Section 3060.50  State Furbearer Fund Grant Program

a)         Eligibility Requirements

1)         Eligible recipients are limited to appropriate not-for-profit organizations, governmental entities, educational institutions or corporations.

2)         Eligible projects are limited to those that educate hunters and trappers of fur-bearing mammals within the State and the general public concerning the role  that hunting and trapping has upon fur-bearing mammal management; the laws associated with the harvesting of fur-bearing mammals; the techniques used in the hunting and trapping of fur-bearing mammals; the conservation, management and ecology of fur-bearing mammals; and the promotion of products made from wild fur-bearing mammals.

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 March 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)          furbearers to benefit from the project

ii)         the target audience, with objectives, methodology, measurable outcomes and products resulting from the project that can be used after completion

E)        a comprehensive funding/budget summary, including:

i)          actual cash contributions other than the grant amount

ii)         documented purchase price of equipment or commodities

F)         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. All complete, eligible and timely applications will be forwarded to the State Furbearer Committee for funding recommendations.

2)         The State Furbearer Committee shall evaluate and prioritize each application according to the following criteria: completed application, past grant performance of the applicant, eligibility, feasibility, adverse impacts, priority for the Department and the applicant's cost-share match.  The Committee shall provide to the Director all eligible applications and a prioritized list of recommended projects deemed to be consistent with the purposes of the State Furbearer Fund.

3)         The Director shall make the determination of what grants shall be awarded after considering the recommendations of the State Furbearer Committee.  Applicants shall be notified of the Director's decision.

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 19781, effective December 4, 2008)