Rep. Maura Hirschauer

Filed: 4/16/2024

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5488

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 5488, AS AMENDED,
3by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
6Legacy Tree Program Task Force Act.
 
7    Section 5. Findings; purpose.
8    (a) The General Assembly finds that:
9        (1) Trees are essential to ecological, cultural, and
10    economic life on Earth.
11        (2) Trees support species diversity, food webs,
12    habitats, and numerous ecological processes, such as water
13    and air purification.
14        (3) Trees assist in regulating climate and soil
15    fertility.
16        (4) The State must commit to preserving and

 

 

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1    celebrating our legacy and heritage trees and must develop
2    pathways for the public to advocate for the preservation
3    of trees in communities.
4    (b) The General Assembly intends this Act to help create a
5Statewide legacy tree program to promote the identification,
6awareness, commemoration, and preservation of significant
7trees within the State.
 
8    Section 10. Legacy Tree Program Task Force.
9    (a) The Legacy Tree Program Task Force is created, shall
10meet on a quarterly basis for 4 years after the effective date
11of this Act, and shall, by no later than June 30, 2028, submit
12to the General Assembly, in accordance with Section 3.1 of the
13General Assembly Organization Act, a report that contains the
14final recommendations developed under subsection (b).
15    (b) The Legacy Tree Program Task Force shall establish
16recommendations for the creation of a statewide legacy tree
17recognition program to promote the identification, awareness,
18commemoration, and preservation of significant trees in the
19State.
20    (c) The Task Force shall consist of the following members:
21        (1) one representative of the Illinois Environmental
22    Council, appointed by the Governor;
23        (2) one representative of the Morton Arboretum,
24    appointed by the Governor;
25        (3) the director of the Illinois Environmental

 

 

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1    Protection Agency or a representative of their choosing;
2        (4) one representative of the Illinois Forestry
3    Development Council, appointed by the Governor;
4        (5) one representative of the Shawnee National Forest,
5    appointed by the Governor;
6        (6) one representative of the Southern Illinois
7    University Department of Forestry, appointed by the
8    Governor;
9        (7) one representative of the University of Illinois
10    Extension forestry program, appointed by the Governor;
11        (8) one representative of an association that
12    represents Illinois arborists, appointed by the Governor;
13        (9) two representatives of the Department of Natural
14    Resources, appointed by the Governor;
15        (10) one representative of the Sierra Club, appointed
16    by the Governor;
17        (11) one representative of the Chicago Urban Forestry
18    Board, appointed by the Governor;
19        (12) one representative of a forest preserve district
20    in a county that is adjacent to Cook County, appointed by
21    the Governor;
22        (13) one representative of a forest preserve district
23    located south of Interstate 80, appointed by the Governor;
24        (14) one representative of the Illinois Park District
25    Association, appointed by the Governor;
26        (15) one member of the House of Representatives,

 

 

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1    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
2        (16) one member of the House of Representatives,
3    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
4    Representatives;
5        (17) one member of the Senate, appointed by the
6    President of the Senate; and
7        (18) one member of the Senate, appointed by the
8    Minority Leader of the Senate.
9    (d) Members of the Task Force shall serve without
10compensation.
11    (e) The Department of Natural Resources shall provide
12staff and administrative support services to the Task Force
13and serve as the lead and chair agency of the Task Force.
 
14    Section 15. Responsibilities. The Task Force shall
15establish recommendations for the following:
16        (1) criteria for a definition of legacy tree and
17    legacy tree standards that can be used on a variety of
18    trees;
19        (2) criteria for which the historical and cultural
20    significance of a tree could be measured;
21        (3) procedures for nominating trees on public and
22    private property;
23        (4) exploring partnership opportunities with units of
24    local government for oversight of the legacy tree program
25    and participation in the program;

 

 

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1        (5) creating a public awareness program, including
2    digital media, a website, a legacy tree tool kit and
3    educational materials to be made available by the
4    Department of Natural Resources for use by units of local
5    government;
6        (6) exploring funding sources for the operation and
7    maintenance of the statewide legacy tree program,
8    including grant funding opportunities to facilitate
9    participation in the program by units of local government;
10        (7) procedures for withdrawing trees from program;
11        (8) procedures for legacy tree assessment;
12        (9) procedures for how a tree would be designated or
13    honored physically;
14        (10) procedures for mapping trees on a searchable
15    website; and
16        (11) procedures for delisting a healthy designated
17    legacy tree.
 
18    Section 90. Repeal. This Act is repealed on June 30,
192034.".