title
PROPOSED GRANT AWARD
Department: Department of Resource Management
Grantee: Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”)
Grantor: Friends of the Chicago River, Chicago, Illinois
Request: Authorization to accept grant
Purpose: Authorization is sought for the Forest Preserves to accept grant and enter into an agreement with Friends of the Chicago River to complete 118.8 acres of ecological restoration at Sweet Woods, utilizing grant funding received through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chi-Cal Rivers Fund.
Grant Amount: $184,500.00
Grant Period: Date of execution - 11/30/2023
Fiscal Impact: Not to exceed $171,900.00 in direct match
Accounts: Professional Services 51030.520840; Grant and Mitigation 51010.521314 and 51010.521444; and all future Professional Services accounts
Concurrences:
The Chief Financial Officer has approved this item. Final agreement is subject to legal review and approval.
District(s): 6
Summary: The Forest Preserves has been sub-awarded funds from Friends of the Chicago River via the Chi-Cal Rivers Fund conservation grant program administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The Forest Preserves and Friends of the Chicago River seek to collaborate to utilize a portion of these funds to support 118.8 acres of ecological restoration at Sweet Woods in the Village of Thornton in southeast Cook County.
The proposed project will include invasive brush removal to invigorate ground layer vegetation and increase native plant cover, resulting in increased biodiversity and reduced erosion in the floodplain and upslope drainage areas of Thorn Creek. These investments will protect and conserve fish and wildlife habitat, improve stormwater infiltration, and improve use and access to greenspace for trail users and communities in the Calumet region. It is estimated that this project will add an additional 1.9 million gallons of stormwater storage per rain event, reducing runoff that degrades the function of the creek. This work builds and expands upon approximately 240 acres of ongoing restoration work at Sweet Woods and other adjacent preserves.
Total project costs for work dedicated to Forest Preserves property is $356,400.00, of which the Forest Preserves propose to contribute $171,900.00 or approximately 48% in direct match. Friends of the Chicago River will dedicate $184,500.00 of the grant award to hire a contractor to restore 61.5 of the proposed 118.8-acre project zone; the remaining acreage will be completed by the Forest Preserves as part of its pledged match. The award will require the execution of a partnership agreement with Friends of the Chicago River.
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