| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | AN ACT concerning State government.
| ||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||||
| 4 | Section 5. The Department of Natural Resources | ||||||
| 5 | (Conservation) Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois | ||||||
| 6 | is amended by adding Section 805-45 as follows: | ||||||
| 7 | (20 ILCS 805/805-45 new) | ||||||
| 8 | Sec. 805-45. Adopt-a-Trail Program. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) The Department shall establish an "Adopt-a-Trail" | ||||||
| 10 | program that will allow volunteer groups to assist in | ||||||
| 11 | maintaining and enhancing trails on State owned land. | ||||||
| 12 | (b) Subject to subsection (c) of this Section, volunteer | ||||||
| 13 | groups in the Adopt-a-Trail program may adopt any available | ||||||
| 14 | trail or trail segment and may choose any one or more of the | ||||||
| 15 | following volunteer activities: | ||||||
| 16 | (1) spring cleanups; | ||||||
| 17 | (2) accessibility projects; | ||||||
| 18 | (3) special events; | ||||||
| 19 | (4) trail maintenance, enhancement, or realignment; | ||||||
| 20 | (5) public information and assistance; or | ||||||
| 21 | (6) training. | ||||||
| 22 | The Department shall designate and approve specific | ||||||
| 23 | activities to be performed by a volunteer group in the | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | Adopt-a-Trail program which shall be executed with an approved | ||||||
| 2 | Adopt-a-Trail agreement. Volunteer services shall not include | ||||||
| 3 | work historically performed by Department employees, including | ||||||
| 4 | services that result in a reduction of hours or compensation or | ||||||
| 5 | that may be performed by an employee on layoff; nor shall | ||||||
| 6 | volunteer services be inconsistent with the terms of a | ||||||
| 7 | collective bargaining agreement. The Department may provide | ||||||
| 8 | for more than one volunteer group to adopt an eligible trail or | ||||||
| 9 | trail segment. | ||||||
| 10 | (c) If the Department operates other programs in the | ||||||
| 11 | vicinity of the trail that allows volunteers to participate in | ||||||
| 12 | the Department's Adopt-a-park program or other resource, the | ||||||
| 13 | Department shall coordinate these programs to provide for | ||||||
| 14 | efficient and effective volunteer programs in the area. | ||||||
| 15 | (d) A volunteer group that wishes to participate in the | ||||||
| 16 | Adopt-a-Trail program shall submit an application to the | ||||||
| 17 | Department on a form provided by the Department. Volunteer | ||||||
| 18 | groups shall agree to the following: | ||||||
| 19 | (1) volunteer groups participate in the program for at | ||||||
| 20 | least a 2-year period; | ||||||
| 21 | (2) volunteer groups shall consist of at least 6 people | ||||||
| 22 | who are 18 years of age or older, unless the volunteer | ||||||
| 23 | group is a school or scout organization, in which case the | ||||||
| 24 | volunteers may be under 18 years of age, but supervised by | ||||||
| 25 | someone over the age of 18; | ||||||
| 26 | (3) volunteer groups shall contribute a total of at | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | least 200 service hours over a 2-year period; | ||||||
| 2 | (4) volunteer groups shall only execute Adopt-a-Trail | ||||||
| 3 | projects and activities after a volunteer project | ||||||
| 4 | agreement has been completed and approved by the | ||||||
| 5 | Department; and | ||||||
| 6 | (5) volunteer groups shall comply with all reasonable | ||||||
| 7 | requirements of the Department.
| ||||||
| 8 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 9 | becoming law.
| ||||||