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Passes & Permits
There are no fees charged for most interpretive programs and no fees charged at trailheads and day use areas. Hunters are no longer required to obtain a Midewin hunting pass. However, a valid state hunting permit is required.
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Interagency Recreation Passes
Although Midewin does not charge fees, we do sell Interagency Passes. 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.
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.
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 (815) 423-6370 for more information. A detailed prospectus is posted below.
Cattle Grazing Allotment Documents
The purpose of this prospectus is to provide information to prospective bidders interested in bidding for row crop production on available parcels administered by the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The parcels being offered in this prospectus are:
- Parcel 1: Approximately 425 acres
- Parcel 2: Approximately 552 acres
- Parcel 3: Approximately 154 acres
- Parcel 4: Approximately 228 acres
- Parcel 5: Approximately 42 acres
- Parcel 6: Approximately 244 acres
- Parcel 7: Approximately 52 acres
It is strongly recommended that prospective bidders carefully read this prospectus in its entirety, as well as applicable requirements and instructions. This row crop prospectus differs from previous row crop prospectuses.
Please contact Jeff Martina (815) 423-6370 if you have any questions, to discuss permit conditions and to schedule an inspection of the site.
All bidders are expected to make their own investigation as to the facts about the areas, acres, and estimates of crop production capabilities/revenues.
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.