This award will be used to provide technical assistance to private landowners in illinois for conservation reserve program (CRP) tree plantings and other forestry practices for applications from CRP…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service awarded $267,000 to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on August 7, 2025, under the Forest Stewardship Program (CFDA 10.678) to provide technical assistance to private landowners in Illinois for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) tree plantings and related forestry practices. The award supports Conservation Reserve Program sign-up periods 59 and 60, with a completion deadline of April 30, 2027. Through this project grant, IDNR will leverage its forestry expertise and service forester network to connect eligible private forest landowners with planning guidance, management resources, and implementation support for establishing and managing tree plantings on their non-industrial private forest lands.

The Forest Stewardship Program partnership leverages state-delivered technical assistance to help private landowners in Illinois improve forest health, economic productivity, and ecosystem resilience through active forest management planning and conservation practice implementation. This award represents a focused initiative to increase participation in the Conservation Reserve Program among Illinois private landowners by reducing barriers to program enrollment and providing expert guidance on tree planting site selection, species selection, establishment, and long-term stewardship practices aligned with federal program requirements.

This award will be used to provide technical assistance to private landowners in illinois for conservation reserve program (CRP) tree plantings and other forestry practices for applications from CRP sign up periods 59 and 60.