The Illinois Wildlife Action Plan (IWAP) is not just an inventory of species, but a plan to address the particular needs of wildlife that are declining. About 60 percent of Illinois, approximately 22 million acres, once was prairie, but now only about 2,500 acres remain. Most of the land once occupied by prairie is now farmland. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, Illinois has a little over 27 million acres of farmland. The IWAP’s Farmland and Prairie Campaign is working to expand and improve grassland, shrub, and wetland habitats in agricultural landscapes.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is also working to connect people seeking outdoor recreational opportunities with private landowners. The Illinois Recreational Access Program uses funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Voluntary Public Access–Habitat Incentive Program to help private landowners to protect and restore their land. The program provides landowners with habitat or forestry management plans as well as assistance with invasive species control with aerial spraying and on-the-ground removal, prescribed burning, grass and tree planting, pollinator establishment, and more.
Fact Sheets
Additional Resources
USDA NRCS: Illinois State Office Contacts
Illinois Department of Agriculture: Land & Water Resources
Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy
USDA NRCS: Farm Bill Conservation Programs
USDA NRCS: Regional Conservation Partnership Program
USDA NRCS: Technical Assistance
