Conservation Hotspot Analysis: Expanded Findings

An overview of our team’s expanded findings following the Conservation Hotspots Analysis in Illinois report. We have also included more in-depth analyses of agricultural conservation hotspots in Northeastern Illinois, specifically for Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties. Expanded findings include: resource Distribution through USDA NRCS; factors impacting consistently above-average counties; the role of winter wheat in cover crop values; and detailed analyses for land usage, cover crop acreage percentage, and federal conservation incentive spending in Northeast Illinois counties. We thank the Oberweiler Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation for generously sponsoring this work to protect the environment, increase adoption of regenerative agriculture and conservation, and improve soil health in Illinois. Support from the Oberweiler Foundation advanced more in-depth analyses of agricultural conservation in Northeastern Illinois.