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History & Highlights Chicago Illinois Field Office |
Funding Opportunities for
Habitat Restoration and Wildlife Research Projects
The Chicago area had extremely diverse floral and faunal communities before European settlement. The mixture of tallgrass prairie, wetland, savanna, and woodland communities that once existed in northeastern Illinois now represent a small fraction of the landscape. However, some ecosystems now considered globally rare or imperiled still thrive here. The Chicago region is one of a few major metropolitan areas in the world that has a high concentration of globally significant natural communities. This includes some of the best surviving examples of eastern tallgrass prairie and open oak woodlands or savannas, and it supports many rare plants and animals.
The Service and this office administer or participate directly in several grant funding or cost-share programs. These funds may be used for habitat restoration and (more rarely) applied research projects beneficial to trust resources. The following four funding sources are the ones upon which we most commonly work with partners to develop proposals. While proposal guidelines sometimes change, they are generally stable from year to year. Thus, for cycles that have passed deadlines for this year, we strongly urge prospective applicants to review guidelines form the most recent Requests for Proposals ("RFP's") and use them to begin planning their projects early.
(1) Partners for Fish and Wildlife Agreements: Small awards made by cost-share agreements with private landowners, including county and municipal land management agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Requires 50% minimum cost share from partner. Based on potential value to Service trust resources or location in previously identified focus areas. Applies to wetland and upland habitats in northeast Illinois (Cook, Boone, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties). Interested/potential partners are urged to first contact the Chicago Illinois Field Office to discuss/determine project applicability, feasibility and benefits to trust resources.
Typical amounts awarded: $500-$5000.
Cycle: Continuous/first come/first served, based on availability of funds and benefits to habitat for federal trust species.
Funding source: US Fish & Wildlife Service.(2) Challenge Cost-Share and Flex-Funding Grants: Competitively-awarded small grants for habitat work or applied research, announced by annual request for proposals ("RFP") under several categories, including: Nongame Bird Conservation, Conservation of Candidates for the list of Endangered and Threatened species, Great Lakes Coastal Restoration, North American Waterfowl Management/Joint Venture, and Fish Habitat Restoration. Match requirements vary by fund, though 50% in-kind or cash contribution by applicant is strongly encouraged for all.
Typical amounts awarded: $2500-$10,000.
Cycle: Annual, RFP's mailed late summer/early autumn, awards announced following spring.
Funding source: US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Availability: As announced, usually October-November.(3) Northeast Illinois Wetland Conservation Account: Competitively-awarded grants, announced by annual request for proposals ("RFP"). Projects must show benefits to wetland habitat or directly associated upland buffer/watershed habitat in northeast Illinois (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties). May include wetland restoration, wetland creation, education, and (rarely) land acquisition. While match or cost-share is not required, 50% in-kind or cash contribution by applicant is highly recommended.
Typical amounts awarded: $5000-$200,000 (average: approx. $37,000)
Cycle: Annual, RFP's usually mailed early autumn, awards announced following spring.
Funding source: Administered by The Conservation Fund, in cooperation with US Fish & Wildlife Service/Chicago.
NOTE: Next RFP and application guidance anticipated in mid-late January 2008. Please bookmark this link and check back.(4) Other National or Regional Grant Programs of the Service: Several U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grant programs are available through at the Regional or National level. These grants are competitively-awarded, generally at the Regional or National level. Staff from this office are available to assist or consult local partners in developing proposals for these grants. While participation by this office is not usually required, potential applicants should consider that we may often identify and include Service priorities or other unaddressed topics that would potentially strengthen their proposals.
Other Funding Opportunities
Staff from the Chicago Illinois Field Office also provide technical assistance to partners who may seek grants through other funding programs, including other grants available through the Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources "C2000" program, Chicago Wilderness, and Habitat Restoration Programs ("HRP") grants administered by the USDA/County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Occasionally we are aware of other funding sources. For further information about any of these funding sources, contact Habitat Restoration Coordinator, Mike Redmer.
