Permits
There are no fees charged for most interpretive programs and no fees charged at trailheads and day use areas.
However, we do sell Interagency Passes at our Welcome Center. An Interagency Annual Pass may be your best value if you plan to visit many different federal lands across the nation that include lands managed by other federal agencies.
We recommend calling our front desk at 815-423-6370 prior to your arrival to make sure a qualified staff member is present to distribute passes.
Hunting
Hunters are no longer required to obtain a Midewin hunting pass. However, a valid state hunting license is required.
Special Use Permits/Event and Commercial Permits
Special Use and Commercial Use permits are required to use National Forest System lands when there is commercial gain, or when there is an impact on public resources. A special-use authorization is a legal document such as a permit, term permit, lease, or easement, which allows occupancy, use, rights, or privileges of agency land. The authorization is granted for a specific use of the land for a specific period of time.
Contracting
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is headquartered in Wilmington, Ill. All contracting for supplies, services, construction, A&E, and stewardship contracts for Midewin are performed from the supervisor’s office in Wilmington, Ill.
Agricultural Permits
Grazing allotment bids will open on Monday, April 22nd, 2024 at 2:00pm for cattle allotments administered by the USDA Forest Service, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Interested bidders may contact Kelly Gutknecht at kelly.a.gutknecht@usda.gov or 815-423-6370 for more information.
Cattle Grazing Allotment Documents
Agricultural permits or leases continue to be used for resource management purposes at Midewin. These permits are awarded through competitive bids on a detailed prospectus that specifies location and management goals and restrictions.
The management goals for agricultural permits include controlling invasive plant species until areas can be converted to native vegetation or grassland wildlife habitat. These areas, if left idle, would be a major source of invasive plant incursion throughout Midewin. Agricultural crops are also used at Midewin to prepare sites for planting prairie and wetland vegetation and grassland bird habitat. The agricultural production controls invasive species prior to planting and provides an excellent seedbed to plant native prairie seed.
Hay permits are issued in grassland wildlife management areas to control grass height and woody plant invasion. All hay is cut after August 15th to protect ground-nesting wildlife.
Cattle grazing is used as a management tool to control grass heights for bird nesting in the spring and for rearing young throughout the summer months, in addition to keeping large unfragmented areas open for sensitive grassland bird habitat. Cattle are permitted from April 1 through November 30 at Midewin and are removed for the winter months.
Forest Products Permits
Midewin does not offer permits for harvest or collection of Forest Products. Taking of mushrooms or antler sheds is not allowed. Permits for firewood and Christmas trees are available from other national forests in the Eastern Region; the closest to Midewin are the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois and the Chequamegen-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin.