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Public Act 102-0388
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| SB2089 Enrolled | LRB102 17340 KMF 22831 b |
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AN ACT concerning State government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Department of Natural Resources Act is |
amended by changing Section 1-15 as follows:
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(20 ILCS 801/1-15)
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Sec. 1-15. General powers and duties.
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(a) It shall be the duty of the Department to investigate |
practical
problems, implement studies, conduct research and |
provide assistance,
information and data relating to the |
technology and administration of
the natural history, |
entomology, zoology, and botany of this State; the geology
and |
natural resources of this State; the water and atmospheric |
resources of
this State; and the archeological and cultural |
history of this State.
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(b) The Department (i) shall obtain, store, and process |
relevant
data; recommend technological, administrative, and |
legislative changes and
developments; cooperate with other |
federal, state, and local governmental
research agencies, |
facilities, or institutes in the selection of projects
for |
study; cooperate with the Board of Higher Education and with |
the public
and private colleges and universities in this State |
in developing relevant
interdisciplinary approaches to |
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problems; and evaluate curricula at all
levels
of education |
and provide assistance to instructors and (ii) may
sponsor an
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annual
conference of leaders in government, industry, health, |
and education to
evaluate the state of this State's |
environment and natural resources.
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(c) The Director, in accordance with the Personnel Code, |
shall employ
such personnel, provide such facilities, and |
contract for such outside services
as may be necessary to |
carry out the purposes of the Department. Maximum use
shall be |
made of existing federal and state agencies, facilities, and |
personnel
in conducting research under this Act.
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(d) In addition to its other powers, the Department has |
the following
powers:
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(1) To obtain, store, process, and provide data and |
information
related to the powers and duties of the |
Department under this Act.
This subdivision (d)(1) does |
not give authority to the Department to
require reports |
from nongovernmental sources or entities.
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(2) To cooperate with and support the Illinois Science
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and Technology Advisory
Committee and the Illinois |
Coalition for the purpose of facilitating the
effective |
operations and activities of such entities. Support may |
include,
but need not be limited to, providing space for |
the operations of the
Committee and the Illinois |
Coalition.
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(e) The Department is authorized to make grants to local |
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not-for-profit
organizations for the purposes of development, |
maintenance and study of
wetland areas.
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(f) The Department has the authority to accept, receive |
and administer
on behalf of the State any gifts, bequests, |
donations, income from property
rental and endowments. Any |
such funds received by the Department shall be
deposited into |
the Natural Resources Fund, a special fund which is hereby
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created in the State treasury, and used for the purposes of |
this Act or,
when appropriate, for such purposes and under |
such restrictions, terms and
conditions as are predetermined |
by the donor or grantor of such funds or
property. Any accrued |
interest from money deposited into the Natural
Resources Fund |
shall be reinvested into the Fund and used in the same
manner |
as the principal. The Director shall maintain records which |
account
for and assure that restricted funds or property are |
disbursed or used
pursuant to the restrictions, terms or |
conditions of the donor.
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(g) The Department shall recognize, preserve, and promote |
our special
heritage of recreational hunting and trapping by |
providing opportunities to
hunt and trap in accordance with |
the Wildlife Code.
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(h) Within 5 years after the effective date of this |
amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Department |
shall fly a United States Flag, an Illinois flag, and a POW/MIA |
flag at all State parks. Donations may be made by groups and |
individuals to the Department's Special Projects Fund for |