This program is a collaborative partnership of Trees Forever and its members, GROWMARK, state and federal government agencies, and participating landowners. The Illinois Buffer Partnership is a statewide Trees Forever program that promotes and showcases the voluntary efforts of farmers, landowners, and communities in the planting, maintenance, and enhancement of conservation buffers to reduce soil erosion, improve water and soil quality, and provide wildlife and pollinator habitat.
Illinois Buffer Partnership participants are eligible to receive: cost-share assistance, on-site technical assistance from Trees Forever, project signs, and the opportunity to host a field day to highlight their project. Eligible conservation projects include riparian buffers, livestock buffers, streambank stabilization projects, wetland development, pollinator habitat, rain gardens, and agroforestry.
In 2021 and 2022, Trees Forever provided $14,000 and technical assistance to seven projects across Illinois to plant native trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses to improve water quality, reduce erosion, and provide wildlife and pollinator habitat. These projects covered 25.3 acres and protected 0.7 miles of streambank. Trees Forever provides outreach and education covering a wide range of topics, including: soil health, riparian buffers, native plants, pollinators, agroforestry, forest and pest management, tree care, improved water and air quality, species diversity, invasive species management, erosion reduction, establishing and maintaining best management practices, energy efficiency, and plant identification.
For more information, see treesforever.org/illinois_buffer_partnership.
