Projects Roster

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County – Developing a Clean Energy, Resiliency, and Sustainability Plan

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County – Developing a Clean Energy, Resiliency, and Sustainability Plan

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has partnered with Delta Institute (Delta) and ECT to develop a plan to advance sustainability, climate action, and resiliency. We are developing a plan that will be comprehensive, equitable, partnership-driven, actionable, fundable, and measurable. Ultimately, we believe this plan will position the District as a regional leader in advancing sustainability.

Illinois Soil Health Incentive Program (SHIP)

Illinois Soil Health Incentive Program (SHIP)

Delta partnered with the Conservation Fund and Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District to develop and test a framework for an Illinois-centric program that would offer farmers financial incentives to implement soil health practices, also known as “Pay for Performance.”

Overcoming Barriers to Municipal Green Infrastructure Implementation

Overcoming Barriers to Municipal Green Infrastructure Implementation

Delta Institute (Delta) is examining the barriers preventing Green Infrastructure from being installed across the Great Lakes at the scale needed to address climate change. Delta’s research will inform the development of potential support services that will help municipalities overcome these barriers and improve local water quality, reduce flooding, and improve quality-of-life for their residents.

McHenry County (IL) Solid Waste Strategy

McHenry County (IL) Solid Waste Strategy

Delta Institute has partnered with McHenry County, IL, to create both a county-wide solid waste management strategy (2012) and provide a 10-year update in 2022.

Proactive Municipal Climate Planning: Delta Institute and the Resilience Innovation Hub

Proactive Municipal Climate Planning: Delta Institute and the Resilience Innovation Hub

Delta Institute (Delta) joined the Resilience Innovation Hub, focused on increasing community adaptability while lowering insurance premiums. We are undertaking activities focused on understanding the barriers to implementing resilience activities at the local and regional scale while creating innovative solutions to assist communities to implement projects and initiatives to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Institutionalizing Soil Health Land Valuation in Michigan

Institutionalizing Soil Health Land Valuation in Michigan

Delta engaged landowners, land managers, and farmers to implement conservation practices in Southeastern Michigan, thus improving environmental outcomes, while exploring soil health as a core component of the land valuation and appraisal process of Michigan’s working lands.

Conservation Hotspot Analysis in Illinois

Conservation Hotspot Analysis in Illinois

To assess conservation adoption in Illinois and identify key factors that lead to higher adoption rates, Delta Institute (Delta) and the Environmental Working Group partnered to identify conservation hotspots. We utilized publicly available data to identify where conservation practices are being adopted. Where we had datasets that covered extended time ranges, we also assessed the longevity of conservation behavior. Additionally, an interactive map was created to facilitate further exploration of the data.

Expanding Grass-Fed Beef Market Drivers in the Greater Chicago Foodshed

Expanding Grass-Fed Beef Market Drivers in the Greater Chicago Foodshed

Delta Institute (Delta) has spent more than three years analyzing the myriad of economic and environmental benefits associated with expanding regenerative grazing and grass-fed production in Illinois to provide a market-driven evolution of farming methodology. Through our work, we have developed a clear picture of grass-fed beef supply and demand in Illinois, establishing a target for additional acres of regenerative grazing needed in the coming years to meet Chicago’s growing grass-fed beef market.

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