State Furbearer Funding

​ The State Furbearer Fund provides grants for projects that benefit furbearing mammals and improve harvesting opportunities for hunters and trappers of furbearers. This fund is part of the Special Wildlife Funds Grant Program. Grants through the State Furbearer Fund are competitive and are evaluated for their merit.

Eligible projects do one or more of the following:

• Educate hunters, trappers and the general public about fur-bearing mammals and their management
• Provide instruction and training to current and potential hunters and trappers on techniques and/or laws associated with hunting and trapping furbearing mammals
• Support scientific research on the ecology, conservation, or management of furbearing mammals
• Promote products made from wild furbearing mammals
• Develop and/or improve public furbearing mammal habitat management areas within Illinois.

The State Furbearer Fund provides grants to appropriate not-for-profit organizations, governmental entities, educational institutions, and corporations.

An "Appropriate Not-For-Profit Organization" must have the support, development, conservation or promotion of furbearers as one of its stated purposes in its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws.

All applicants must be pre-qualified through the State of Illinois Grantee Portal. Additional information on prequalification is available here.

Please read the Notice of Funding Opportunity for more details on this program including scoring criteria and grant program rules and restrictions.

• Furbearer Application Form
  

• Furbearer Uniform Grant Budget Form
  

• W-9

• Programmatic Risk Assessment

• Narrative: Applicants must also include a narrative that contains

  • A comprehensive project description with justification, including the wildlife to benefit from the project​
    
  • The plan for implementation of the project scope of work;
  • A map of project area and/or site;
  • The amount of habitat to be established or managed, including species to be planted or eliminated;
  • If the project is to be performed with cooperators, plat map showing each property to be developed and a copy of a farm program contract for each committed cooperator involved in the project or estimated acreage. (Committed cooperators will be given priority over estimated acreage.);
  • A comprehensive plan for the operation and maintenance of the project, including supervision, estimated costs (including any fees) and storage location, if applicable;
  • A complete a comprehensive Funding/budget summary form;
  • Actual cash contributions other than the grant amount;
  • Documented purchase price of equipment or commodities;
  • Description of plan for general public access or use (or lack thereof); and
  • Signature of the applicant or authorized individual for applicant.

Please read "How to Write a Grant Proposal" for additional guidance.

Grant applications for funding assistance under this program may be submitted online in the Amplifund portal.

Project Evaluation, Selection and Notification

All applications received on time and containing the information required by the application packet will be reviewed by Department staff and will be forwarded to the State Furbearer Fund Committee.

The State Furbearer Fund Committee evaluates each application and provides a prioritized list of recommended projects to the IDNR Director. Applicants will be notified of the Director's decision. Successful grantees must sign a Grant Agreement.

This is a reimbursement grant. Reimbursable expenses must be incurred during the project period, which starts after the grant agreement is executed by both parties.

If you have any questions or need assistance with a grant application please contact Susan Duke

Email: Susan.Duke@illinois.gov
Phone: (217)-785-4416