This project will provide support for enhancing and maintaining and enduring system of hill prairies in illinois

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources received a $646,155 formula grant award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the State Wildlife Grants Program (CFDA 15.634), effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028. This grant supports the enhancement, maintenance, and restoration of hill prairie natural communities throughout Illinois. Hill prairies serve as critical habitat for numerous Illinois species of greatest conservation need, including several state-listed wildlife and plant species with restricted habitat requirements. The funded activities directly support the Illinois DNRS mandate to recover and maintain at-risk species while preventing further ecological decline within these priority natural communities.

The project delivers conservation outcomes through proactive habitat management and species protection initiatives aligned with Illinois' Wildlife Action Plan priorities. No subgrantees are anticipated under this award. The formula grant mechanism provides multi-year funding stability for sustained hill prairie ecosystem management, enabling the state agency to implement systematic conservation strategies that protect vulnerable species populations and preserve Illinois' distinctive prairie ecosystems.

Hill prairie natural communities contain many illinois species in greatest conservation need including several habitat restricted state listed wildlife and plant species. Maintaining habitat is critical to illinois dnrs effort to recover and maintain at risk species as well as prevent further decline. There are no expected subgrantees of this project.