CMP - Coastal Management Program - BIL Programmatic Projects (FY26)

The Illinois Lake Michigan Coastal Area stretches from the Wisconsin border to the Indiana border and includes portions of 24 communities with over 117,000 households, 52 beaches, more than 50 forest preserves and local parks, as well as two state parks. The region is economically diverse and includes portions of some of the poorest and richest communities in the state. It is also ecologically diverse; it occupies a transitional zone between the forests of the upper Midwest and the downstate prairies and contains valuable remnant wetlands. Effective coastal resource management reflects the reality on the ground and prioritizes coastal problem solving at a local to regional scale. In Illinois, coastal management tackles local coastal issues ranging from invasive species to coastal erosion to inequities in coastal recreational access. The goals of this funding opportunity include enhancing and protecting coastal habitats and species; improving coastal public access, recreation, and coastal dependent economic development; and supporting coastal community resilience. We encourage applicants to review existing plans and to think through how your proposed project aligns with previous and ongoing work in the region.