The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is pleased to launch a call for proposals for the 2021 Coastal Management Grants Program to protect, preserve, and restore the natural and cultural resources along the Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline.

Funding Category

• Coastal Habitats and Species: Projects in this category implement the Lake Michigan and Coastal Campaign of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan (linked below), protect and improve coastal habitats for the species that depend upon them, mitigate threats to habitats or species, or lay the groundwork for future conservation. Projects must show clear connection and make progress toward these goals. Priorities:
  • Provide educational programming, outreach, and/or resources that highlight coastal-specific natural habitats, species, and the value of our coastal natural resources.
  • Enhance and restore publicly-owned and accessible coastal habitats, especially ravines and wetlands, that are hydrologically-connected to Lake Michigan.
  • Improve nearshore habitats by addressing sources of water quality degradation.
• Coastal Public Access, Recreation, and Coastal Dependent Economic Development: Projects in this category support and facilitate coastal resource-related economic development, including recreation, access, and tourism. Priorities:
  • Enhance and promote Lake Michigan coastal recreation opportunities in Illinois and regionally.
  • Improve economic viability and capacity of Illinois’ Lake Michigan coastal ports, harbors, and marinas.
• Coastal Community Resilience: Projects in this category move communities towards sustainable solutions that mitigate coastal hazards. Goals include improved understanding and awareness of coastal hazards, facilitation of planning for long-term solutions, and increased coordination and collaboration among communities to solve regional problems together. Projects must show clear connection and make progress toward these goals. Priorities:
  • Increase the capacity of communities to protect coastal infrastructure, shorelines and community resources to mitigate coastal hazards and ensure the long-term sustainability of community assets.

Funding will be available for projects that:

• Improve the health of the coast and Lake Michigan;
• enhance coastal public access, recreation, and coastal-dependent economic development;
• advance coastal community resilience

Funding Information

Applicants may request between $1,000 and $150,000, with a 1:1 match required for most projects. Local governmental applicants from Economically Challenged Communities qualify for a lower match requirement. Citizen science grant are limited to $10,000. The funding period is 18 months, beginning fall 2019 and ending spring 2021. Precise start and end dates depend upon approval by NOAA and state funding authorization. Proposed projects can take fewer than 18 months, but not more. Performance reporting is required quarterly for projects $25,000 and over, and twice annually for smaller projects. Final narrative reports are required after project completion.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants include units of local government (e.g., municipalities, park districts, school districts, forest preserve districts), universities, and non-profit organizations. Private individuals, for-profit organizations, and organizations that cannot be pre-qualified through the State of Illinois grantee portal are not eligible to receive grant funds. For planning projects, they require a letter of commitment from the landowner if the applicant does not own the land. Public landowners and long-term lease holders are the only eligible applicants for on-the-ground projects such as low-cost construction or habitat restoration.

For more information, visit IDNR.