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| [ House Amendment 001 ] |
90_HB0424ham003
LRB9001978DPcwam02
1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 424
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Bill 424, AS AMENDED, by
3 replacing the title with the following:
4 "AN ACT to create the Illinois River Watershed
5 Restoration Act."; and
6 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
7 following:
8 "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
9 Illinois River Watershed Restoration Act.
10 Section 5. Legislative purpose. The restoration and
11 conservation of the Illinois River Watershed is in the
12 ecological and economic interests of the citizens of this
13 State. It is further in the public interest to stimulate
14 watershed management projects by local, State, and federal
15 agencies, local communities, not-for-profit conservation
16 organizations, and private landowners. It is the purpose of
17 this Act to: create a group of leaders representing
18 agriculture, business, conservation, and the environment to
19 encourage the implementation of efforts to restore the
20 Illinois River Watershed in accordance with the
21 recommendations of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor's
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1 Integrated Management Plan for the Illinois River Watershed
2 Technical Report (1997); to work with local communities to
3 develop projects and regional strategies; and to make
4 recommendations to appropriate State and federal agencies.
5 This Act is not intended to dilute or replicate existing
6 federal, State, or local programs.
7 Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
8 "Council" means the Illinois River Coordinating Council.
9 "Illinois River Watershed" or "watershed" means the lands
10 that drain directly or through tributaries into the Illinois
11 River, including but not limited to lands surrounding the Des
12 Plaines River, Fox River, Kankakee River, La Moine River,
13 Mackinaw River, Sangamon River, Spoon River, and Vermilion
14 River.
15 Section 15. Illinois River Coordinating Council.
16 (a) There is established the Illinois River Coordinating
17 Council, consisting of 13 voting members to be appointed by
18 the Governor. One member shall be the Lieutenant Governor who
19 shall serve as a voting member and as chairperson of the
20 Council. The Agency members of the Council shall include the
21 Director, or his or her designee, of each of the following
22 agencies: the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
23 Commerce and Community Affairs, the Illinois Environmental
24 Protection Agency, the Department of Natural Resources, and
25 the Department of Transportation. In addition, the Council
26 shall include one member representing Soil and Water
27 Conservation Districts located within the Watershed of the
28 Illinois River and its tributaries and 6 members representing
29 local communities, not-for-profit organizations working to
30 protect the Illinois River Watershed, business, agriculture,
31 recreation, conservation, and the environment. The Governor
32 may, at his or her discretion, appoint individuals
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1 representing federal agencies to serve as ex officio,
2 non-voting members.
3 (b) Members of the Council shall serve 2-year terms,
4 except that of the initial appointments, 5 members shall be
5 appointed to serve 3-year terms and 4 members to serve
6 one-year terms.
7 (c) The Council shall meet at least quarterly.
8 (d) The Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be
9 responsible for the operations of the Council. The Office
10 may reimburse members of the Council for ordinary and
11 contingent expenses incurred in the performance of Council
12 duties.
13 Section 20. Duties of the Council. The Council shall:
14 (1) periodically review activities and programs
15 administered by State and federal agencies that directly
16 impact the Illinois River Watershed;
17 (2) work with local communities and organizations
18 to encourage partnerships that enhance awareness and
19 capabilities to address watershed and water resource
20 concerns and to encourage strategies that protect,
21 restore, and expand critical habitats and soil
22 conservation and water quality practices;
23 (3) work with State and federal agencies to
24 optimize the expenditure of funds affecting the Illinois
25 River Watershed;
26 (4) advise State agencies on ways to better
27 coordinate the expenditure of appropriated funds
28 affecting the Illinois River Watershed;
29 (5) encourage local communities to develop
30 watershed management plans to address stormwater,
31 erosion, flooding, sedimentation, and pollution problems
32 and shall encourage projects for the natural conveyance
33 and storage of floodwaters, the enhancement of wildlife
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1 habitat and outdoor recreation opportunities, the
2 recovery, management, and conservation of the Illinois
3 River and its tributaries, the preservation of farmland,
4 prairies, and forests, and the use of measurable economic
5 development efforts that are compatible with the
6 ecological health of the Watershed and this State; and
7 (6) help identify possible sources of additional
8 funding for watershed management projects.
9 To the extent practical, the Council shall perform its
10 duties in accordance with the Office of the Lieutenant
11 Governor's Integrated Management Plan for the Illinois River
12 Watershed Technical Report (1997).
13 Section 25. Agency duties. State agencies represented
14 on the Council shall provide to the Council, on request,
15 information concerning agency programs and activities that
16 impact the restoration of the Illinois River Watershed.
17 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18 becoming law.".