Upcoming Meetings - 2011

Online Agendas and Minutes

List of Endangered & Threatened Species in Illinois

List of Endangered & Threatened Species in IL by County

IL Endangered Species Protection Act

Publications

Board Members & Springfield Staff

SPECIES RECOVERY:

The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board determines which plant and animal species are threatened or endangered in the state and advises the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on means of conserving those species.

The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board was created by the passage of the Endangered Species Protection Act in 1972. The Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor, and the Director of the IDNR (or his designee) as a non-voting member. By law, the members include at least two zoologists, two ecologists, and one botanist. The Board convenes meetings quarterly, generally alternating locations throughout the state. These meetings are open to the public.

Staff, based in Springfield, coordinate and represent the Board on a daily basis. Staff work closely with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Division of Natural Heritage.

llinois List: The list of threatened and endangered species is reviewed, and revised as necessary, at least once every five years.

Changes to the list: By law, changes to the list must be based on scientific evidence. Factors that are considered when evaluating a species include changes in population size, changes in range in the state, whether it occurs at protected sites, any known threats to its existence, as well as features of its life history which might have a bearing on survival. The Board may remove from the Illinois List any non-federally-listed species for which it finds satisfactory scientific evidence that its wild or natural populations are no longer endangered or threatened in Illinois. A public hearing is held to consider the Board’s action of listing, delisting, or changing the list status of a species.

Technical Advisory Committees: The Board seeks input from technical advisory committees whose members have expertise in plants, invertebrate animals, fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Scientists serving on these committees advise the Board regarding the status of various species, possible revisions to the Illinois List, as well as areas or species that require additional research or data collection.

Research and Surveys: The Board funds research projects to gather information about various species that will contribute to listing decisions or conservation strategies. Board staff conduct and participate in many field surveys annually to monitor the status of endangered and threatened plants and animals.