IDNR Coastal Management Program - June 2019 Newsletter

IDNR Coastal Management is excited to announce the development of Wilderness Inquiry’s Southern Lake Michigan Canoemobile Hub! Wilderness Inquiry is a Minneapolis-based company that aims to “connect people from all walks of life to the natural world through shared outdoor adventures”.

Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile program is a collaboration of federal, state, and local partners that connects urban youth to nature through hands-on outdoor recreation and education in cities throughout the country. Canoemobile programs allow Wilderness Inquiry’s experienced trip leaders to guide kids and adults alike on paddles in unique hand-made Voyageur canoes that can accommodate six to ten people. Starting this summer, a Wilderness Inquiry rig with six 24-foot Voyageur canoes, paddles, and safety gear will be stationed at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. With six canoes stationed full-time in Chicagoland, Wilderness Inquiry will be able to greatly expand their programming in the region and partner with more organizations, schools, and events to get kids on the water and learning about our natural resources!

As you may recall, IDNR CMP partnered with Wilderness Inquiry last summer to bring these amazing canoes and their awesome staff to events in Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor, and Illinois Beach State Park. It is our hope that this new regional hub will expand our partnership with this great organization and we can’t wait to bring more of these wonderful events to the coastal zone! We wish Wilderness Inquiry nothing but the best with their new expansion!

Farewell and thank you, Lisa!

Lisa Cotner, our Coastal Grants Specialist, recently transitioned out of the Illinois Coastal Management Program to start a new role with the Office of Grants Management at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. During her time with the Illinois Coastal Management Program, Lisa excitedly took on the challenge of developing and administering our Coastal Grants Program. She efficiently shaped and managed the program with flawless attention to detail, meticulous record-keeping, and active communication and engagement with the Coastal Program’s grantees. Thanks to Lisa’s commitment and hard work, our Coastal Program has been able to award almost 100 grants during five funding cycles!

We are grateful to Lisa for her willingness to don multiple hats to assist with the continual improvement, refinement and expansion of the IDNR Coastal Management Program. Her assistance with strategic planning and streamlining internal processes led to CMP’s ability to be more effective and responsive in our implementation of coastal resource management. Our office will greatly miss Lisa’s friendly and approachable persona. We would like to thank Lisa for being more than just a colleague: we have all benefited tremendously from her friendship, mentorship, empathy, and ability to listen and find solutions to problems.

On behalf of our coastal watershed partners, we are grateful for Lisa’s work across agencies and programs to achieve larger programmatic goals such as coastal habitat improvement through her work on the Wildlife Action Plan, stormwater management through her engagement with the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative, and several other projects related to our strategic goals. We can’t thank Lisa enough for being with the program right from its very inception and bringing us to where we are today. As of May 1st, Lisa started a new position as the Chief Accountability Officer with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. We’re looking forward to engaging with her in her new capacity and wish her the very best in her new role.

Last call! Applications for our Coastal Engagement and Project Manager position due June 14th

Go for it! Our partner, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is hiring for a Coastal Engagement and Project Manager position. This role would provide technical, leadership and project management support to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program (CMP). Areas of work include improving water quality and habitats, enhancing sustainable economic development, and coastal recreation, addressing coastal hazards and building community resilience. The position is located in Chicago, Illinois.

Candidates must have a Master’s degree and experience writing or preparing clear and understandable scientific or technical reports, proposals, public communication pieces, giving oral presentations, and complex project and partnership management. For more information on the position and a link to apply with the university, please visit: http://tiny.cc/pb2z6y. To ensure full consideration, applicants should submit all required materials by June 14, 2019.

Thinking about a project involving shoreline protection?

Depending on your project, you might need to apply for a permit from multiple agencies. The Illinois Sand Management Working Group’s permitting team put together this video to give you all the information you need to get started with applying for a permit. This video was developed in consultation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, US Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District Regulatory Branch, IDNR Office of Water Resources, and other agencies. Click on the picture above to watch the video!

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.

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

Public Forum on Beaches in the Northern Lakeshore and Resilient Coastlines - July 10th in Evanston
Join the Illinois Sand Management Working Group and Rep. Robyn Gabel's office for a public forum on Wednesday, July 10th at the Evanston Ecology Center in Evanston from 7:00-8:30 pm. The forum will focus on topics related to coastal erosion and shoreline resilience. Sign up here!

Share your Announcement!
Would you like your event announcement to be included in our next newsletter? Email your submissions to DNR.CMP@illinois.gov