The Illinois Coastal Management Program (ICMP) under the direction of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Coastal Management protects and manages the natural and cultural resources along the state's 63-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline. Over the past one-hundred years the Illinois coast has undergone extensive change with hydrologic modifications, large industrial and transportation impacts, and the building of skyscrapers near the shoreline. In spite of these changes, coastal resources still contain some of the richest, rarest and most diverse plant and animal species and natural habitat areas in the state.

Illinois' coastal zone has two components:

• The Lakeshore Boundary is based on the Lake Michigan watershed and is generally parallel to the Lake Michigan shoreline.
• The Inland Waterway Boundary includes Inland Waterway Corridors, which are selectsegments of the Chicago River system and select segments of the Little Calumet and Grand Calumet Rivers.

The ICPM is relatively new being created in January 2012 with federal approval from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management. The ICMP is focusing on the following program areas:

• Invasive species
• Habitat, ecosystems, and natural area restoration
• Bio-accumulative toxins
• Sustainable development
• Non-point source pollution
• Data collection
• Public access and recreation
• Economic development

The ICMP makes grant funds available to local governments and non-profit [501(c)3] organizations. In 2014 the ICMP has approximately $800,000 available with most grants expected to be in the $20,000 to $150,000 range. For more information on the grant program see ICMP's Grants page.