To date, the partnership has completed three successful NAWCA grants totaling $3.5 million in NAWCA funds and more than $9 million in partner matching funds, and has acquired, restored, or enhanced more than 17,700 acres of wetlands and associated uplands within the Kankakee watershed. The Indiana Private Lands Office coordinated the development of the recently approved Phase IV grant proposal, which includes a $1 million NAWCA grant request (administered by the Lake Heritage Parks Foundation) with 18 funding partners bringing more than $3 million in non-federal matching funds to the partnership. These funds will be used to acquire, restore, and enhance more than 1,600 acres of wetlands and associated uplands for waterfowl, shorebirds, grassland-dependent songbirds, and other migratory birds over the next two years.

Although Phase III took longer than expected to complete due to some unexpected delays, the persistence of the partnership paid off when the Phase IV proposal was put together and numerous partners stepped forward with matching contributions. This resulted in a strong proposal that was favorably received by the MBCC. ?The success of this project,? said IGKMRP Steering Committee Chair Dick Blythe at a recent Committee meeting, ?lies in the dedication and commitment of the partners, and their desire to pull together to achieve a common objective.? That's one thing on which we can all agree.