Section 3060.75 Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund Grant Program - Maintenance of Wildlife Rehabilitation Facilities That Take Care of Threatened or Endangered Species

Section 3060.75  Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund

Grant Program − Maintenance of Wildlife Rehabilitation Facilities That

Take Care of Threatened or Endangered Species

Pursuant to the Illinois Non-Game Wildlife Protection Act

[30 ILCS 155/4(c)], 5% of the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund will be

committed to or expended on grants by the Department for the maintenance of

wildlife rehabilitation facilities that take care of threatened or endangered

species.  For purposes of calculating the 5%, the amount in the Fund is

exclusive of any federal funds deposited in or credited to the Fund.  The

amount to be committed to or expended on grants for the maintenance of

facilities that take care of threatened or endangered species shall be

calculated by multiplying the total amount received through the Illinois

Wildlife Preservation Fund check-off on the Illinois 1040 State income tax

return during the most recent calendar year for which the total of donations

has been reported by the Illinois Department of Revenue by 0.05.

a)         Eligibility

Requirements

1)         Eligible

recipients are limited to those persons who possess a current wildlife

rehabilitation license/permit issued by the Department and who have provided

care for threatened or endangered wildlife species during the 3-year period

preceding the date of their application for grant funds.   Those applicants who

intend to use any portion of grant funds received from the Department to take

care of migratory birds must also possess a current wildlife rehabilitation

license/permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allowing that activity.

2)         Eligible

projects are limited to those projects necessary for maintenance of facilities

used to rehabilitate threatened or endangered species.  Eligible uses of grant

funds are limited to structural repair and maintenance of existing buildings,

pens, cages and appurtenant facilities used to take care of threatened or

endangered wildlife species

dlife Service allowing that activity.

2)         Eligible

projects are limited to those projects necessary for maintenance of facilities

used to rehabilitate threatened or endangered species.  Eligible uses of grant

funds are limited to structural repair and maintenance of existing buildings,

pens, cages and appurtenant facilities used to take care of threatened or

endangered wildlife species.

3)         Grants

shall be limited to a maximum of $2,000 to qualified, eligible applicants per

year.

b)         Application

Procedures

1)         Grant

applications for funding assistance under this program shall be submitted to

the Department at One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, Illinois 62702-1271, Attention: Office of Resource Conservation. The application deadline will be April

1. Application forms and instructions are available through the Department.

Applications received after the deadline will be returned to the applicant and

not considered by the Department.

2)         Applications

shall contain all of the following required information:

A)        the

name and address of the applicant

B)        the

name of a contact person

C)        a

daytime telephone number and e-mail address (if available) for a contact person

D)         a

comprehensive project description with justification, including:

i)         a

description of the facilities, including photographs, at which the grant funds

will be used

ii)        detailed

description of the eligible uses for which grant funds will be expended,

including drawings and/or photographs illustrating the portions of the

facilities that will be maintained with grant funds

iii)        detailed

description of the benefits to threatened or endangered wildlife species that

will result from the proposed expenditure of grant funds

iv)        property

location and map of property

E)         a

comprehensive funding/budget summary, including:

i)          actual

cash contributions other than the grant amount

ii)         labor

equity contributions

iii)

grant funds

iii)        detailed

description of the benefits to threatened or endangered wildlife species that

will result from the proposed expenditure of grant funds

iv)        property

location and map of property

E)         a

comprehensive funding/budget summary, including:

i)          actual

cash contributions other than the grant amount

ii)         labor

equity contributions

iii)        documented

price of expected expenditures for the maintenance project

F)         a

list of all threatened or endangered wildlife species cared for at the facility

in the 3 years preceding the application for grant funds and the percentage of

the facility's total caseload comprised of threatened or endangered wildlife

species during that 3 year period

G)        a

photocopy of current wildlife rehabilitation licenses/permits issued to the

applicant by the Department and/or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

H)        signature

of the applicant or authorized individual for applicant

c)         Project

Evaluation and Procedures

1)         All

applications received on time, and containing the minimum required information,

will be reviewed by Department staff. Incomplete applications will be returned

to the applicant for completion and resubmittal. Submitting an incomplete

application does not extend the application beyond the application deadline.

Department staff will select those projects that they determine best fit the purposes

of the fund and prepare a prioritized list of projects recommended for funding.

Staff will consider the following in making recommendations: completed

application, deadline met, past grant performance of applicant, eligibility,

feasibility, adverse impacts and priority for the Department.  The staff shall

provide to the Director all eligible applications and a prioritized list of

recommended projects deemed to be consistent with the purposes of the Illinois

Wildlife Preservation Fund.

2)         The

Director shall make the determination of what grants shall be awarded

ast grant performance of applicant, eligibility,

feasibility, adverse impacts and priority for the Department.  The staff shall

provide to the Director all eligible applications and a prioritized list of

recommended projects deemed to be consistent with the purposes of the Illinois

Wildlife Preservation Fund.

2)         The

Director shall make the determination of what grants shall be awarded.

Applicants shall be notified of the Director's decision.

3)         Reporting Requirements

A)        The

grantee shall provide a written Final Report (consisting of two hard copies and

one CD or 3½" diskette in Word or PDF format; Macintosh format will not be

accepted) to the Department no later than 30 days following the completion of

the project or the ending date of the grant agreement, whichever is earlier.

The Final Report shall take the form of a technical report or manuscript for

publication and include all of the following required information:

i)          grant agreement number

grantee name,

address and telephone number

time-frame of the

report

name and telephone number or

e-mail address of grantee representative completing the report

ii)         project

objective as described in the application and grant agreement

iii)        completed project

description

iv)        summary

of the project accomplishments (if applicable) as follows:

introduction, materials and methods,

results, discussion and summary sections

deliverables of five to 10 digital

images (color/black and white photos and slides are acceptable, though digital

images are preferred) depicting the study species, project site, project

activities, or other aspects of the project

for education of the general

public, a list of wildlife and/or native plant resources (by species) that

benefited from the project and how they benefited, specific audience affected,

measurable outcomes achieved, and list of products resulting from the project

total project expenditures

itemized to include the following:  name and address of vendor, item

de

es, or other aspects of the project

for education of the general

public, a list of wildlife and/or native plant resources (by species) that

benefited from the project and how they benefited, specific audience affected,

measurable outcomes achieved, and list of products resulting from the project

total project expenditures

itemized to include the following:  name and address of vendor, item

description identifying details (if applicable), quantity purchased, date item

purchased

project expenditures paid by funds

other than Special Wildlife Grant Funds

B)        Final

payment will not be processed until the Final Report and payment request

certification are received and approved by the Department.  Failure to provide

reports in a timely fashion may render the grantee ineligible to receive

payments under the current award or make the grantee ineligible for future

awards. Deadlines for reports may be extended for just cause when a request is submitted

in writing at least two weeks prior to the deadline.