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PROPOSED GRANT AWARD
Department: Department of Resource Management
Grantee: Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”)
Grantor: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
Request: Authorization to accept grant and enter into a grant agreement.
Purpose: Grant for supplemental funding to support the Greencorps Chicago Conservation Corps program in calendar years 2026 and 2027.
Grant Amount: $220,200.00
Grant Period: 9/15/2026 - 6/30/2028
Fiscal Impact: N/A. The project will be implemented at no direct cost to the Forest Preserves, which may provide in-kind staff support for the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the projects.
Accounts: Grant and Mitigation 51010.521314 and 51010.521444
Concurrences: The Chief Financial Officer has approved this item. Final agreement is subject to legal review and approval.
District(s): Districtwide
Summary: The Forest Preserves has been awarded grant funds from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to support the Greencorps Chicago Conservation Corps program in 2026 and 2027. The program will engage approximately thirty-five (35) participants in hands-on conservation activities including, but not limited to, invasive species removal, assistance with prescribed burns, and seed collecting.
Greencorps Chicago is the City of Chicago’s green-industry employment program, which provides job skills training for individuals with barriers to employment, including but not limited to previous involvement with the criminal justice system. Greencorps Chicago has been a Conservation Corps partner with the Forest Preserves since 2014. The program seeks to empower residents from Chicagoland’s underserved neighborhoods to create change in their lives through training, service, and career opportunities in environmental fields. This cultivates healthier, safer, and more engaged communities and individuals who are prepared for employment through practical field experience and technical training in a variety of environmentally related jobs.
The total grant amount is $220,200.00, to be provided at no cost to the Forest Preserves, which may provide in-kind staff support for the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the programs.
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