Armadillo Migration Poses Threat to Illinois – that’s right Armadillo!

Apr 27, 2023

Thanks to climate change, digging Armadillos are threatening crops in Illinois. Conservation biologist Anant Deshwal and his team at Bradley University are warning of the potential threat posed by armadillos to agriculture in central Illinois. With climate trends leading to warmer and wetter weather in the region, armadillos are moving northward and have been sighted more frequently in the area.

While armadillos have lived in southern Illinois for years, they are now moving into central Illinois, where they can cause significant soil damage with their digging. The animals forage for food and breed by digging holes, and use these burrows to escape the winter cold.

Deshwal's lab is studying armadillo migration patterns in the state and the potential impact on crop yields in the future. His team has attempted to brainstorm solutions to curtail the northward spread of the animals, but Deshwal ultimately believes that the best solution is mitigating climate change in general.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to report armadillo sightings north of the Springfield area.

Video: Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

“Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard”

The Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or advanced biofuels. Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS is implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This webinar provides an overview of the legal authority and structure for the RFS program and explain how it works, including the program’s system of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and categories of renewable fuels. Additionally, this webinar addresses EPA annual volume requirement rulemaking and associated recent legal issues.