by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, and projects occurring on lands owned by other entities require a fully executed agreement between the applicant and landowner that remains active through the grant term. The funding opportunity anticipates approximately 700,000 dollars in total available program funding, with awards generally ranging from 20,000 dollars to 100,000 dollars per project. The administrative rule establishes a maximum award amount of 100,000 dollars. Applicants are required to provide cost sharing equal to 5 percent of the project cost or 1,000 dollars, whichever is less. The grant term may extend up to two years, and reimbursements are generally issued after project completion unless IDNR approves interim reimbursements on a quarterly basis for good cause. All expenditures must occur during the approved grant period to qualify for reimbursement. Equipment purchased through the grant generally becomes the property and responsibility of the grantee upon completion of the grant term unless otherwise specified in the grant agreement. Applications must be submitted electronically through the Amplifund portal. Required submission materials include the Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance, Project Narrative, Uniform Budget Template and Budget Narrative, Programmatic Risk Assessment, W-9 form, and additional supporting documentation when applicable. Applicants proposing work on lands owned by another entity must also submit copies of landowner agreements and evidence that the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission was notified of the agreement. Projects involving equipment purchases of 5,000 dollars or more require submission of at least two price quotes. The project narrative requests detailed information about the conservation land trust, site eligibility, stewardship actions, expected ecological outcomes, leveraging of resources, maps identifying project locations, and explanation of how the work supports statewide conservation initiatives such as the Illinois Natural Areas Plan, Illinois Sustainable Natural Areas Vision, and Illinois Wildlife Action Plan. Applications for the FY2026 funding cycle open on May 1, 2026 and close on June 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM. The Department of Natural Resources reviews all timely and complete submissions for organizational eligibility before forwarding qualified applications to the IDNR Division of Natural Heritage for merit evaluation. Evaluation criteria include the relationship between stewardship actions and qualifying site features, urgency of ecological need, expected project outcomes, stewardship capacity improvements, and benefits to statewide conservation strategies. The Director of the Department of Natural Resources makes final award decisions after reviewing recommendations from Natural Heritage staff. Following intent to award, applicants undergo an additional financial and administrative risk assessment and may be required to submit supplemental documentation within 30 days to remain eligible for funding. The Illinois Natural Areas Stewardship Grant Program is a recurring annual state funding opportunity intended to support long-term ecological stewardship and conservation management throughout Illinois. Applicants are encouraged to coordinate with Illinois Nature Preserves Commission Natural Areas Preservation Specialists during project planning. Questions regarding eligibility, application procedures, or technical assistance may be directed to Susan Duke, Grant Administrator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, at Susan.Duke@illinois.gov or by phone at 217-785-4416. Additional technical support for the Amplifund portal is available through the state's Amplifund support system.

Focus the proposal on urgent ecological threats affecting qualifying protected features. Clearly connect stewardship activities to approved management schedules and measurable ecological outcomes. Demonstrate how funding increases stewardship capacity beyond existing organizational resources. Include detailed maps and clearly explain methods for each stewardship activity.