The Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Species is reviewed about every five years by the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board (ESPB). To date it has evaluated only

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

s and

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

s of the US state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, not

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

, or other forms of life; species that occur in Illinois which are listed as endangered or threatened by the U.S. federal government under the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...

are automatically listed as such for the state of Illinois.

Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board

The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act created the ESPB in 1972. The board is made up of six naturalists including at least one

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

, two

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

s, and two

ecologist Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

s. Board members are

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

s, and include Jeff Walk of

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

ichthyologist Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish ( Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 33,400 species of fish had been described as of Octobe ...

Philip Willink, Joyce Hofmann (chair), Janice Coons (vice-chair), Tracy Evans (secretary),

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

, Bruce Ross-Shannon, Jeremie Fant, Randy Schietzelt, Chris Young from the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is the code department of the Illinois state government that operates the state parks and state recreation areas, enforces the fishing and game laws of Illinois, regulates Illinois coal mines, ...

(non-voting member), and one vacancy. They met most recently in 2019 and penultimately in 2014.

Recovery Plans

Only twenty species ever listed have had Illinois Endangered and Threatened Species Recovery Plans approved by the board, but other parties may implement recovery plans without board approval. Examples of plans implemented by other parties include that for Hine's emerald dragonfly (''

Somatochlora hineana The Hine’s emerald (''Somatochlora hineana'') is an endangered dragonfly species found in the United States and Canada. Populations exist in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ontario, and Wisconsin. Larvae are found in shallow, flowing water in fen ...

'') headed by the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

and Blanding's turtle (''

Emydoidea blandingii Blanding's turtle (''Emydoidea blandingii'') is a semi-aquatic turtle of the family Emydidae. This species is native to central and eastern parts of Canada and the United States. It is considered to be an endangered species throughout much of its ...

'') headed by the

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is a governmental agency headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois. Its mission is to acquire and hold lands containing forests, prairies, wetlands, and associated plant communities or lands capable of being re ...

. Species with approved recovery plans are: eryngium stem borer (''

Papaipema eryngii ''Papaipema eryngii'', the rattlesnake-master borer, is a species of cutworm or dart moth in the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controve ...

''), golden mouse (''

Ochrotomys nuttalli The golden mouse (''Ochrotomys nuttalli'') is a species of New World mouse. It is usually 5–8 inches (12–25 cm) in body length, and has a soft pelage that ranges from golden-brownish to burnt orange in color. The genus name comes ...

''), American snowbell (''

Styrax americana ''Styrax'' (common names storax or snowbell) is a genus of about 130 species of large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, mostly native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the majority in eastern ...

''), bald eagle (''

Haliaeetus leucocephalus The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

''), barn owl (''

Tyto alba The barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalay ...

''), beardtongue (''

Penstemon tubaeflorus ''Penstemon tubaeflorus'', common name white wand beardtongue, is a species of ''Penstemon ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic, but with a few species a ...

''), bloodleaf (''

Iresine rhizomatosa ''Iresine rhizomatosa'' is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. It is native to the Americas. In the United States, it has a spotty distribution, being concentrated in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains and along the coast. It is often f ...

''), creeping St. Johnwort (''

Hypericum adpressum ''Hypericum adpressum'', common name creeping St. Johnswort, is a flowering perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used ...

''), eastern woodrat (''

Neotoma floridana The eastern woodrat (''Neotoma floridana''), also known as the Florida woodrat or bush rat, is a pack rat native to the central and Eastern United States. It constructs large dens that may serve as nests for many generations and stores food in o ...

''), greater prairie-chicken (''

Tympanuchus cupido The greater prairie chicken or pinnated grouse (''Tympanuchus cupido''), sometimes called a boomer,Friederici, Peter (July 20, 1989)"The Last Prairie Chickens" ''Chicago Reader''. Retrieved August 27, 2014.（Chinese 中文：帕艺明彩大凤� ...

''), halberd leaf tearthumb (''

Polygonum arifolium ''Polygonum'' is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plant in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae. Common names include knotweed and knotgrass (though the common names may refer more broadly to plants from Polygonaceae). In the ...

''/'' Tracaulon arifolium''), leatherflower (''

Clematis viorna ''Clematis viorna'', commonly known as vasevine or leatherflower, is a flowering vine native to the southeastern United States. It grows in wooded habitats and bears purple flowers in spring and summer. Description ''Clematis viorna'' is a vin ...

''), marsh rice rat (''

Oryzomys palustris The marsh rice rat (''Oryzomys palustris'') is a semiaquatic North American rodent in the family Cricetidae. It usually occurs in wetland habitats, such as swamps and salt marshes. It is found mostly in the eastern and southern United States, fr ...

''), mud-plantain (''

Heteranthera reniformis ''Heteranthera reniformis'' common name kidneyleaf mud-plantain, and mud plantain; is a plant found in North America. It is listed as a special concern and believed extirpated in Connecticut. It listed as endangered in Illinois and Ohio. Native ...

''), northern harrier (''

Circus cyaneus The hen harrier (''Circus cyaneus'') is a bird of prey. It breeds in Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. It migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian birds move to southern Eur ...

''), osprey (''

Pandion haliaetus The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a Diurnality, diurnal, piscivore, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the ...

''), peregrine falcon (''

Falco peregrinus The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, ...

''), road-winged sedge ('' Carex alata''), royal catchfly (''

Silene regia ''Silene regia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name royal catchfly. It is native to the central United States.Asio flammeus The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...

'').

List of species

References

{{Threatened species by region

*Endangered

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...