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IDNR
awards Habitat Fund grants
Money
to encourage wildlife conservation efforts
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[APRIL 9, 2005]
SPRINGFIELD
-- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is awarding $243,352
from the Illinois Habitat Fund for 25 new wildlife conservation
projects to begin in 2005. The Illinois Habitat Fund is supported by
contributions from Illinois hunters. Combined with contributions
from the organizations receiving grants, the total value of the
habitat projects is estimated to be almost $400,000.
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"These projects will enhance the
creation and support of existing wildlife habitat in all parts of
the state," said Joel Brunsvold, director of the Department of
Natural Resources. "Funds from hunter purchases of the state Habitat
Stamp, along with assistance from the department's many partner
organizations, provide everything from acquisition of natural lands
to windbreaks and grass cover plantings to wetlands development and
enhancement." Habitat Fund
awards will assist in acquiring seed, plant material and specialized
equipment for planting and maintaining shrubs and trees, warm- and
cool-season grasses, and native legumes and forbs to develop new
habitat areas.
Habitat Fund money is derived from
the sale of the $5.50 Habitat Stamp required of most Illinois
hunters. By law, 30 percent of the stamp revenues are deposited in
the Illinois Pheasant Fund for pheasant conservation projects and 6
percent of stamp revenues are forwarded to the Illinois Furbearer
Fund for projects related to furbearers. Both these funds also make
awards to conservation organizations through independent advisory
committees. The stamp revenues not transferred to either the
pheasant or furbearer funds are made available to the Department of
Natural Resources for conservation activities or for grants to
conservation groups to restore or protect important wildlife habitat
in Illinois.
An
application form for 2006 projects is available on the department's website,
http://dnr.state.il.us. The application deadline is
Aug. 1. [To download Adobe Reader for the form, click here.]
The following is a list of this
year's approved Illinois Habitat Fund grant projects:
Habitat improvement
- National Wild Turkey
Federation, state chapter -- grants that total $37,414,
including $25,000 for timber stand improvement on private lands
and $12,414 to purchase 14,415 pounds of seed to be planted as
high-protein forage for wildlife.
- Pekin Park District --
$14,660 to reforest 38.14 acres and undertake 15.9 acres of
prairie plantings at the Dirksen-McNaughton Woods Land and Water
Reserve, located in Tazewell County.
- Pheasants Forever Inc.
- Champaign County Chapter --
$3,000 to purchase grass seed for 50 acres.
- Illinois River Valley Chapter --
$4,500 to reimburse landowners on the purchase of trees and shrubs
for 60 acres of windbreaks and shelterbelts.
- Illinois State Chapter -- $366 to
plant native grasses.
- Ogle County Chapter -- $3,773 to
install a water-level control system and plant three acres with
trees and shrubs.
- Sangamon County Chapter --
$12,000 to provide 25 percent cost-share assistance to landowners
as incentive for those newly enrolled in the USDA Conservation
Reserve Program and 50 percent cost-share on non-qualifying CRP
acres.
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- Quail Unlimited Inc.
- Illinois Quail Unlimited -- $52,800
for the Illinois Wildlife Enhancement Bonus Program, which offers
landowners bonus payments for completing "wildlife friendly"
management work on both CRP and non-CRP areas.
- Logan County Chapter -- $18,113 to
purchase prairie grass and forb seed to be offered to landowners
enrolled in 10-year government programs.
- River Oaks Chapter 516 -- grants
that total $17,250, which includes $3,375 to purchase herbicide for
800 acres and $13,875 to purchase legume seed for distribution this
spring to landowners to plant 1,600 acres.
- Whiteside County Soil and Water
Conservation District -- $23,053 to provide cost-share to landowners
for herbicide application, tree planting and spraying, and on
wetland development.
Specialized equipment
- Cass County Soil and Water
Conservation District -- $1,370 to purchase prescribed burn
equipment and an ATV-mounted broadcast seeder.
- Clark County Soil and Water
Conservation District -- $5,173 to purchase 87 pieces of prescribed
burn equipment.
- Jackson County Soil and Water
Conservation District -- $739 to purchase 15 pieces of prescribed
burn equipment.
- National Wild Turkey Federation
- Big Sandy Spurs Chapter -- $2,382 to
purchase a Plotmaster and 16-foot trailer.
- Clinton County Struttin' Gobblers --
$1,863 to purchase a Plotmaster and 12-foot trailer.
- McDonough County Fantails -- $1,933
to purchase a Plotmaster and 16-foot trailer.
- Pyramid Golden Gobblers Chapter --
$1,553 to purchase a 750-pound capacity fertilizer spreader and
14-foot trailer.
- Pheasants Forever Inc.
- Carroll County Chapter -- $1,717 to
purchase 37 pieces of prescribed burn equipment.
- DeKalb County Chapter -- $1,800 to
purchase a rotary 84-inch, three-point hitch Bull Brush mower.
- Winnebago County Chapter -- $7,920
to purchase a 15-foot batwing heavy-duty flex-wing rotary mower.
Quail Unlimited Inc.
Logan County Chapter -- $18,000 to
purchase a used tractor for habitat work.
River Oaks Chapter 516 -- $11,973 to
purchase an 8-foot Truax no-till grass drill.
[Illinois
Department of Natural Resources news release] |
