99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB3264

 

Introduced 2/19/2016, by Sen. Wm. Sam McCann

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
520 ILCS 30/15

    Amends the Illinois Hunting Heritage Protection Act. Provides that by October 1 of each year, the Director of Natural Resources shall submit to the General Assembly a written report describing the Department of Natural Resource's plan to maximize the opportunities for recreational hunting on Department-managed lands.


LRB099 19965 SMS 44364 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3264LRB099 19965 SMS 44364 b

1    AN ACT concerning wildlife.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Hunting Heritage Protection Act is
5amended by changing Section 15 as follows:
 
6    (520 ILCS 30/15)
7    Sec. 15. Recreational hunting.
8    (a) Subject to valid existing rights, Department-managed
9lands shall be open to access and use for recreational hunting
10except as limited by the Department for reasons of public
11safety, fish or wildlife management, or homeland security or as
12otherwise limited by law.
13    (b) The Department shall exercise its authority,
14consistent with subsection (a), in a manner to support,
15promote, and enhance recreational hunting opportunities, to
16the extent authorized by State law. The Department is not
17required to give preference to hunting over other uses of
18Department-managed lands or over land or water management
19priorities established by Department regulations or State law.
20    (c) Department land management decisions and actions may
21not, to the greatest practical extent, result in any net loss
22of habitat available for hunting opportunities on
23Department-managed lands that exists on the effective date of

 

 

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1this Act.
2    (d) By October 1 of each year, the Director shall submit to
3the General Assembly a written report describing:
4        (1) the acreage administered by the Department that has
5    been closed during the previous year to recreational
6    hunting and the reasons for the closures; and
7        (2) the acreage administered by the Department that, in
8    order to comply with subsection (c), was opened to
9    recreational hunting to compensate for those acreage
10    closed under paragraph (1); and .
11        (3) the Department's plan to maximize the
12    opportunities for recreational hunting on
13    Department-managed lands.
14(Source: P.A. 95-118, eff. 8-13-07.)