Wildlife and Habitat
At nearly 400 miles long, Illinois hosts tremendous biological diversity.
From the Iowa Pleistocene snail in the northwest, to bird-voiced treefrogs in 1,000-year-old cypress swamps in the south, Illinois is home to some 58 mammal species, 383 different resident and migrant birds, 104 types of reptiles and amphibians, 174 species of fish, and some 27,000 types of insects, mussels, and other invertebrates.
food production
Farms cover about 75% of the Illinois' total land area.
Habitat & Wildlife
Native Illinois habitats are changing and disappearing.
Wildlife in Illinois
Native habitats are key to our wildlife’s future—unfortunately, habitats in Illinois have changed enormously and many wildlife populations have declined at alarming rates as a result. For example, the size of woodlands in Illinois act as a limiting factor on some native species’ populations, making the protection of larger size woodlands necessary. Moreover, there are cross-benefits to protecting wildlife habitat—flood control, recreation, soil erosion control, and open space.
Moreover, the Illinois economy realizes nearly $1.1 billion every year from expenditures related to watching wildlife and hunters spend nearly $150 million a year pursuing game. More than $550 million is spent each year on recreational fishing, and the annual retail value of commercial fishing is $4 million. This wildlife-oriented recreation plays an important economic role in many depressed and declining small communities.
Habitats of Special Significance in Illinois
Conservation Updates
2024 Environmental Scorecard
Here you will find IEC’s 2024 Environmental Scorecard for the Illinois General Assembly. Scores are based on the environmental impact of each legislator’s voting record...
Read More >>2024 Legislative Report
IEC's state legislative team has published our 2024 Legislative Report detailing environmental wins and setbacks during this year's legislative session.
Read More >>Building Power in the Prairie State
IEC’s social media manager spent his first week with IEC discovering what it means to build power for people and the environment.
Read More >>2024 Environmental Legislative Update
Early Wednesday morning, days after its scheduled adjournment date of May 24, the Illinois General Assembly passed the state budget and concluded the Spring legislative...
Read More >>2024 Environmental Legislative Update
Today is the scheduled adjournment day of the regular legislative session. However, as of this morning, it became clear that leading members of the House...
Read More >>2024 Environmental Legislative Update
Both the House and the Senate were in and conducting business this week as we move closer to the final days of this year’s regular...
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