Public Act 90-0120 of the 90th General Assembly

State of Illinois
Public Acts
90th General Assembly

[ Home ] [ Public Acts ] [ ILCS ] [ Search ] [ Bottom ]


Public Act 90-0120

HB0424 Enrolled                                LRB9001978NTsb

    AN ACT to create the Illinois River Watershed Restoration
Act.

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

    Section  1.  Short  title.  This  Act may be cited as the
Illinois River Watershed Restoration Act.

    Section 5.  Legislative  purpose.   The  restoration  and
conservation  of  the  Illinois  River  Watershed  is  in the
ecological and economic interests of  the  citizens  of  this
State.  It  is  further  in  the public interest to stimulate
watershed management projects by local,  State,  and  federal
agencies,   local  communities,  not-for-profit  conservation
organizations, and private landowners. It is the  purpose  of
this   Act   to:  create  a  group  of  leaders  representing
agriculture, business, conservation, and the  environment  to
encourage  the  implementation  of  efforts  to  restore  the
Illinois    River    Watershed   in   accordance   with   the
recommendations of the Office of  the  Lieutenant  Governor's
Integrated  Management  Plan for the Illinois River Watershed
Technical Report (1997); to work with  local  communities  to
develop   projects  and  regional  strategies;  and  to  make
recommendations to appropriate State  and  federal  agencies.
This  Act  is  not  intended  to dilute or replicate existing
federal, State, or local programs.

    Section 10.  Definitions.  As used in this Act:
    "Council" means the Illinois River Coordinating Council.
    "Illinois River Watershed" or "watershed" means the lands
that drain directly or through tributaries into the  Illinois
River, including but not limited to lands surrounding the Des
Plaines  River,  Fox  River,  Kankakee River, La Moine River,
Mackinaw River, Sangamon River, Spoon  River,  and  Vermilion
River.

    Section 15. Illinois River Coordinating Council.
    (a)  There is established the Illinois River Coordinating
Council,  consisting  of 13 voting members to be appointed by
the Governor. One member shall be the Lieutenant Governor who
shall serve as a voting member  and  as  chairperson  of  the
Council.  The Agency members of the Council shall include the
Director,  or  his  or her designee, of each of the following
agencies:  the Department of Agriculture, the  Department  of
Commerce  and  Community  Affairs, the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency, the Department of Natural  Resources,  and
the  Department  of Transportation.  In addition, the Council
shall  include  one  member  representing  Soil   and   Water
Conservation  Districts  located  within the Watershed of the
Illinois River and its tributaries and 6 members representing
local communities, not-for-profit  organizations  working  to
protect  the Illinois River Watershed, business, agriculture,
recreation, conservation, and the environment.  The  Governor
may,   at   his   or   her  discretion,  appoint  individuals
representing  federal  agencies  to  serve  as  ex   officio,
non-voting members.
    (b)  Members  of  the  Council  shall serve 2-year terms,
except that of the initial appointments, 5 members  shall  be
appointed  to  serve  3-year  terms  and  4  members to serve
one-year terms.
    (c)  The Council shall meet at least quarterly.
    (d)  The Office  of  the  Lieutenant  Governor  shall  be
responsible  for  the  operations of the Council.  The Office
may  reimburse  members  of  the  Council  for  ordinary  and
contingent expenses incurred in the  performance  of  Council
duties.
    Section 20. Duties of the Council.  The Council shall:
         (1)  periodically  review  activities  and  programs
    administered  by State and federal agencies that directly
    impact the Illinois River Watershed;
         (2)  work with local communities  and  organizations
    to  encourage  partnerships  that  enhance  awareness and
    capabilities to  address  watershed  and  water  resource
    concerns   and  to  encourage  strategies  that  protect,
    restore,  and   expand   critical   habitats   and   soil
    conservation and water quality practices;
         (3)  work   with   State  and  federal  agencies  to
    optimize the expenditure of funds affecting the  Illinois
    River Watershed;
         (4)  advise   State   agencies  on  ways  to  better
    coordinate  the   expenditure   of   appropriated   funds
    affecting the Illinois River Watershed;
         (5)  encourage    local   communities   to   develop
    watershed  management  plans   to   address   stormwater,
    erosion,  flooding, sedimentation, and pollution problems
    and shall encourage projects for the  natural  conveyance
    and  storage  of floodwaters, the enhancement of wildlife
    habitat  and  outdoor   recreation   opportunities,   the
    recovery,  management,  and  conservation of the Illinois
    River and its tributaries, the preservation of  farmland,
    prairies, and forests, and the use of measurable economic
    development   efforts   that   are  compatible  with  the
    ecological health of the Watershed and this State; and
         (6)  help identify possible  sources  of  additional
    funding for watershed management projects.
    To  the  extent  practical, the Council shall perform its
duties in  accordance  with  the  Office  of  the  Lieutenant
Governor's  Integrated Management Plan for the Illinois River
Watershed Technical Report (1997).
    Section 25.  Agency duties.  State  agencies  represented
on  the  Council  shall  provide  to the Council, on request,
information concerning agency programs  and  activities  that
impact the restoration of the Illinois River Watershed.

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

[ Top ]