Illinois Wildlife Action Plan

Illinois Wildlife Action Plan The Illinois Wildlife Action Plan (IWAP) is a comprehensive guide to implementing conservation for vulnerable, non-game species.

The purpose of the IWAP page is to highlight current activities, information, and projects related to the Plan.

In 1972 the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act was passed and, in part, created a 9-person Endangered Species Pr...
03/22/2024

In 1972 the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act was passed and, in part, created a 9-person Endangered Species Protection Board (ESPB). The purpose of the ESPB is to produce and maintain a list of endangered and threatened (E&T) species in Illinois. This list is updated every 5 years by adding species, removing species, and changing a species’ status. The first Illinois list was completed in 1981 and identified a total of 436 E&T species. Of these, 72 were animal species and 364 were plant species. There have been many major and minor changes to the list over the years and as of 2020, 188 species have been delisted. Of these, 14 recovered, 73 were extirpated, 7 are extinct, 50 were found to be more common than thought, 28 were misidentified or changed taxon, 15 were vagrant/peripheral species, and fishing regulations provided adequate protection for 1. As of 2020, the Illinois species list names 483 species, of which, 153 are animals and 330 are plants.

The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board may consider adding a species to the list of endangered and threatened ...
03/13/2024

The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board may consider adding a species to the list of endangered and threatened species using criteria relevant to a species’ status, including: the species is formally widespread but now is nearly extirpated from the state, exhibits a very restricted geographic range that Illinois is a part of, is in low populations or exhibits restricted habitats in the state, or that is significant disjuncts in Illinois. Every species that is Federally threatened or endangered and occurs within the state automatically qualifies. Requirements for removing a species from the list include: the species is extirpated from Illinois, more common than previously thought, and those recovered from endangerment. Any person may petition to the Endangered Species Protection Board to add to the list, remove from the list, or change the status of a species. Petitions can be found on the Endangered Species Protection Board website (see link below). The Barn Owl (Tyto alba; see photo) was initially listed as endangered in 1977. In 2015 the rank was downgraded to threatened and in 2020, was delisted due to the recovery of the species.

Link:https://dnr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnr/espb/documents/et-list-review-and-revision/espb-petition-forms.pdf

The Illinois list of endangered and threatened species includes 483 plants and animals at risk of extinction in the stat...
03/06/2024

The Illinois list of endangered and threatened species includes 483 plants and animals at risk of extinction in the state. All state listed species automatically qualify as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) within the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan (IWAP). Over the next few posts, we will summarize the history of the Illinois endangered and threatened species list and the process by which species are added or removed from the list.

Most threatened and endangered (T&E) species occurrence records are gathered during the growing season, but reporting th...
02/20/2024

Most threatened and endangered (T&E) species occurrence records are gathered during the growing season, but reporting those records often occurs in winter months. IDNR receives T&E records from staff, partners, and Illinois citizens and curates those records in the IDNR Natural Heritage Database. T&E records are used to assess species conservation status, inform regulatory decisions, and prioritize conservation actions. Reporting these sightings can be very beneficial to the conservation and protection of these species, if you have seen one or multiple of these listed species at any time throughout the year, you can submit an online report to the IDNR (see link below).

Link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/edcd8227df4e4fc0ad5582255ee9a69f?

Six species of bats are Illinois state-threatened or endangered and so are Species of Greatest Conservation Need within ...
02/14/2024

Six species of bats are Illinois state-threatened or endangered and so are Species of Greatest Conservation Need within the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan. To accurately and efficiently census bat populations and evaluate their conservation status IDNR and its partners perform winter bat hibernacula surveys. Hibernacula are used by bats in winter for hibernation and include areas such as caves, mines, and cliffs. Hibernacula surveys record the number of bat species as well as estimates for the number of individuals. Surveyors must be careful not to awaken the bats which may deplete their energy reserves and be fatal. Managing these areas are also important for protecting bat species from White-nose syndrome (WNS). WNS is a fungal disease that effects hibernating bats and has resulted in large decreases in many bat populations. One of these species is the northern long-eared bat of which numbers have declined by more than 95% across the species range. Conservation efforts for bats includes direct management of hibernacula to ensure appropriate microclimate conditions for overwintering survival.

The Illinois Chorus Frog (Pseudacris illinoensis) relies on uncommon habitats including ephemeral ponds in sandy soils. ...
02/09/2024

The Illinois Chorus Frog (Pseudacris illinoensis) relies on uncommon habitats including ephemeral ponds in sandy soils. This species remains buried in the soil for most of the year emerging only for a short period in late winter. IDNR staff conduct road-based survey routes for this species in February and March where the species may be detected by listening for its mating call at night. The calling period only lasts for 2-4 weeks before the frogs go back underground, so winter is the most important time to collect data for evaluation of the species’ conservation status. The results of these surveys are shown in the accompanying figure. With the help of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program award, IDNR will work with NRCS to provide additional habitat in agricultural landscapes. Many of the habitats for ICF occur on private and agricultural land, because of this, it is important to work with landowners on habitat protection and management.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program

Prescribed burns typically occur in the spring or fall but can also be done in the winter. Winter burns are done in area...
01/30/2024

Prescribed burns typically occur in the spring or fall but can also be done in the winter. Winter burns are done in areas where the plants being burned area very tall and create large flames, and by doing it in the winter it is much safer and more easily controlled. Although burns may seem harmful to plants, it is actually a very important process for maintaining appropriate habitat conditions. Burns can help by controlling invasive plants, recycling nutrients, and making room for new growth. IDNR staff conduct multiple burns throughout the year to protect and promote native plant growth and diversity in wetlands, prairies, forests, and other habitats listed in the Wildlife Action Plan. Historically burning may have occurred from natural processes such as lightning and has been practiced by indigenous peoples for thousands of years.

Summer isn’t the only time of the year IDNR staff and partners are working to manage the many different campaigns and sp...
01/24/2024

Summer isn’t the only time of the year IDNR staff and partners are working to manage the many different campaigns and species of the Wildlife Action Plan. Winter can be just as busy as staff curate biological data collected during the previous year, conduct biological surveys for animals that are easiest to detect or enumerate in winter, and manage habitat. Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting some of the winter conservation work currently underway.

The Outdoor Illinois Journal is home to many articles regarding the flora and fauna of Illinois, including species and c...
12/13/2023

The Outdoor Illinois Journal is home to many articles regarding the flora and fauna of Illinois, including species and communities related to the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan (IWAP). Articles range in topics from monitoring threatened and endangered species such as the Black-crowned Nigh-heron and Osprey, to Ways to Have a Wild-Life Friendly Yard this Fall. Check out the Outdoor Illinois Journal for more information on all natural resource related articles. https://outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org/category/recreation/

Global declines in insects are primarily due to habitat loss and pollution, with aquatic insect groups being particularl...
04/26/2023

Global declines in insects are primarily due to habitat loss and pollution, with aquatic insect groups being particularly threatened. The Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) are a relatively well-known and charismatic group of aquatic insects with an amateur naturalist following. They play key functional roles both within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and across terrestrial-aquatic boundaries. More research is needed to understand the patterns and processes of odonate distributions, rarity, and vulnerability.

SWG Project T-132 will focus on assessing the conservation status of odonates in Illinois based on species, geography, and historical record. Focusing specifically on data-deficient species can lead to targeted management that may benefit multiple at-risk species across taxonomic classifications.

For more information on SWG Project T-132: https://dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/iwap/t-132-r1-status-assessment-of-odonates-in-illinois-.html

For many migratory species, the migratory period is the period of their full life cycle with the greatest mortality. Ill...
04/26/2023

For many migratory species, the migratory period is the period of their full life cycle with the greatest mortality. Illinois hosts approximately 350 species annually—half of which are migrants passing through Illinois on their spring and fall migration. Many of these species are of conservation concern, and loss or degradation of migratory stopover habitat may be one of the greatest limiting factors. Stopover habitat is needed to allow migratory birds to safely replenish fat stores during their migration.

SWG Project T-138 will focus on providing information on the habitat use and behavior of migrating grassland birds to inform conservation planning for Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and Illinois Wildlife Action Plan (IWAP) Farmland & Prairie Campaign focal species. Specifically, the project will determine the seasonal distribution of grassland birds in the two migratory seasons and compare the distribution and habitat use to the species’ habitat use and distribution in the breeding season.

For more information on SWG Project T-138: https://dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/iwap/t-138-r1-identifying-high-quality-habitat-for-migrating-grassland-birds.html

Let's talk more about species recovery! The second phase of the Species Recovery Process is the Conservation Planning Ph...
04/12/2023

Let's talk more about species recovery!

The second phase of the Species Recovery Process is the Conservation Planning Phase. A Conservation Planning Document will be created for each species to establish a need for conservation, identify conservation objectives, and inventory conservation actions. A Conservation Planning Document will communicate the Species Recovery Team’s vision for managing the focal species towards a desired conservation outcome.

Keep a look out for more information on the Conservation Planning Phase on the Species Recovery webpage!

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