Illinois law provides native planting grants starting in 2027, if funded

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources must run the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program if lawmakers provide funding. State and local agencies, conservation land trusts, conservation nonprofits, and other groups approved based on their missions may apply. Grants may pay for buying and planting native grasses, plants, and trees. Recipients must share project costs. The agency may count donated work or materials toward their share. Grants may provide matching money for federal grants whose purposes fit the program. The agency must set rules for applications and recipients' shares of project costs. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

The natural resources agency must award at least 75% of program funding as grants to eligible recipients. The agency's restoration work covers degraded forests, native prairies, and wetlands, with the goal of growing native vegetation that absorbs carbon dioxide. These shares apply only to money lawmakers provide for the program. The agency may use up to 23% for restoration work and up to 2% for program administration. These provisions take effect January 1, 2027.

The natural resources agency must set rules for choosing grants, including priorities for native planting, care of natural areas, and shoreline projects. The listed priorities guide grant awards but do not exclude other priorities. Planting priorities include public or private land where native vegetation is absent. Care of existing forests, prairies, and wetlands includes removing invasive plants and planting missing native species. Shoreline priorities cover buying and planting native vegetation for projects on behalf of counties, municipalities, and park districts. If the program is funded, the agency may add grant money for outreach about the funded local project. That outreach must explain steps residents can take to grow native vegetation that absorbs carbon dioxide. These provisions take effect January 1, 2027.