Full Text of SB2781 103rd General Assembly
SB2781enr 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | SB2781 Enrolled | | LRB103 37263 JAG 67384 b |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning conservation. | 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | 3 | | represented in the General Assembly: | 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 purpose, the State | 12 | | must offer assistance to other units of local government that | 13 | | are taking steps to fight climate change by restoring forests, | 14 | | wetlands, prairies, and other landscapes that are native to | 15 | | Illinois and that are demonstrated to have a positive | 16 | | environmental impact. | 17 | | Section 10. State goal. It is the goal of the State that | 18 | | there be no overall net loss of the State's existing forest, | 19 | | prairie, or wetland acres or their functional value due to | 20 | | State-supported activities. Further, the State and units of | 21 | | local government shall preserve, enhance, and create forests, | 22 | | prairies, and wetlands where practical in order to mitigate |
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| 1 | | the impact of climate change and reduce carbon dioxide from | 2 | | the atmosphere. | 3 | | Section 15. Receipt of federal moneys. The Department of | 4 | | Natural Resources may receive federal moneys to administer a | 5 | | Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program. | 6 | | Section 20. Establishment of the Healthy Forests, | 7 | | Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program. | 8 | | (a) The Department of Natural Resources, subject to | 9 | | appropriation, shall establish and administer a Healthy | 10 | | Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program to restore | 11 | | degraded forest lands and native prairies and to promote the | 12 | | growth of native vegetation that removes carbon dioxide from | 13 | | the atmosphere and helps mitigate the impact of climate | 14 | | change. | 15 | | (b) Entities that may apply to participate in the Healthy | 16 | | Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program include: | 17 | | (1) State agencies and units of local government, | 18 | | including, but not limited to, municipalities, townships, | 19 | | counties, forest preserves, and park districts; | 20 | | (2) conservation land trusts; | 21 | | (3) not-for-profit entities with conservation | 22 | | missions, including, but not limited to, climate change | 23 | | mitigation, preservation of natural lands, and | 24 | | conservation of the State's natural resources; and |
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| 1 | | (4) other entities that, because of their missions, | 2 | | are determined by the Department to be eligible recipients | 3 | | of the grants under this Act. | 4 | | (c) At least 75% of the moneys appropriated for the | 5 | | Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program shall be | 6 | | awarded to the State agencies, units of local government, land | 7 | | trusts, and other entities that the Department determines are | 8 | | eligible for a grant under this Section. The Department may | 9 | | use an amount not to exceed 23% of the moneys appropriated for | 10 | | the Program for the purposes of restoring degraded forest | 11 | | lands and native prairies and to promote the growth of native | 12 | | vegetation that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and | 13 | | help mitigate the impact of climate change. The Department may | 14 | | use an amount not to exceed 2% of the moneys appropriated for | 15 | | the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program for | 16 | | administrative costs associated with the Program. | 17 | | (d) The Department shall adopt any rules necessary for the | 18 | | implementation of this Act, including rules establishing | 19 | | requirements and timeframes for the submission of grant | 20 | | applications by entities that are authorized to apply to | 21 | | participate in the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies | 22 | | Grant Program. | 23 | | (e) Grants provided under this Act may be used by eligible | 24 | | entities for the purpose of: | 25 | | (1) matching funds for federal or private dollars for | 26 | | projects that forward the goal of climate change |
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| 1 | | mitigation through promotion of the management, planting, | 2 | | maintaining, and preserving of native grasses, plants, and | 3 | | trees; | 4 | | (2) financing projects along roadways and in parks and | 5 | | forest preserves on public or private lands to plant | 6 | | native trees and prairie grasses demonstrated to absorb | 7 | | carbon; | 8 | | (3) financing projects that promote the stewardship of | 9 | | existing public and private urban forests and natural | 10 | | lands, including the removal of invasive or nonnative | 11 | | plant species; | 12 | | (4) funding regional teams tasked with planting native | 13 | | prairie grasses and trees, prescribed burning for the | 14 | | maintenance of natural lands, removing invasive plant | 15 | | species, and educational outreach; and | 16 | | (5) promoting education and marketing regarding local | 17 | | projects or steps community members may take to promote | 18 | | the growth of native vegetation that removes carbon | 19 | | dioxide from the atmosphere. | 20 | | Section 25. Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant | 21 | | Fund. The Healthy Forest, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Fund | 22 | | shall be administered by the Department of Natural Resources. | 23 | | The Fund may receive moneys appropriated by the General | 24 | | Assembly or from the federal government, private donations, or | 25 | | any other legal source. Subject to the limitations in |
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| 1 | | subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act, moneys in the Fund | 2 | | shall be used by the Department for the purpose of providing | 3 | | grant assistance in accordance with this Act and for the | 4 | | purpose of administering the grant program established under | 5 | | this Act. | 6 | | Section 90. The Department of Natural Resources Act is | 7 | | amended by changing Section 1-15 as follows: | 8 | | (20 ILCS 801/1-15) | 9 | | Sec. 1-15. General powers and duties. | 10 | | (a) It shall be the duty of the Department to investigate | 11 | | practical problems, implement studies, conduct research and | 12 | | provide assistance, information and data relating to the | 13 | | technology and administration of the natural history, | 14 | | entomology, zoology, and botany of this State; the geology and | 15 | | natural resources of this State; the water and atmospheric | 16 | | resources of this State; and the archeological and cultural | 17 | | history of this State. | 18 | | (b) The Department (i) shall obtain, store, and process | 19 | | relevant data; recommend technological, administrative, and | 20 | | legislative changes and developments; cooperate with other | 21 | | federal, state, and local governmental research agencies, | 22 | | facilities, or institutes in the selection of projects for | 23 | | study; cooperate with the Board of Higher Education and with | 24 | | the public and private colleges and universities in this State |
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| 1 | | in developing relevant interdisciplinary approaches to | 2 | | problems; and evaluate curricula at all levels of education | 3 | | and provide assistance to instructors and (ii) may sponsor an | 4 | | annual conference of leaders in government, industry, health, | 5 | | and education to evaluate the state of this State's | 6 | | environment and natural resources. | 7 | | (c) The Director, in accordance with the Personnel Code, | 8 | | shall employ such personnel, provide such facilities, and | 9 | | contract for such outside services as may be necessary to | 10 | | carry out the purposes of the Department. Maximum use shall be | 11 | | made of existing federal and state agencies, facilities, and | 12 | | personnel in conducting research under this Act. | 13 | | (c-5) The Department may use the services of, and enter | 14 | | into necessary agreements with, outside entities for the | 15 | | purpose of evaluating grant applications and for the purpose | 16 | | of administering or monitoring compliance with grant | 17 | | agreements. Contracts under this subsection shall not exceed 5 | 18 | | 2 years , without an executed extension in length . | 19 | | (d) In addition to its other powers, the Department has | 20 | | the following powers: | 21 | | (1) To obtain, store, process, and provide data and | 22 | | information related to the powers and duties of the | 23 | | Department under this Act. This subdivision (d)(1) does | 24 | | not give authority to the Department to require reports | 25 | | from nongovernmental sources or entities. | 26 | | (2) To cooperate with and support the Illinois Science |
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| 1 | | and Technology Advisory Committee and the Illinois | 2 | | Coalition for the purpose of facilitating the effective | 3 | | operations and activities of such entities. Support may | 4 | | include, but need not be limited to, providing space for | 5 | | the operations of the Committee and the Illinois | 6 | | Coalition. | 7 | | (e) The Department is authorized to make grants to local | 8 | | not-for-profit organizations for the purposes of development, | 9 | | management, maintenance , and study of wetland areas , forests, | 10 | | prairies, and other landscapes demonstrated to reduce the | 11 | | impact of climate change . | 12 | | (f) The Department has the authority to accept, receive | 13 | | and administer on behalf of the State any gifts, bequests, | 14 | | donations, income from property rental and endowments. Any | 15 | | such funds received by the Department shall be deposited into | 16 | | the DNR Special Projects Fund, a trust fund in the State | 17 | | treasury, and used for the purposes of this Act or, when | 18 | | appropriate, for such purposes and under such restrictions, | 19 | | terms and conditions as are predetermined by the donor or | 20 | | grantor of such funds or property. Any accrued interest from | 21 | | money deposited into the DNR Special Projects Fund shall be | 22 | | reinvested into the Fund and used in the same manner as the | 23 | | principal. The Director shall maintain records which account | 24 | | for and assure that restricted funds or property are disbursed | 25 | | or used pursuant to the restrictions, terms or conditions of | 26 | | the donor. |
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| 1 | | (g) The Department shall recognize, preserve, and promote | 2 | | our special heritage of recreational hunting and trapping by | 3 | | providing opportunities to hunt and trap in accordance with | 4 | | the Wildlife Code. | 5 | | (h) Within 5 years after the effective date of this | 6 | | amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Department | 7 | | shall fly a United States Flag, an Illinois flag, and a POW/MIA | 8 | | flag at all State parks. Donations may be made by groups and | 9 | | individuals to the DNR Special Projects Fund for costs related | 10 | | to the implementation of this subsection. | 11 | | (Source: P.A. 102-388, eff. 1-1-22; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; | 12 | | 103-363, eff. 7-28-23.) | 13 | | Section 95. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | 14 | | Section 5.1015 as follows: | 15 | | (30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new) | 16 | | Sec. 5.1015. The Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies | 17 | | Grant Fund. |
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