Natural systems are integral to the goal of conserving 30% of lands and waters in Illinois, the US and the world, in keeping with the global ambition to conserve 30% of nature by the year 2030 (known as 30 x 30). Conserving, protecting and restoring ecological systems is also a nature-based climate action to address climate change because plants and soil can sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Conserving nature is a vital complement to the necessary and rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Illinois and all over the world. In addition to sequestering carbon, healthy natural systems protect biodiversity and provide many other ecosystem services.

In this project, the LEAM Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has mapped land that is conserved and protected in the state. We have also made first-order estimates of the carbon sequestration potential of the varied landscapes in Illinois.

Currently, approximately 4% of the land in Illinois is protected land. This protected land includes state parks, nature preserves, national forests and other natural areas that have legal protection for nature and long-term ecological goals. This acreage brings Illinois 14% of the way to the goal of 30 x 30. These protected landscapes also help address the climate crisis by sequestering 617,000 tons of carbon per year from the atmosphere.

You can find more results of our analysis on the currently conserved page, using the buttons above or the link in the menu.

We have also estimated potential carbon sequestration under several “What if…” restoration scenarios for the future. We’ve made additional estimates of the carbon sequestered by historic landscapes, from the time that Europeans settled here. You can find these estimates on the scenarios page. These are not intended as recommendations for policies or management; similarly, the analysis does not recommend or prioritize any specific sites for restoration.

Throughout the analysis, we track the percentage of land area in Illinois that is conserved and indicate the progress towards reaching the goal of conserving 30% of land and water in the state. You can see these indicators at the top of each page.

Protection and conservation are terms that can have specific legal meanings in different contexts.  For our purposes on this website, we use the word protected for areas that have are managed primarily for long-term ecological goals; these are often owned by agencies or non-profit organizations.  We use the word conserved for areas that may be managed for a variety of purposes (for example agriculture) but use methods that conserve some ecological functions and services (including habitat and water quality); these are sometimes owned by private owners.

You can also learn more about conservation benefits and how to get involved.