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IDNR Coastal Management Program
December 2020
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To all our Coastal Partners and Friends,
Well, if you are reading this, we’ve made it through a really challenging, dangerous and unprecedented year. I think we are all feeling some sort of loss and sadness from these last 9 months. Many, if not all of our communities have been hit hard by Covid-19, especially our communities of color. And many of you may be facing losses within your circle of family and friends. For those folks and anyone else suffering through illness, economic pain and other impacts of the year, you are in our thoughts and hearts. We are also so grateful for all those nurses, doctors, transit workers, grocery store workers and others in essential services for their many sacrifices.
In addition to a pandemic, this year was also a call to action on systemic racism and injustice in our society. So many partners are working to improve equity and inclusion in their organizations and programs. We all hope the brutal and tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others have sparked the conscience of our culture to truly make significant and lasting changes to our systems. Illinois Department of Natural Resources and our Coastal Management Program have been considering how we can better serve our communities of color, address environmental justice issues, and prevent both implicit and explicit bias in our own culture.
Although this has been a difficult year, we are so grateful to have such excellent partners in our work on our beloved Lake Michigan. You all have been working hard to accomplish your missions and doing great things in conservation, education, planning, and protecting our coastal resources, despite all the challenges. The Coastal Program staff have done impressive work through the technological challenges, communication issues, and managing both home and work. This year, the Coastal Management Program hosted a coastal habitat workshop; planned for 2021 competitive grants; completed our first NOAA Coastal Management Program Evaluation; developed shoreline management guidance and informational products; completed revisions to achieve full approval of our Coastal Clean Waters Program; received permits to construct a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative shoreline pilot project at Illinois Beach; offered several training opportunities and so much more! I am proud of the Coastal Management Team and we all are appreciative of all of your help, cooperation, hard work, and great ideas. We couldn’t do what we do without your partnerships and support!
And of course, the Coastal Team wishes you the happiest of holidays. Please stay safe and healthy throughout the season. We hope you find ways to make this unusual holiday season very special and meaningful. We look forward to a slowly normalizing New Year with all of you, and we can’t wait to close the door on 2020!!
Best Wishes for a safe, healthy, and joyous Holiday Season!
Diane Tecic, Coastal Program Director
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The Coastal Program staff holiday party went virtual this year!
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Coastal Competitive Grants Pre-Announcement
We are happy to announce that in early 2021, the IDNR Coastal Management Program will be accepting pre-applications for the next round of coastal grants. Our Coastal Program awards grants to protect, preserve, and restore the natural and cultural resources along the Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline. Funding will be available for projects focused on 1) habitats and species 2) public access, recreation, and economic development, and 3) coastal community resilience. Eligible applicants for the coastal grants include local government and non-profits. Once available, all application materials and resources will be available at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/cmp/Pages/grants.aspx and we will send out additional announcements (in the future) to provide more information on this funding opportunity.
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Congratulations on a successful NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship, Cody!
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Illinois CMP would like to congratulate Cody Eskew on successfully completing his NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship. This competitive ~2 year fellowship places emerging coastal management professionals in state coastal zone programs for on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy and to provide project assistance to states. We were lucky to have Cody Eskew join us over the past year and a half to advance important projects related to shoreline management and coastal resilience. Of note, he worked with us to meet needs identified by the Illinois Sand Management Working Group, helped explore new and innovative coastal resilience solutions for our shoreline, and helped cement the foundations for more regional collaboration on sediment management in Illinois. You can read more about his excellent work and accomplishments during his tenure with us here.
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Two more things for this abbreviated newsletter edition...
ISGS Coastal on WILL NPR
ISGS Coastal Geologist Steve Brown recently participated on WILL NPR's radio show The 21st for a segment on coastal erosion. Check out the episode, The Great Lakes' Eroding Beaches, here!
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Funding Opportunity The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program (IISG) anticipates having $800,000 to invest in promising research projects relevant to southern Lake Michigan and surrounding coastal communities in northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. Work is to be completed in the 2022-23 biennium. Investigators from educational or research institutions including universities, museums, and other NGOs, are eligible to serve as PI for these funds. Priority will be given to Illinois- and Indiana-based researchers. Researchers from other states are welcome to apply but proposed work must demonstrate how it will benefit the mission of IISG. Prospective PIs must submit a preproposal to be considered for funding by 5 p.m. February 1, 2021. See the full announcement, including research priorities plus detailed guidance on preproposal development and submission, here.
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Share your Announcement!
Would you like your event announcement to be included in our next newsletter? Email your submissions to DNR.CMP@illinois.gov
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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.
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