Rep. Thomas M. Bennett

Filed: 4/8/2021

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3928

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 3928 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Findings. The State of Illinois finds that:
5    (1) rapid land development in Illinois has led to the loss
6of forestlands, farmlands, wildlife habitats, biodiversity,
7outstanding natural areas, beaches, and public areas for
8outdoor recreation and has impacted the health of the State's
9lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands, all of which impacts the
10quality of life of the State's current and future citizens and
11may jeopardize the well-being of the State's environment and
12economy if not addressed appropriately;
13    (2) this same rapid land development has also led to the
14loss of historical and archaeological sites that embody the
15heritage of the State;
16    (3) this same rapid land development is occurring across
17the United States and across the world;

 

 

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1    (4) scientists have documented this rapid loss of natural
2area and wildlife, including the loss of 1,500,000 acres of
3natural area in the United States per year; the loss of
42,900,000,000, or twenty-nine percent of, North American birds
5since 1970; threats to approximately 12,000 plant and animal
6species in the United States, all of which are in need of
7proactive conservation efforts; and the loss of one-half of
8freshwater and saltwater wetlands in the contiguous
9forty-eight states;
10    (5) scientists have recommended conserving and protecting
11thirty percent of the land and thirty percent of the ocean in
12each country by 2030 in order to address this deterioration of
13natural systems, loss of biodiversity, and rapid land
14development;
15    (6) national leaders have introduced measures to commit
16the United States to protecting thirty percent of its lands
17and oceans by 2030; and
18    (7) in order to support national efforts and provide state
19leadership to address the deterioration of natural systems,
20loss of biodiversity, and rapid land development, Illinois
21must establish a bold goal for the amount of land to be
22protected by the year 2030.
 
23    Section 5. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
24Illinois Thirty-by-Thirty Conservation Task Force Act.
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. Thirty-by-Thirty Task Force. There is hereby
2created the Illinois Thirty-By-Thirty Conservation Task Force.
3The Task Force shall have 23 members, comprised as follows:
4    (1) the Director of Natural Resources or the Director's
5designee, who shall serve as chairperson;
6    (2) two members from the House of Representatives,
7appointed one each by the Speaker of the House and the House
8Minority Leader;
9    (3) two members of the Senate, appointed one each by the
10President of the Senate and the Senate Minority Leader;
11    (4) one member appointed by the Director or Director
12Designee of the Department of Agriculture;
13    (5) one member appointed by the Director or Director
14Designee of The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency;
15    (6) one member appointed by the Director or Director
16Designee of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
17Opportunity;
18    (7) one member appointed by the Director or Director
19Designee of the Illinois Department of Transportation;
20    (8) one environmentalist appointed by the Department of
21Natural Resources;
22    (9) one member from a State agriculture association
23appointed by the chairperson;
24    (10) two environmental science teachers appointed by the
25chairperson;
26    (11) four environmental science students appointed by the

 

 

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1chairperson;
2    (12) three members of a private sector environmental
3organization appointed by the chairperson;
4    (13) one higher education professional working with crop
5science, appointed by the chairperson;
6    (14) one chemical fertilizer professional appointed by the
7chairperson; and
8    (15) one seed producer appointed by the chairperson.
 
9    Section 15. Duties of the Task Force. The Task Force shall
10hold listening sessions regarding ways in which Illinois can
11protect 30% of its land and water resources by 2030. The Task
12Force shall hold a minimum of three separate listening
13sessions in geographically distinct areas of the State.
14    (1) The meetings should at a minimum seek to explore the
15following focus areas:
16        (A) identify resources that the State has and how they
17    are being utilized to protect land and water resources;
18        (B) identify tools, resources, and incentives for
19    landowners and the private sector to restore degraded
20    natural areas and to manage their resources sustainably;
21        (C) identify financial resources from the private
22    sector, philanthropy, and public sources to expand
23    protections and to help manage lands and waters for
24    conservation;
25        (D) the ability of the State to manage more public

 

 

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1    lands for the benefit of future generations; and e.
2    strategies to conserve and protect 30% of Illinois' land
3    and water by 2030.
4    (2) The Task Force shall observe the sovereignty of tribal
5nations through meaningful consultation with indigenous tribal
6leaders, and shall help indigenous tribal communities fulfill
7their visions and priorities for the stewardship of natural,
8cultural, and historic resources.
9    (3) The Task Force members shall serve without
10compensation.
 
11    Section 20. Administration. The Department of Natural
12Resources shall provide administrative and other support to
13the Task Force.
 
14    Section 25. Report. The Task Force shall prepare a report
15that summarizes the information gathered during the listening
16sessions and submit the report to the Governor and General
17Assembly on or before July 1, 2022.
 
18    Section 30. Repeal. The Task Force is dissolved, and this
19Act is repealed on July 1, 2023.
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.".