For Immediate Release from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

January 15, 2008

IDNR seeks proposals for State Wildlife Conservation Grants:
Grant program helps protect species in greatest need of conservation

SPRINGFIELD, IL - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is now accepting pre-proposals for grants to fund projects through the 2008 State Wildlife Grant (SWG) program.  The SWG program, funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides funds specifically for the protection and management of non-game species in the greatest need of conservation as identified in the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan.

"This grant program is intended to help us put federal dollars to work on
the ground in Illinois now to conserve wildlife and vital natural areas for
future generations," said IDNR Acting Director Sam Flood.

Those organizations interested in seeking funds for wildlife conservation projects in Illinois are asked to submit their grant proposals online through the IDNR website no later than April 11, 2008.

The Illinois Wildlife Action Plan outlines specific steps - developed by
scientists, sportsmen, conservationists and members of the community - to conserve wildlife before species become rarer and more costly to protect. The SWG program provides funding to every state and territory to support cost effective conservation aimed at keeping wildlife from becoming endangered.

In Illinois, the program is administered by the IDNR Office of Resource
Conservation.

The Illinois allocation of these federal funds is uncertain at this time as
the U.S. Congress has not yet approved funding legislation.  Illinois
received approximately $2 million for the program in 2007 and funding at a similar level is expected for 2008.  Approval of project proposals submitted by the April 11 deadline will be subject to the final allocation of available federal funding.

Annual SWG funds given to each state and territory are disbursed according to population and land area, and are contingent upon annual funding appropriated by Congress.

Under new guidelines released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for
2007, the new "Planning" definition allows for a match of 75 percent federal funds to 25 percent state funds within certain parameters.  The new"Implementation" definition restricts the match to a maximum reimbursement of 50 percent of total project costs.

Information on the pre-application for the State Wildlife Grant program is available on the IDNR web site at:
http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildliferesources/theplan/swggrant/login.asp

The Illinois Wildlife Action Plan is available on the IDNR web site for
review and/or to download at:
http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/Wildliferesources/theplan/

For more information on the State Wildlife Grant program in Illinois,
contact the IDNR Watershed Protection Section, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271, phone 217/ 785-5907, e-mail:
james.renn@illinois.gov.

The deadline for submitting project pre-proposals for the State Wildlife
Grants is April 11, 2008.

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