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Communications from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Coastal Management Program
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IDNR Coastal Management Program 

May 2019: Gearing up for a coastal summer!

Native prairie ecosystem being restored at Thillens Park (also known as Park 538)
Photo credit: Chicago Park District

Rekindling native biodiversity along the banks
of the North Shore Channel


Did you know that between 1907 and 1910, there was a lot of activity taking place along the North Shore Channel? The channel was excavated to flush wastes from Evanston and Wilmette and to improve flow of the Chicago River. Workers dug the channel through marshy land and piled the clay soil along the river banks. This sub-optimum substrate along the channel’s riparian corridor now largely supports non-native vegetation including invasive plants, turf grass and weedy trees. 

You may have noticed that as the city expanded around the channel, this minor waterway and its banks have become habitat for local wildlife including turtles, beavers, fish, birds, and insects. However, this green space hasn’t been living up to its full potential because of its history of disturbance.

In fall 2017, the IDNR Coastal Management Program partnered with Chicago Park District to transform part of Park 538 along the North Shore Channel between Wallen and Touhy Avenues, from turf grass and invasive plants to a native prairie. Park 538, also known as Thillens Park, follows the east bank of the North Shore Channel between Devon and Touhy Avenues, north of Thillens Stadium (now called The Stadium at Devon and Kedzie). The Chicago Park District kicked off the project by removing invasive species in fall 2017. During spring and summer 2018, contractors drill-seeded a native prairie seed mix (short grasses and tall forbs) across the 8.4-acre project area. Additionally, they installed almost 31,000 native prairie plugs (a variety of grasses and forbs) and 24 native shrubs (6 each of the following species: black chokecherry, prairie willow, bladdernut, elderberry). This vibrant mix of plants will provide habitat for birds, butterflies, and other native pollinators.

So how have our native pollinators been responding? Audubon Great Lakes monitored birds across the project site and surrounding areas in fall 2018. Weekly bird species richness averaged about 5 species in the former turfgrass area and 13 species in the riparian woods to the west of the restoration site. A total of 49 bird species were recorded at the site. Additionally, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum monitored butterflies across a similar geography from late May through early September 2018. The pre-restoration butterfly diversity was found to include eight regionally-abundant species. It is expected that butterfly and bird species richness and abundance will increase as native plants become established. We can’t wait to see this thriving prairie ecosystem enrich the banks of the North Shore Channel!

Annie Turek on a paddling trip in Waukegan as part of a Waukegan Water Trails event in August 2018
Photo credit: Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Farewell and thank you, Annie!
 
Annie Turek, our Sustainability and Partnerships Specialist recently "sailed" on to start a new position in Boulder, Colorado. During her time with the University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute, Annie worked closely with the IDNR Coastal Program to provide technical assistance, leadership, lots of enthusiasm and amazing brainpower on a variety of different projects in the coastal watershed.

We have appreciated Annie’s hard work on community resilience, which spans supporting communities impacted by shoreline change or flooding to vibrant waterfronts and economic development. We thank Annie for working closely with partners and coordinating the Illinois Sand Management Working Group, a network of partners that have worked together to improve regional collaboration on public shoreline management. At the end of her last Sand Management meeting, Annie received a standing ovation from attendees, which is a testament to her commitment and efforts to go above and beyond to help the workgroup achieve its goals. Beyond sand management, we are grateful to Annie for her support and thoughtful contributions to a number of other workgroups including, but not limited to, the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative, the Waukegan Waterfront Working Group, and the Lake Michigan Lakewide Action and Management Plan partnership.

Annie will be greatly missed in the role of communications guru for the CMP. She helped launch and manage social media content and took the lead on this amazing newsletter that has become staple reading material for our partners. She was featured by NOAA as the Coastal Communicator of the Month in recognition of her efforts to disseminate information in creative and engaging ways. All in all, it's safe to say that Annie was a real powerhouse, an essential contributor, and a radiant fashionista all while making things happen with her magic on every project that came her way!

As of April 1st, Annie started a new position as Conservation Project Manager for The Nature Conservancy Colorado. We wish her the very best in her new role and extend our sincerest gratitude to her for her contributions to the Illinois coastal watershed.
Photo credit:
Susan Lambert
Welcome to INDR Coastal, Vidya!

With sad goodbyes come happy hellos! The University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute recently on-boarded Vidya Balasubramanyam as the Coastal Outreach and Engagement Specialist to provide support to the IDNR Coastal Management Program. 

Among other projects, Vidya will be working on providing support for the Sand Management Working Group and getting her toes wet by visiting and learning about the Illinois shoreline, meeting partners, and attending meetings to absorb information on all the amazing projects and activities taking place across the coastal watershed!

Previously, Vidya was a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Management Fellow detailed at the New Hampshire Coastal Program where she worked on siting and socializing nature-based shoreline stabilization approaches in tidal New Hampshire and contributed to a variety of other projects that improved resilience to coastal hazards along the New Hampshire shoreline. Vidya received her MS in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Human Dimensions and a graduate certificate in geographic information sciences at the University of Missouri. She grew up in Bangalore, India where she received her BS in Environmental Science, Chemistry and Botany at St. Joseph’s College (and yes, it was much warmer out there!)

In her free time, Vidya is looking forward to exploring the gorgeous architecture in Chicago and working her way towards becoming the resident expert on vegan food in the Chicago area! Feel free to reach out to her at vidya.balasubramanyam@illinois.gov if you have any suggestions or just want to say hello!
 
Funding Opportunities
Green Infrastructure Champions RFP - Proposals due July 31, 2019
The Great Lakes Commission is pleased to announce the release of a request for proposals (RFP) for green infrastructure mini-grant applications under its Green Infrastructure Champions Program. This is the second phase of the Champions Program, which was piloted from 2016 to 2018 to help communities overcome barriers to green infrastructure implementation. Green infrastructure uses nature-based solutions like rain gardens to help manage stormwater and provide other benefits to communities.
Green infrastructure grants of up to $15,000 will fund capacity building projects in small to mid-sized communities within the binational Great Lakes Basin. Capacity building projects address institutional barriers such as restrictive local codes, inadequate operations and maintenance protocols, and lack of sustainable funding streams. The deadline to submit proposals is July 31, 2019.


2019 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative - Proposals due June 28, 2019
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service anticipates that up to $4.1 million in new funds will be available for tree planting and forest health improvement in the Great Lakes Basin. This funding will be competitively awarded to the best proposals received through the June 28, 2019 deadline at grants.gov. Search for Grant Opportunity Number USDA-FS-2019-GLRI. 
Funds will be distributed across the following three program areas:
•    Forest Insect and Disease Mitigation,
•    Reduce Runoff from Degraded Sites through Green Infrastructure, and
•    Enhance Coastal Wetland Filtration.
Full instructions are available on the USDA Forest Service Great Lakes Restoration Initiative RFA website. Funding is provided under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency. 


National Coastal Resilience Fund 2019 - Pre-proposals due May 20, 2019
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced the National Coastal Resilience Fund for 2019. NFWF will make investments to restore and strengthen natural systems so they can protect coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, and other natural hazards and enable them to recover more quickly, while also enhancing habitats for important fish and wildlife populations.
Pre-proposal Due Date: Monday, May 20, 2019 11:59 PM EST 
Full Proposal by Invite Only Due Date: Monday, July 22, 2019 11:59 PM EST
Learn more by clicking here. 

2019 Chi-Cal Rivers Fund - Pre-proposals due May 14, 2019
The Chi–Cal Rivers Fund is now accepting applications for competitive funding. Grant funding in 2019 will be awarded in three categories:
•    Habitat Quality
•    Green Stormwater Infrastructure 
•    Public Access
Approximately $1 million is expected to be available for grant awards. Individual grants typically range from $100,000 to $300,000. Details about this funding opportunity are provided in the Request for Proposals. The Chi-Cal Rivers Fund requests applicants submit a pre-proposal, due May 14, 2019. Following review of pre-proposal submissions, a subset of applicants will be invited to submit a full-proposal.  A recording of the 2019 Funding Opportunity Webinar is available at www.nfwf.org/chi-cal

Illinois EPA Non-Point Grants- Applications due August 1, 2019
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) is seeking proposals for nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control projects. Illinois EPA’s Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Financial Assistance Program (a.k.a. Section 319(h) Grant Program) is designed to provide grant funds for projects that prevent, eliminate, or reduce water quality impairments caused by nonpoint source pollution.  For more information, click here.
Engaging on Great Lakes Issues
The Green Infrastructure Champions Mentoring Network - sign up by September 7, 2019
The Green Infrastructure Champions Mentoring Network is part of the overall Champions Program and provides another way to build capacity and transfer knowledge about green infrastructure across the basin. This peer-to-peer mentoring network connects experienced green infrastructure practitioners with individuals that want to bring green infrastructure to their communities but lack capacity or experience. All communities are encouraged to join! For more information about the network, including how to join as either a mentor or mentee, click here. The deadline to join the mentoring network is September 7, 2019.
With generous support from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, the Green Infrastructure Champions program will continue this mission through September 2020.
Please feel free to email gichampions@glc.org with questions or for more information.


Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance - Apply by June 30, 2019
The National Park Service (NPS) – Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program (RTCA) supports community-led natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the nation. NPS' conservation and recreation planning professionals partner with community groups, nonprofit organizations, tribes, and government agencies. This partnership assists local communities in realizing their conservation and outdoor recreation vision and goals by providing a broad range of services and skills. NPS staff share their expertise to help your team turn an idea into reality. This assistance is offered on an annual basis with extensions based on mutual agreement. No monetary grants are made. To learn more, click here.

Sharing Our Shore, Waukegan - Keep an eye out for this awesome program taking place through the summer!
Lake County Audubon Society (LCAS) is partnering with the City of Waukegan to increase public awareness of the extraordinary habitat at Waukegan Beach and to contribute to bird conservation on the lakeshore. The Sharing Our Shore – Waukegan Partnership’s goals are to monitor bird species and increase public support for bird conservation at Waukegan Beach. The program will raise awareness of Waukegan’s special habitat and build on the reputation of Waukegan as a city dedicated to conserving its lakeshore. LCAS is now recruiting and will be training Volunteer Stewards to monitor birds and to be part of the public outreach program which will have a presence on the beach on Saturdays from 1-3pm from May – July. Those interested in volunteering should contact LCAS via email at: lakecountyaudubonsociety@gmail.com

Lake Michigan Watershed Plan - Sign up for the mailing list to stay updated
The Lake Michigan Watershed Plan will cover the portions of Lake County and seven ravines in northern Cook County that drain to Lake Michigan. The planning process will run from 2019-2020. The Lake Michigan Watershed-Based Plan will identify practices, projects, and programs that can be implemented by stakeholders to reduce pollution and flood damage and protect natural resources. Your input and ideas are important. Click here for a fact sheet on the watershed and watershed plan. Get on the email list for periodic updates and future meeting topics. Choose “Lake Michigan Watershed” under the Stormwater Management section. View the project web page to learn more!

Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF) Training - Register and get trained on June 4, 2019
The Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative is holding a Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF) training at William Powers State Recreation Area on June 4th from 10 am - 2 pm for everyone from landowners to land managers who are actively controlling Phragmites or are interested in doing so in the near future. Registration and participation is free! The PAMF team will also be providing on-the-ground assistance enrolling sites the few days following the training. To register, visit here
Newsworthy
Share your Announcement!
Would you like your event announcement to be included in our next newsletter? Email your submissions to DNR.CMP@illinois.gov
The IDNR Coastal Management Program is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the environmental, economic, and social value of Illinois’ Great Lakes coast. We invest in building healthy ecosystems and resilient communities by providing expertise, funding, and other resources for community-driven and forward-thinking efforts within our Lake Michigan coastal region.
Copyright © 2019 Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Coastal Management Program, All rights reserved.


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