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Illinois

Together with its partners, the Fund has safeguarded more than 48,000 acres across Illinois. By leveraging public and private support, the Fund pioneered new approaches to conservation and development, led restoration efforts at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, and spearheaded the protection of fragile wetlands and waterways along the Fox River.

Great Lakes Revolving Loan Fund

A generous lead grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has enabled the Fund and its partners to protect nearly 20,000 acres, valued at nearly $56 million, within the Great Lakes Basin, the nation's most significant freshwater ecosystem.  Read more>

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, IL

Located on 19,000 acres about an hour’s drive southwest of Chicago, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is the country’s largest restoration project for tallgrass prairie.  Read more>

Mississippi River Revolving Fund

Since 1994, the Fund and its partners have protected more than 14,400 acres of important wildlife habitat and recreation lands along the great river valued at over $19.6 million.  Read more>

Northeastern Illinois Wetlands Conservation Account

NEIWCA funds the restoration of wetlands and natural habitats throughout the Chicago area through an innovative partnership program. Since 1997, the conservation account has contributed over $3.8 million to groups working on over 100 individual projects in Illinois' six northeastern counties--Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage and Will.   Read more>

Palisades Preserve: Dramatic Bluffs, Forests Preserved with Revolving Fund

Thanks to a loan from its Mississippi River Revolving Fund, the Fund helped the Great Rivers Land Trust and its partners protect spectacular bluffs and key habitat for future generations.  Read more>

Upper Midwest Conservation Initiative

To protect this uniquely American landscape, The Conservation Fund has, since 1985, joined with public agencies, private land trusts and landowners to safeguard more than 52,000 acres of recreation areas, wetlands, working forests and wilderness in the Upper Midwest.  Read more>
Regional Scorecard - Midwest
Acres Protected: 282,085
Fair Market Value: $318,456,376
Acquisition Cost: $163,922,816
Total Acres Conserved Since 1985: 282,085
American Landscape at Risk

Lake Superior

The Upper Midwest, which has long sustained both wildlife and thriving communities, is now increasingly threatened by sprawl and land sales. The Fund's new initiative is working to protect the remaining forestlands, prairies and undeveloped lands along the Mississippi River and across the region. Read more>

How the Fund Can Help You

From government agencies to corporations, from private landowners to land trusts and local communities, the Fund's partners seek our expertise to:

Pledge to our Donors
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