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1 | AN ACT concerning conservation.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | |||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds it is in | |||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | the interest of the State to encourage natural solutions as | |||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | one component of the State's efforts to reduce and remediate | |||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | the impacts of climate change. Natural solutions must include | |||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | planting native trees and other vegetation demonstrated to | |||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | reduce carbon dioxide. To accomplish this, the State must | |||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | offer assistance to other units of local government that are | |||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | taking steps to fight climate change by restoring forests, | |||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | wetlands, prairies, and other landscapes native to Illinois | |||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | and demonstrated to have a positive environmental impact. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Section 10. State goal. It is the goal of the State that | |||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | there be no overall net loss of the State's existing forest, | |||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | prairie, or wetland acres or their functional value due to | |||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | State-supported activities. Further, the State and units of | |||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | local government shall preserve, enhance, and create forests, | |||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | prairies, and wetlands where practical in order to mitigate | |||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | the impact of climate change and reduce carbon dioxide from |
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1 | the atmosphere. | ||||||
2 | Section 15. Comprehensive plan. The Department of Natural | ||||||
3 | Resources shall prepare and maintain a comprehensive Healthy | ||||||
4 | Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant plan for the | ||||||
5 | preservation and enhancement of forests, prairies, and | ||||||
6 | wetlands in Illinois. | ||||||
7 | Section 20. Receipt of federal moneys. The Department of | ||||||
8 | Natural Resources may receive federal moneys to administer a | ||||||
9 | Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program. | ||||||
10 | Section 25. Establishment of the Healthy Forests, | ||||||
11 | Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program.
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12 | (a) The Department of Natural Resources, pursuant to the | ||||||
13 | comprehensive plan developed according to Section 15 and | ||||||
14 | subject to appropriation, shall establish and administer a | ||||||
15 | Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program to | ||||||
16 | restore degraded forest lands and native prairies, and to | ||||||
17 | promote the growth of native vegetation that remove carbon | ||||||
18 | dioxide from the atmosphere and help to mitigate the impact of | ||||||
19 | climate change. | ||||||
20 | (b) Units of local government are eligible to submit a | ||||||
21 | grant proposal in a format and at a time prescribed by the | ||||||
22 | Department of Natural Resources. | ||||||
23 | (c) Grants may be used by units of local government to |
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1 | fund: | ||||||
2 | (1) local projects restoring or expanding forests, | ||||||
3 | wetlands, prairies, or other natural landscapes | ||||||
4 | demonstrated to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; | ||||||
5 | (2) education and marketing regarding local projects | ||||||
6 | or steps community members may take to promote the growth | ||||||
7 | of native vegetation that removes carbon dioxide from the | ||||||
8 | atmosphere; and | ||||||
9 | (3) any other purpose approved by the Department of | ||||||
10 | Natural Resources that advances the State goal described | ||||||
11 | in Section 10 of this Act.
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12 | Section 30. Healthy, Forests, Wetlands, and Prairie Grant | ||||||
13 | Fund. The Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairie Grant Fund is | ||||||
14 | created in the State treasury. The fund shall be administered | ||||||
15 | by the Department of Natural Resources. The fund may receive | ||||||
16 | moneys appropriated by the General Assembly, the federal | ||||||
17 | government, private donations, or from any other legal source. | ||||||
18 | Section 35. Rules. The Department of Natural Resources | ||||||
19 | shall adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of this | ||||||
20 | Act.
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21 | Section 90. The Department of Natural Resources Act is | ||||||
22 | amended by changing Section 1-15 as follows:
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1 | (20 ILCS 801/1-15)
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2 | Sec. 1-15. General powers and duties.
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3 | (a) It shall be the duty of the Department to investigate | ||||||
4 | practical
problems, implement studies, conduct research and | ||||||
5 | provide assistance,
information and data relating to the | ||||||
6 | technology and administration of
the natural history, | ||||||
7 | entomology, zoology, and botany of this State; the geology
and | ||||||
8 | natural resources of this State; the water and atmospheric | ||||||
9 | resources of
this State; and the archeological and cultural | ||||||
10 | history of this State.
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11 | (b) The Department (i) shall obtain, store, and process | ||||||
12 | relevant
data; recommend technological, administrative, and | ||||||
13 | legislative changes and
developments; cooperate with other | ||||||
14 | federal, state, and local governmental
research agencies, | ||||||
15 | facilities, or institutes in the selection of projects
for | ||||||
16 | study; cooperate with the Board of Higher Education and with | ||||||
17 | the public
and private colleges and universities in this State | ||||||
18 | in developing relevant
interdisciplinary approaches to | ||||||
19 | problems; and evaluate curricula at all
levels
of education | ||||||
20 | and provide assistance to instructors and (ii) may
sponsor an
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21 | annual
conference of leaders in government, industry, health, | ||||||
22 | and education to
evaluate the state of this State's | ||||||
23 | environment and natural resources.
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24 | (c) The Director, in accordance with the Personnel Code, | ||||||
25 | shall employ
such personnel, provide such facilities, and | ||||||
26 | contract for such outside services
as may be necessary to |
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1 | carry out the purposes of the Department. Maximum use
shall be | ||||||
2 | made of existing federal and state agencies, facilities, and | ||||||
3 | personnel
in conducting research under this Act.
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4 | (c-5) The Department may use the services of, and enter | ||||||
5 | into necessary agreements with, outside entities for the | ||||||
6 | purpose of evaluating grant applications and for the purpose | ||||||
7 | of administering or monitoring compliance with grant | ||||||
8 | agreements. Contracts under this subsection shall not exceed 2 | ||||||
9 | years in length. | ||||||
10 | (d) In addition to its other powers, the Department has | ||||||
11 | the following
powers:
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12 | (1) To obtain, store, process, and provide data and | ||||||
13 | information
related to the powers and duties of the | ||||||
14 | Department under this Act.
This subdivision (d)(1) does | ||||||
15 | not give authority to the Department to
require reports | ||||||
16 | from nongovernmental sources or entities.
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17 | (2) To cooperate with and support the Illinois Science
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18 | and Technology Advisory
Committee and the Illinois | ||||||
19 | Coalition for the purpose of facilitating the
effective | ||||||
20 | operations and activities of such entities. Support may | ||||||
21 | include,
but need not be limited to, providing space for | ||||||
22 | the operations of the
Committee and the Illinois | ||||||
23 | Coalition.
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24 | (e) The Department is authorized to make grants to local | ||||||
25 | not-for-profit
organizations for the purposes of development, | ||||||
26 | maintenance and study of
wetland areas , forests, prairies, and |
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1 | other landscapes demonstrated to reduce the impact of climate | ||||||
2 | change .
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3 | (f) The Department has the authority to accept, receive | ||||||
4 | and administer
on behalf of the State any gifts, bequests, | ||||||
5 | donations, income from property
rental and endowments. Any | ||||||
6 | such funds received by the Department shall be
deposited into | ||||||
7 | the Natural Resources Fund, a special fund which is hereby
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8 | created in the State treasury, and used for the purposes of | ||||||
9 | this Act or,
when appropriate, for such purposes and under | ||||||
10 | such restrictions, terms and
conditions as are predetermined | ||||||
11 | by the donor or grantor of such funds or
property. Any accrued | ||||||
12 | interest from money deposited into the Natural
Resources Fund | ||||||
13 | shall be reinvested into the Fund and used in the same
manner | ||||||
14 | as the principal. The Director shall maintain records which | ||||||
15 | account
for and assure that restricted funds or property are | ||||||
16 | disbursed or used
pursuant to the restrictions, terms or | ||||||
17 | conditions of the donor.
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18 | (g) The Department shall recognize, preserve, and promote | ||||||
19 | our special
heritage of recreational hunting and trapping by | ||||||
20 | providing opportunities to
hunt and trap in accordance with | ||||||
21 | the Wildlife Code.
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22 | (h) Within 5 years after the effective date of this | ||||||
23 | amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Department | ||||||
24 | shall fly a United States Flag, an Illinois flag, and a POW/MIA | ||||||
25 | flag at all State parks. Donations may be made by groups and | ||||||
26 | individuals to the Department's Special Projects Fund for |
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1 | costs related to the implementation of this subsection. | ||||||
2 | (Source: P.A. 102-388, eff. 1-1-22; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.)
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3 | Section 95. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | ||||||
4 | Section 5.990 as follows: | ||||||
5 | (30 ILCS 105/5.990 new) | ||||||
6 | Sec. 5.990. The Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairie | ||||||
7 | Grant Fund.
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