Will County preservation group gets more than $99,000 for Pilcher Park, prairie preserve cleanup

The Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves in Will and Grundy counties has received $99,439.56 from the state of Illinois for a program aimed at removing invasive species at local sites.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced almost $1 million in grants to support 14 stewardship programs managed by land trusts on land protected by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission.

The grants are part of the Illinois Natural Areas Stewardship Grant program, which aims to increase the delivery of much-needed land and water stewardship activities to natural areas permanently protected within the INPC system, according to the IDNR.

“Given the growing stewardship needs of natural areas throughout Illinois, this grant program funds projects that help land trusts expand staff and purchase equipment for these activities,” according to a news release announcing the grants.

The Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves will use the grant money to “enlist support staff to recruit volunteers and purchase equipment to perform ecological restoration through prescribed fire implementation and invasive species removal” at Short Pioneer Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve in Coal City and Pilcher Park Nature Preserve in Joliet, according to a release from the IDNR.

Funding for this grant program is derived from a portion of the Illinois Natural Areas Acquisition Fund. The fund must be used by the IDNR for the acquisition and stewardship of natural areas, including habitats for endangered and threatened species.