SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today announced the approval of $151,645 in grants for wildlife habitat projects through the State Pheasant Fund Special Wildlife Funds Grant Program.

The program provides for enhancing pheasant wildlife habitat through projects developed by not-for-profit organizations and governmental entities. Funding for the State Pheasant Fund Special Wildlife Funds Grant Program comes from the sale of Habitat Stamps to hunters.

The State Pheasant Fund Advisory Committee approved $151,645 in funding for the projects outlined below. They also approved $348,355 in funds set aside for IDNR land acquisition for additional state pheasant habitat land areas as those become available. 

• Pheasants Forever - A project to hire four fulltime positions for Farm Bill Biologists to provide conservation technical assistance for the restoration of improved habitat on state owned and private lands totaling approximately 30,000 acres of pheasant habitat restoration. These positions will help manage existing projects in Peoria, McLean, Woodford, Livingston, Tazewell, DeWitt, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Vermillion, Champaign, Douglas, Piatt, Fayette, Effingham, Jasper, Shelby, Cumberland, Moultrie, Coles, Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Henderson, Warren and Knox counties, and seek out additional projects with landowners and resource professionals within the project area. State Habitat funds totaling $125,876 were awarded, with the grantee providing $377,624 in matching funds.  https://pheasantsforever.org/

• Pheasants Forever - A project to purchase a Broyhill Sprayer Unit and a Great Plains Seed Drill to be used for pheasant habitat restoration work on state-owned and private lands.  This equipment will be stored and managed by the local Pheasants Forever Chapters of Tazewell and Stephenson counties.  State Habitat funds totaling $25,769 were awarded, with the grantee providing $10,000 in matching funds.  https://pheasantsforever.org/

Potential applicants for these pheasant habitat programs can find more information on the IDNR website at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/grants/Pages/Pheasant-Funding.aspx

To view the Notice of Funding Opportunity for these programs or to browse all State of Illinois grant opportunities, see https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/GATA/Grants/SitePages/CSFA.aspx

3/12/2021