093_SB1521

 
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 1        AN ACT concerning recreational trails.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  5.  The  Recreational  Trails of Illinois Act is
 5    amended by changing Section 15 as follows:

 6        (20 ILCS 862/15)
 7        Sec. 15. Off-Highway Vehicle Trails Fund.
 8        (a)  The Off-Highway Vehicle Trails Fund is created as  a
 9    special  fund  in  the  State  treasury.  Money from federal,
10    State, and private sources may be deposited  into  the  Fund.
11    Fines  assessed  by  the  Department of Natural Resources for
12    citations issued to off-highway vehicle  operators  shall  be
13    deposited  into  the  Fund.  All interest accrued on the Fund
14    shall be deposited into the Fund.
15        (b)  All money in the Fund  shall  be  used,  subject  to
16    appropriation, by the Department for the following purposes:
17             (1)  Grants  for construction of off-highway vehicle
18        recreational trails on county, municipal, other units  of
19        local  government,  or private lands where a recreational
20        need for the construction is shown.
21             (2)  Grants  for  maintenance  and  construction  of
22        off-highway vehicle recreational trails on federal lands,
23        where permitted by law.
24             (3)  Grants for development of  off-highway  vehicle
25        trail-side   facilities   in   accordance  with  criteria
26        approved by the  National  Recreational  Trails  Advisory
27        Committee.
28             (4)  Grants for acquisition of property from willing
29        sellers  for off-highway vehicle recreational trails when
30        the objective of a trail cannot be accomplished by  other
31        means.
 
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 1             (5)  Grants  for  development  of  urban off-highway
 2        vehicle trail linkages near homes and workplaces.
 3             (6)  Grants for maintenance of existing  off-highway
 4        vehicle  recreational  trails, including the grooming and
 5        maintenance of trails across snow.
 6             (7)  Grants for  restoration  of  areas  damaged  by
 7        usage of off-highway vehicle recreational trails and back
 8        country terrain.
 9             (8)  Grants   for   provision   of   features   that
10        facilitate  the  access  and  use  of off-highway vehicle
11        trails by persons with disabilities.
12             (9)  Grants  for  acquisition   of   easements   for
13        off-highway vehicle trails or for trail corridors.
14             (10)  Grants   for  a  rider  education  and  safety
15        program.
16             (11)  Administration,  enforcement,  planning,   and
17        implementation  of  this  Act  and  Sections  11-1426 and
18        11-1427 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.
19        Of the money used from the  Fund  for  the  purposes  set
20    forth in this subsection, at least 60% shall be allocated for
21    motorized  recreation.  The  Department  shall  establish, by
22    rule, measures to verify that recipients of  money  from  the
23    Fund  comply with the specified conditions for the use of the
24    money.
25        (c)  The Department may not use the money from  the  Fund
26    for the following purposes:
27             (1)  Condemnation   of   any  kind  of  interest  in
28        property.
29             (2)  Construction  of  any  recreational  trail   on
30        National  Forest  System  land  for motorized uses unless
31        those lands have  been  allocated  for  uses  other  than
32        wilderness  by  an  approved  forest  land  and  resource
33        management  plan or have been released to uses other than
34        wilderness by an Act of Congress, and the construction is
 
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 1        otherwise consistent with the management direction in the
 2        approved land and resource management plan.
 3             (3)  Construction of motorized  recreational  trails
 4        on Department owned or managed land.
 5        (d)  The   Department   shall   establish  a  program  to
 6    administer grants from the Fund to units of local government,
 7    not-for-profit organizations, and other  groups  to  operate,
 8    maintain, and acquire land for off-highway vehicle parks that
 9    are open and accessible to the public.
10    (Source: P.A. 90-287, eff. 1-1-98.)

11        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
12    becoming law.