The Coastal Competitive Grants Program provides funding for projects that advance the mission of the Illinois Coastal Management Program (CMP) to protect, preserve, and restore the natural and cultural resources of the Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline.
Donor Name: Illinois Department of Natural Resources
State: Illinois
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/10/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
IDNR Coastal Management Program Grants protect, conserve, and restore the natural and cultural resources along the Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline. Funding is available for projects that:
- Improve the health of the coast and Lake Michigan
- Enhance coastal public access, recreation, and economic development
- Advance coastal community resilience.
The goals of this funding opportunity include enhancing and protecting coastal habitats and species; improving coastal public access, recreation, and coastal-dependent economic development; and supporting coastal community resilience. They encourage applicants to review existing plans and to think through how your proposed project aligns with previous and ongoing work in the region.
Funding Categories
- Coastal Habitats and Species
- The Illinois Coastal Area, while highly urbanized, contains a variety of remnant habitats including oak savannah, woodlands, coastal bluffs and ravines, prairies, wetlands, urbanized waterways, beaches, and dune/swale habitats, as well as nearshore habitat, ancient cobble reefs, and open-water benthic and pelagic habitats. Habitat loss and degradation have caused a wide range of issues ranging from impaired water quality to invasive species to reduced ecosystem services.
- Coastal Public Access, Recreation, and Economic Development
- The Illinois Coastal Area provides many recreation and public access amenities including parks, forest preserves, swimming beaches, canoe and kayak launches, hiking and biking trails, boat launches, fishing piers, and so much more. Additionally, ports, harbors, and marinas contribute to local and regional economic vitality. Enhancement of these opportunities improves quality of life, draws in tourists, creates jobs, and enhances the coastal economy.
- Coastal Community Resilience
- The Lake Michigan shoreline is a dynamic system, with coastal hazards such as erosion, sand accretion, fluctuating lake levels, stormwater volume, and flooding posing major challenges. The health of coastal communities requires sustainable solutions to challenges that balance the needs of residents, recreational users, nature, and commerce.
Funding Information
- Total Funding Available: Ranges from $550,000 to $1,075,000 per funding year depending on federal funding.
- Individual Award Amount: $75,000 – $250,000.
Grant Period
6 – 18 months.
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.
- 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 (please note – these are not being funded for FY25 grants). For planning projects, they require a letter of commitment from the landowner if the applicant does not own the land.
For more information, visit IDNR.
