IAPD Joins With Illinois Department of Conservation to Sponsor Grants Workshop

The Illinois Association of Park Districts joined the Illinois Department of Conservation in sponsoring two workshops on grants held January 31 and February 1 in Springfield. The workshops were designed to inform participants of the availability of new monies for Bikeway and Open Space Acquisition and Development. Both the seasoned, as well as the first time grant writer received tips on developing and submitting grant applications.

John Comerio, Director of Office Planning and Development at the Department of Conservation, congratulated the combined efforts of the IAPD, IPRA and elected officials on the local level, which resulted in the passage of Senate Bill 787. The bill dedicates revenue for bikeway programs. The DOC projects that typically about $2 million a year will be available to be used for competitive grants to local governments. However, DOC Director, Mark Frech, has made a decision to accelerate the program in the next three years so that it will generate $2 1/2 to 3 million per year for competitive grants.

The DOC estimates costs at $100,000 per mile for new trail development, and with the local match of 50 percent, the Department expects to create at least 400 new miles of trails by the year 2000. When combined with the existing 400 miles of trails across the state, plus some other initiatives that Conservation has planned in the next three years, it is projected that the state can easily achieve 1,000 miles of trails by the year 2000.

Program Specifics

The grant program operates on a reimbursement basis providing up to a maximum 50 percent funding assistance on total approved project costs. Maximum grant assistance for development projects shall be limited to $200,000 per request. No grant amount limit exists for acquisition projects. Project costs for which reimbursement is sought cannot be incurred by the project applicant until after Conservation Department grant approval. Costs incurred prior to Department project approval are ineligible for grant assistance.

Project grant applications should consist of the following basic components: completed application forms; a narrative statement describing the project concept, location, need for and objectives of the project, anticipated benefits and method of financing or accomplishing the project; an itemized project development cost estimate (development projects only); project location maps; project plat map; a proposed site development plan; and an environmental evaluation describing, at a minimum, current usage of project property and physical characteristics including topography, vegetation, wildlife habitat, soil and hydrologic/drainage conditions and adjacent land uses with special attention given to any state significant historic/cultural resources, natural area, and threatened/endangered species and habitat which may exist within or along the trail corridor; and impact the proposed project will have on these features.

Local agencies can receive up to 50 percent reimbursement on the approved certified fair market value of land anticipated for donation to the local project sponsor, and utilize such donation as all or part of the required local match on an approved project. However, the donated land must be maintained for public outdoor recreation bicycling purposes. The land donation can be combined with either an acquisition or development project.

No grant awards will be made for the acquisition or development of land which will not be available for bicycling use by the general public.

For more information and grant applications contact the IAPD or the Department of Conservation, Division of Technical Services, Grants Section, Lincoln Tower Plaza, 524 South Second Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701-1787, 217/782-7481.