Illinois Administrative Code
Title 17 - CONSERVATION
Part 1523 - PARTNERS FOR CONSERVATION - ECOSYSTEMS PROGRAM
Section 1523.110 - Review of Ecosystem Project Grant Applications
Universal Citation: 17 IL Admin Code ยง 1523.110
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) Applications meeting the requirements set forth in Section 1523.100 will be provided to the appropriate Ecosystem Partnership for the LPC to review, score and provide recommendations for funding according to procedures outlined in the Ecosystem Partnership bylaws. The LPC shall evaluate Ecosystem Project Grant applications based upon: criteria as set forth in the definition of Program Guidance; and goals and objectives of the Ecosystem Partnership including the Vision Plan. In the review, each LPC will provide a score to the Department based upon a consistent statewide numeric standard procedure provided by the Department.
b) Department staff will also make recommendations for funding to the Director based on a review process and the collective evaluation of the following:
1) The ratio of matching dollars and value of
in-kind services to the requested Conservation 2000 dollars.
2) The project's Natural Resource Evaluation.
The Natural Resource Evaluation is designed to assess the relative natural
resource benefit of a project using the criteria set forth in the definition of
Program Guidance within each of the 6 Ecosystem Project categories: Habitat,
Research, Outreach/Education, Resource Economics, Planning and Land
Acquisition/Easement.
A) The Natural Resource
Evaluation for Habitat and Land Acquisition/Easement projects will take into
consideration:
i) Appropriateness of the
project as reflected by the project's relationship to existing plans,
Department policies and objectives, and current scientific
understanding.
ii) The duration of
the habitat protection or improvement practice, and potential cumulative
benefits in relation to previously funded practices.
iii) The ecological ramifications of a
project. For example, use of exotic species detracts from the ecological
benefits of a project; use of native species enhances the ecological benefits
of a project; multi-species benefits increase overall ecological benefits; and
projects that address restoration of ecosystem functions offer the greatest
benefits.
iv) Relative cost
effectiveness.
v) Follow-up
monitoring of effectiveness of a project. Projects including follow-up
monitoring will receive greater consideration.
B) The Natural Resource Evaluation for
Research projects will take into consideration:
i) The degree to which the proposed research
helps formulate or advance partnership goals and any existing watershed
management goals or plans.
ii)
Validity of the research design and methodology.
iii) Expertise of the
investigators.
iv) Appropriateness
of the budget, given the scope and time line for the project.
v) Availability of the research results. The
results of the investigation must be made available to the Ecosystem
Partnership and the Department, at a minimum, in a timely manner after
completion of the research.
C) The Natural Resource Evaluation for
Outreach/Education projects will take into consideration:
i) Relationship to a resource management plan
or, in the absence of a plan, the Department's educational and/or resource
management goals.
ii) The breadth
of the audience to be reached.
iii)
The quality of the educational materials to be produced or utilized in the
outreach effort.
iv) Measures
included to ensure technical accuracy of written materials and consistency with
stated Department policies.
v)
Efforts to assess the effectiveness of outreach efforts.
D) The Natural Resource Evaluation for
Resource Economics projects will take into consideration:
i) The relationship between the proposed
project and the Ecosystem Partnership's goals.
ii) The relationship between project cost and
direct economic benefits to be generated.
iii) Validity of models and statistical
techniques employed in forecasting economic benefits.
iv) The potential applicability of project
results to other Ecosystem Partnerships.
E) The Natural Resource Evaluation for
Planning projects will take into consideration:
i) Quality and validity of the planning
effort with respect to the diversity and breadth of stakeholder
involvement.
ii) Quality of the
planning effort with respect to the degree the natural resource inventory
information (particularly the quality, quantity and distribution of native
habitat information) has been inventoried and incorporated as green
infrastructure and a framework for planning.
iii) The relationship between the Ecosystem
Partnership's currently proposed planning effort and its past planning efforts
and past performance. (What was the success of past planning? Is this planning
effort building upon earlier planning; i.e., Vision Plan?)
iv) The potential applicability to other
Ecosystem Partnerships as a planning process.
3) The project's Ecosystem Partnership
Performance Evaluation. The Ecosystem Partnership Performance Evaluation is
based upon the relationship of the proposed project to the Ecosystem
Partnership's:
A) Stated goals and any
published watershed plan endorsed by the Ecosystem Partnership.
B) Planning efforts that meet the standards
of Section
1523.60.
C) Use of volunteers (whose efforts have not
been included as in-kind match) in implementation.
D) Participation of multiple partners with a
high level of coordination between partners.
E) Past grant performance, if the applicant
has previously received funding under this program.
F) Potential for educational interpretation
of amenities to be developed as part of the project.
G) Consistency of the application with the
Program Guidance.
H) Ability to
integrate research and data collection efforts with statewide data collection,
management storage and retrieval systems.
4) Results of the Department's Comprehensive
Environmental Review Process (CERP). The CERP assesses the potential for
negative natural resource impacts and project conformance with other natural
resource regulatory statutes.
5)
Other factors, such as the criteria set forth in the definition of Program
Guidance, special funding, relationship to Departmental initiatives and plans
including the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, potential value
to other Ecosystem Partnerships, etc., will be considered, when applicable, to
the selection of projects.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Illinois may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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