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Comprehensive Environmental Review Process and The Environmental Reporter

Image of Illinois wetland shared by the Illinois Geological Survey;
Prairie Research Institute

The Comprehensive Environmental Review Process (CERP) coordinates internal reviews of actions funded or performed by IDNR to ensure that they comply with relevant state and federal environmental statutes. ‘Action’ includes anything that disturbs the land, water, or air. You can find some FAQs here. The CERP Manual provides a description of the process and its procedures, and lists department actions that are exempt from the review. To initiate CERP, applicants can submit their projects online using EcoCAT - the Ecological Compliance Assessment Tool - or complete the CERP form and send it to the CERP coordinator in the Office of Realty and Environmental Planning.

The Environmental Reporter

The Environmental Reporter lists projects that have been screened through the internal environmental review process for potential impacts on wetlands, threatened and endangered species, and cultural and archaeological resources, etc. Through the review process it was determined that environmental impacts have been kept to a minimum and mitigated as necessary, that they do not meet the criteria for significant actions as defined in the environmental review process, and may proceed. All of these projects are in compliance with the Endangered Species Protection Act, Natural Areas Preservation Act, Interagency Wetlands Policy Act and cultural resource statutes.

Archives

Listed below are the most recent editions of the Environmental Reporter. Prior editions are available here.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​