The Illinois Landowner Conservation Stewardship Program

The new Landowner Conservation Stewardship Program in Illinois can help qualified landowners to reduce their property taxes while providing natural resource habitats. It provides property tax incentives for landowners who develop and follow a Conservation Management Plan for woodlands, prairies, and wetlands. Application details are online at http://dnr.state.il.us under the IDNR home page "What's New" section. Land accepted into the Conservation Stewardship Program will be valued at 5% of market value for property tax purposes.

Landowners who wish to receive the special valuation for unimproved land provided by this law are required to prepare a Conservation Management Plan according to rules developed by the IDNR. That plan will describe how the land will be managed to protect and maintain environmental resources. When a Plan has been approved, DNR will notify the Department of Revenue. Revenue will notify the appropriate county assessor who will make the necessary adjustments.

Land eligible for enrollment includes five or more adjacent acres of unimproved land (land not used for any residential or commercial purpose that materially disturbs the land) that are wetlands, prairies or woodlands. Other details of eligibility are located on the website.

Tallgrass Restoration, LLC creates Conservation Management Plans by identifying the natural communities and customizing the invasive weed control management plan and wildlife enhancements. If you have any questions regarding the creation of conservation management plans, please contact Doug DeWitt, Project Manager, at 847-925-9830.