Bill Text: IL SB3422 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act. Provides that all grants issued under the Act shall be cost-share grants. Provides that the cost-share approved by the Department of Natural Resources may include in-kind contributions of the applicant. Provides that grants issued under the Act may be used as matching funds for federal grant awards whose purpose is in line with the Act.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5)

Status: (Passed) 2026-07-31 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0726 [SB3422 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB3422-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning conservation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act
is amended by changing Section 20 as follows:
(525 ILCS 22/20)
Sec. 20. Establishment of the Healthy Forests, Wetlands,
and Prairies Grant Program.
(a) The Department of Natural Resources, subject to
appropriation, shall establish and administer a Healthy
Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program to restore
degraded forest lands and native prairies and to promote the
growth of native vegetation that removes carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere and helps mitigate the impact of climate
change.
(b) Entities that may apply to participate in the Healthy
Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program include:
(1) State agencies and units of local government,
including, but not limited to, municipalities, townships,
counties, forest preserves, and park districts;
(2) conservation land trusts;
(3) not-for-profit entities with conservation
missions, including, but not limited to, climate change

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mitigation, preservation of natural lands, and
conservation of the State's natural resources; and
(4) other entities that, because of their missions,
are determined by the Department to be eligible recipients
of the grants under this Act.
(c) At least 75% of the moneys appropriated for the
Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program shall be
awarded to the State agencies, units of local government, land
trusts, and other entities that the Department determines are
eligible for a grant under this Section. The Department may
use an amount not to exceed 23% of the moneys appropriated for
the Program for the purposes of restoring degraded forest
lands, and native prairies, and wetlands with the goal of
promoting and to promote the growth of native vegetation that
remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help mitigate
the impact of climate change. The Department may use an amount
not to exceed 2% of the moneys appropriated for the Healthy
Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program for
administrative costs associated with the Program. All grants
issued under this Act shall be cost-share grants. The
cost-share approved by the Department may include in-kind
contributions of the applicant. The grants issued under this
Act may be used as matching funds for federal grant awards
whose purpose is in line with this Act.
(d) The Department shall adopt any rules necessary for the
implementation of this Act, including rules establishing

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requirements and timeframes for the submission of grant
applications by entities that are authorized to apply to
participate in the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies
Grant Program as well as cost-share amounts or in-kind
contributions for the activities authorized under any grant
issued pursuant to this Act.
(e) Grants provided under this Act may be used by eligible
entities for the purpose of purchasing and : (1) matching funds
for federal or private dollars for projects that forward the
goal of climate change mitigation through promotion of the
management, planting, maintaining, and preserving of native
grasses, plants, and trees. ;
(f) The Department shall set by administrative rule, the
prioritization and criteria used for awarding grants under
this Act. Those priorities shall include, but not be limited
to:
(1) projects for the purchasing and planting of native
grasses, plants, and trees (2) financing projects along
roadways, and in parks, in and forest preserves, or on
public or private lands and where native grasses, plants,
or trees are not currently planted to plant native trees
and prairie grasses demonstrated to absorb carbon;
(2) (3) financing projects that promote the
stewardship of existing public and private urban forests,
prairies, and wetlands that include and natural lands,
including the removal of invasive or nonnative plant

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species in addition to the planting of native grasses,
plants, and trees where such native species are not
currently growing; or
(3) projects for the purchase and planting of native
grasses, plants, and trees for the purpose of shoreline
restoration and protection projects on behalf of counties,
municipalities, and park districts. (4) funding regional
teams tasked with planting native prairie grasses and
trees, prescribed burning for the maintenance of natural
lands, removing invasive plant species, and educational
outreach;
Additionally, the Department may issue additional funds in
an awarded grant for (5) promoting, education, and marketing
regarding local projects that will be funded by a grant issued
pursuant to this Act. Those public outreach efforts must
include projects or steps community members may take to
promote the growth of native vegetation that removes carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere. ; and
(6) financing shoreline restoration and protection
projects on behalf of counties and park districts.
(Source: P.A. 103-923, eff. 1-1-25; 104-143, eff. 1-1-26.)