Prairie Hills Resource Conservation & Development Inc

The Illinois Hills Prairie Restoration Partnership Project Will Award $50,0000 to Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development, Inc Will Work Cooperatively With the U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (for the Benefit of Federal Trust Resources on Private Land. the Goal of the Partnership Is to Enhance and Restore Hill Prairie Habitat in Illinois. Projects Will Be Focused in Scott and Morgan Counties North of Interstate 72, in Cass and Menard Counties, and in Mason County South of Hwy 136.CONSISTENT With Illinois's Partners' for Fish and Wildlife Strategic Plan, Habitat Restoration Projects Are Completed in Focal Areas and Often Rely on Expertise and Cost-share From Multiple Partners. in Illinois, the Hill Prairie Focus Area Includes Scott, Morgan, Mason, and Cass Counties Outlined in the Partnership Agreement. Hill Prairie Restoration and Enhancement Meets the Partners Program's Objectives of Restoring High Quality Pollinator and Monarch Habitat. This Project Area Also Falls Within a Major Migratory Bird Corridor and Will Provide Optimal Stopover Habitat for Numerous Species of Passerines. the State Endangered Ottoe Skipper and Pale False Foxglove Are Found in Similar Prairie Restoration Sites Within the Project Area and Both Species Are Expected to Benefit From Hill Prairie Restoration.the Restoration Projects Consist of Restoring a Native Hill Prairie by Removing Invasive Cedar and Locust Trees, as Well as by Removing Non-native Pasture Plants Such as Smooth Brome, Crown Vetch and Fescue. Restoring Native Warm Season Grass May Increase Water Quality in the Illinois River Watershed. Additionally, Prairie Habitats Sequester Carbon and Can Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change.