Conservation in Illinois: Hotspot Analysis and Implications for Program Design

Understanding conservation behavior is one of the key factors in designing effective programs. To assess conservation adoption in Illinois and identify key factors that lead to higher adoption rates, Delta Institute and Environmental Working Group partnered to identify conservation hotspots, defined as Illinois counties with high uptake of specific conservation programs, and evaluate the impact of relevant factors. The results of the analysis suggest that future strategies which seek to more effectively deploy financial and technical support to increase conservation adoption should be modified to focus on local conditions and concerns, avoiding a state-wide or uniform program design that fails to consider local factors.