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IDNR
awards Pheasant Fund grants
Habitat for pheasants and other wildlife to be
improved using funds
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[APRIL 9, 2005]
SPRINGFIELD
-- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is awarding $123,634
from the State Pheasant Fund for 17 wildlife conservation projects
to begin in 2005. Combined with contributions from the organizations
receiving grants, the total value of the pheasant projects is
estimated to be more than $187,800.
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"The funds, combined with contributions
from partner organizations, help create and preserve much-needed
pheasant habitat," said Joel Brunsvold, director of the Department
of Natural Resources. "These improvements benefit not just pheasants
but a wide variety of plants and animals. It's part of our mission
at IDNR to protect and sustain Illinois' natural resources."
Pheasant Fund money is derived from
Illinois hunters' purchases of the Habitat Stamp, which costs $5.50.
By law, 30 percent of the stamp revenues are deposited in the State
Pheasant Fund for the purpose of wild pheasant conservation
projects. Proposed project applications are submitted for
consideration each year by not-for-profit organizations and the
Department of Natural Resources to the State Pheasant Committee. The
committee reviews the projects and recommends allocation of funds
from the State Pheasant Fund.
An
application form and project
criteria for 2006 projects are 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 projects:
Habitat improvement
- Pheasants Forever Inc.
- Carroll County Chapter -- $7,612 for
partial reimbursement (25 percent to 50 percent) to landowners for
native grass and grass and legume seed for 265 acres.
- Champaign County Chapter -- grants
totaling $15,500, which includes $2,000 for grass, forbs and legumes
to plant 92.6 acres at the pending Gifford Pheasant Habitat Area and
$13,500 to help support a habitat specialist in cooperation with the
Pheasants Forever national office to establish and maintain habitat
plantings.
- DeKalb County Chapter -- $16,651
toward a 50 percent reimbursement to landowners for the purchase of
grass seed for 800 acres as required under USDA conservation reserve
programs, including CRP, CP23A and CP33.
- Ford County Chapter -- $3,876 to
purchase grass seed for a projected 225 acres not in any state or
federal program.
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- Illinois River Valley Chapter --
$11,000 as partial reimbursement to landowners for seed purchases on
portions of a project not covered by either a federal or state
program for what is expected to be a total of 500 acres of habitat.
- Jo Daviess County Chapter -- grants
that total $7,462, which includes $1,522 to reimburse landowners for
purchase of cool-season grass seed for 120 acres as required on CRP
contracts that do not received federal cost-share, and $5,940 to
reimburse landowners for purchase of warm-season grass seed for 110
acres as required on CRP contracts that do not received federal
cost-share.
- Knox County Chapter -- $5,000 to
purchase warm-season grass, forb and switchgrass seed for
distribution to 10-15 landowners on CRP or non-CRP acres, with a
five-year commitment.
- McLean County Chapter -- grants
totaling $23,969, which includes $750 to provide for planting
warm-season grasses (CP25) for approximately 10 acres at Tri Valley
High School and $23,219 to purchase grass seed for 425 acres.
Equipment
- Pheasants Forever Inc.
- Illinois River Valley Chapter --
$16,800 to purchase a used tractor.
- McLean County Chapter -- $244 to
purchase a 25-gallon ATV spot sprayer.
- Ogle County Chapter -- grants
totaling $12,295, which includes $2,000 to purchase a 7-foot
rotary mower, $6,000 to purchase a five-shank Soil Saver and
$4,295 to lease a 5420 John Deere diesel tractor and loader for
one year.
- Winnebago County Chapter --
$3,225 to lease a four-wheel drive tractor.
[Illinois
Department of Natural Resources news release]
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