ILLINOIS CONSERVATION 2000
            When Illinois leaders in conservation desired to expand the state’s conservation efforts as the year 2000 approached, they were challenged by the fact that Illinois landscape is 90 percent privately owned with more than 75 percent of the state in farmland.
            To meet the challenge of conservation on privately owned land, leaders sought input from citizens. “Participants in these public involvement processes believed that it was possible to have and preserve the natural resources of Illinois through ecosystem-based management and through protection and enhancement strategies that are matched to each ecosystem’s scale.
“Two key criteria were established for new Programs designed to preserve the natural resources of Illinois: they must be voluntary, and based on incentives rather than government regulation; they must be broad-based, locally-organized efforts, incorporating the interests and participation of local communities, and of private, public and corporate landowners. It was further asserted that the private sector stood to gain economically from such Programs and implementation is a joint responsibility.
“In response to these recommendations, landmark legislation was passed (without a dissenting vote) by the General Assembly in 1995 initiating Conservation 2000 (C2000), a comprehensive six-year $100 million initiative designed to take a holistic long-term approach to protecting and managing Illinois' natural resources. With overwhelmingly positive support for the program, House Bill 1746 was signed into law in August of 1999 extending the C2000 Program until the year 2009.” http://dnr.state.il.us/OREP/c2000/
The 14-year Conservation 2000 program (C2000) is now in its 12th year. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has organized 41 watershed-based partnerships covering 31 million acres or 86% of Illinois land and 98% of Illinois population. Stephenson County is included in the Sugar-Pecatonica Rivers Ecosystem Partnership, one of the partnerships formed by coalitions of local stakeholders that have an interest in preserving and enhancing the natural resources of Illinois.
Under C2000, IDNR also measures ecosystem conditions and trends across the state in a Critical Trends Assessment Program. Scientists from the Natural History Survey collect ecosystem-monitoring data from approximately 600 stream, forest, wetland and grassland sites, statistically selected to represent the range of ecosystem quality in Illinois. Find out more at http://dnr.state.il.us.orep/ctap.
Two other state departments partner with IDNR in C2000. The Illinois Department of Agriculture oversees a grant program for Soil and Water Conservation Districts, distributes cost-share funds for conservation practices, operates a sustainable agriculture grants program, and provides a stream bank stabilization/restoration program. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agencyoversees a Clean Lakes Program.
            During the past twelve years, 920 projects received grants from C2000 funds totaling $34,916,645 matched by $33,128,341 from participants. Projects have restored 71,000 acres of habitat, acquired 5,500 acres of natural areas, restored 524,000 of stream feet, and educated 888,000 students/citizens.
            Your tax dollars are one of the partners in conservation efforts in Illinois.

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, NRCS/Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District, an equal opportunity provider and employer, 09/19/07 (for publication on 09/22/07 in the Journal-Standard, Freeport, Illinois) Della can be reached at info@stephensonswcd.org