Fallen leaves on grass in autumn

Illinois

Forest Action Plan

The value of professional forest stewardship in Illinois

Trained forestry professionals and technical staff are responsible for providing information and assistance to private forest landowners, to cities and communities managing urban forests, and for continued tree nursery operations. As awareness of forest stewardship and incentive programs grow, the demand for a professional state support system will be greater than ever. The critical issue at hand is that the state of Illinois lacks a sufficient number of qualified personnel to meet the forest management needs of its citizens.

The need for more educational programs that explain the mechanics of oak regeneration, prescribed burning, habitat fragmentation amelioration, water quality improvement, and incentive program enrollment cannot be met without the personnel to teach them. The Division of Forest Resources continues to highlight the essential role of state professional foresters in Illinois and to raise awareness of forestry in urban and rural communities across the state. Increasing the number of forestry professionals and technical personnel must be the first step in reestablishing a win-win relationship that ensures the vitality and productivity of Illinois forests.



Best Management Practices

Illinois’ best management practices (BMPs) program is non-regulatory. The agency responsible for BMPs policy development is the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Click here to view the most recent BMPs recommendations on the state forestry agency website.

Click the following links to view available BMP monitoring data and implementation rates from NASF’s 2015 BMP survey and NASF’s 2019 BMP survey.

Illinois Forestry Publications

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