SB1413 Engrossed LRB096 09301 JDS 19455 b

1     AN ACT concerning conservation.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Forestry Development Act is amended
5 by changing Sections 2, 4, 5, 6b, and 7 as follows:
 
6     (525 ILCS 15/2)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9102)
7     Sec. 2. The following words shall have the meanings
8 ascribed to them in this Section:
9     (a) "Acceptable forest forestry management practices"
10 means preparation of a forest forestry management plan, site
11 preparation, brush control, purchase of planting stock,
12 planting, weed and pest control, fire control, fencing, fire
13 management practices, timber stand improvement, timber harvest
14 and any other practices determined by the Department of Natural
15 Resources to be essential to responsible timber management.
16     (b) "Approved forest forestry management plan" means a
17 management plan approved by the Department of Natural Resources
18 pursuant to Section 5 of this Act.
19     (c) "Council" means the Illinois Council on Forestry
20 Development Council created by this Act.
21     (d) "Department" means the Department of Natural
22 Resources.
23     (e) "Forest product" means timber which can be used for

 

 

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1 sawing or processing into lumber for building or structural
2 purposes, for pulp paper, chemicals or fuel, for the
3 manufacture of furniture, or for the manufacture of any
4 article.
5     (f) "Fund" means the Illinois Forestry Development Fund
6 created by this Act.
7     (g) "Timber" means trees, standing or felled, and parts
8 thereof, excluding Christmas trees and producers of firewood.
9     (h) "Timber buyer" means any person defined as a timber
10 buyer pursuant to Section 2 of the "Timber Buyers Licensing
11 Act", approved September 15, 1969, as amended.
12     (i) "Timber grower" means the owner, tenant or operator of
13 land in this State who has an interest in, or is entitled to
14 receive any part of the proceeds from, the sale of timber grown
15 in this State and includes persons exercising authority to sell
16 timber.
17 (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)
 
18     (525 ILCS 15/4)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9104)
19     Sec. 4. The Department shall:
20     (a) Implement the forest forestry development cost share
21 program created by Section 5 of this Act and coordinate with
22 the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resource
23 Conservation Service Soil Conservation Service and the Farm
24 Service Agency Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation
25 Service in the administration of that such program.

 

 

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1     (b) Approve acceptable forest forestry management plans as
2 required by Section 5 of this Act.
3     (c) Provide assistance to the Illinois Council on Forestry
4 Development Council.
5     (d) Promote the development of an active forest forestry
6 industry in this State by providing information to timber
7 growers relating to acceptable management practices,
8 suitability of various kinds of timber to various land types,
9 marketability of various types of timber, market strategies
10 including marketing cooperatives, availability of State and
11 federal government assistance, soil and water conservation
12 benefits, and wildlife habitat enhancement opportunities.
13     (e) Provide any aid or information requested by the
14 Illinois Finance Authority in relation to forest forestry
15 industry assistance programs implemented under the Illinois
16 Finance Authority Act.
17 (Source: P.A. 93-205, eff. 1-1-04.)
 
18     (525 ILCS 15/5)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9105)
19     Sec. 5. A forest forestry development cost share program is
20 created and shall be administered by the Department of Natural
21 Resources.
22     A timber grower who desires to participate in the cost
23 share program shall devise a forest forestry management plan.
24 To be eligible to submit a proposed forest forestry management
25 plan, a timber grower must own or operate at least 10 5

 

 

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1 contiguous acres of land in this State on which timber is
2 produced, except that, no acre on which a permanent building is
3 located shall be included in calculations of acreage for the
4 purpose of determining eligibility. Timber growers with
5 Department approved forest management plans covering less than
6 10 acres in effect on or before the effective date of this
7 amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly shall continue to
8 be eligible under the Illinois Forestry Development Act
9 provisions. The proposed forest forestry management plan shall
10 include a description of the land to be managed under the plan,
11 a description of the types of timber to be grown, a projected
12 harvest schedule, a description of forest forestry management
13 practices to be applied to the land, an estimation of the cost
14 of such practices, plans for afforestation, plans for
15 regenerative harvest and reforestation, and a description of
16 soil and water conservation goals and wildlife habitat
17 enhancement which will be served by implementation of the
18 forest forestry management plan.
19     Upon receipt from a timber grower of a draft forest
20 forestry management plan, the Department shall review the plan
21 and, if necessary, assist the timber grower to revise the plan.
22 The Department shall officially approve acceptable plans.
23 Forest Forestry management plans shall be revised as necessary
24 and all revisions must be approved by the Department. A plan
25 shall be evaluated every 2 years annually for reapproval.
26     The eligible land shall be maintained in a forest condition

 

 

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1 for a period of 10 years or until commercial harvest, whichever
2 last occurs, as required by the plan.
3     The Department shall enter into agreements with timber
4 growers with approved forest forestry management plans under
5 which the Department shall agree to pay a share of the total
6 cost of acceptable forest forestry management plans and
7 practices implemented under the plan. The cost share amount is
8 up to 80% of the total cost of the forest forestry management
9 practices for such practices approved to be funded from monies
10 appropriated for this purpose for subsequent fiscal years. Cost
11 share funds shall be paid from monies appropriated to the
12 Department by the General Assembly for that purpose from the
13 Illinois Forestry Development Fund or any other fund in the
14 State Treasury.
15     The Department, upon recommendations made to it by the
16 Council, may provide for the categorization of forest forestry
17 management practices and determine an appropriate cost share
18 percentage for each such category. Forest Forestry management
19 practices submitted by timber growers on whose timber sales
20 fees of 4% of the sale amount were paid as provided in Section
21 9a of the "Timber Buyers Licensing Act", approved September 1,
22 1969, may be accorded a priority for approval within the
23 assigned category. Such timber growers may receive a cost share
24 amount which is increased above the amount for which they would
25 otherwise qualify by an amount equal to not to exceed 50% of
26 the fees paid by the timber grower on his sales occurring in

 

 

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1 the 2 fiscal years immediately preceding the fiscal year in
2 which the forest forestry management practices are approved and
3 funded; provided, however, that the total cost share amount
4 shall not exceed the total cost of the approved forest forestry
5 management practices.
6     Upon transfer of his or her his right and interest in the
7 land or a change in land use, the timber grower shall forfeit
8 all rights to future payments and other benefits resulting from
9 an approved plan and shall refund to the Department all
10 payments received therefrom during the previous 10 years unless
11 the transferee of any such land agrees with the Department to
12 assume all obligations under the plan.
13 (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)
 
14     (525 ILCS 15/6b new)
15     Sec. 6b. Illinois Forestry Development Council.
16     (a) The Illinois Forestry Development Council is created by
17 this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.
18     (b) The Council shall consist of 29 members appointed as
19 follows:
20         (1) four members of the General Assembly, one appointed
21     by the President of the Senate, one appointed by the Senate
22     Minority Leader, one appointed by the Speaker of the House
23     of Representatives, and one appointed by the House Minority
24     Leader;
25         (2) one member appointed by the Governor to represent

 

 

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1     the Governor;
2         (3) the Directors of the Departments of Natural
3     Resources, Agriculture, and Commerce and Economic
4     Opportunity, the Executive Director of the Illinois
5     Finance Authority, and the Director of the Office of Rural
6     Affairs, or their designees;
7         (4) the chair of the Department of Forestry or a
8     forestry academician, appointed by the Dean of
9     Agricultural Sciences at Southern Illinois University at
10     Carbondale;
11         (5) the head of the Department of Natural Resources and
12     Environmental Sciences or a forestry academician,
13     appointed by the Dean of Agricultural Consumer and
14     Environmental Sciences of the University of Illinois at
15     Urbana-Champaign;
16         (6) two members, appointed by the Governor, who shall
17     be private timber growers;
18         (7) one member, appointed by the president of a
19     statewide association involved in promoting wood products,
20     who shall be involved in primary forest industry;
21         (8) one member, appointed by the president of a
22     statewide association involved in promoting wood products,
23     who shall be involved in secondary forest industry;
24         (9) one member who is actively involved in
25     environmental issues, appointed by the Governor;
26         (10) the president of a statewide association involved

 

 

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1     in promoting soil and water conservation;
2         (11) two persons who are actively engaged in farming,
3     appointed by the Governor;
4         (12) one member, appointed by the Governor, whose
5     primary area of expertise is urban forestry;
6         (13) one member appointed by the president of a
7     statewide organization of arborists;
8         (14) the Supervisor of the Shawnee National Forest and
9     the United States Department of Agriculture Natural
10     Resource Conservation Service's State Conservationist, ex
11     officio, or their designees;
12         (15) the president of a statewide association involved
13     in promoting Illinois forestry;
14         (16) the president of a statewide association involved
15     in promoting Illinois walnut trees;
16         (17) the chair of a statewide association involved in
17     promoting Illinois tree farms;
18         (18) the president of a statewide association of
19     American foresters; and
20         (19) the president of a statewide association
21     promoting Illinois wildlife.
22     (c) Members of the Council shall serve without compensation
23 but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the
24 performance of their duties which are not otherwise reimbursed.
25     (d) The Council shall select from its membership a
26 chairperson and such other officers as it considers necessary.

 

 

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1 Appointees to the Council shall serve for an initial term of 2
2 years and may be reappointed for one additional term.
3     (e) Other individuals, agencies and organizations may be
4 invited to participate as deemed advisable by the Council.
5     (f) The Council shall study and evaluate the forest
6 resources and forest industry of Illinois. The Council shall:
7         (1) determine the magnitude, nature and extent of the
8     State's forest resources;
9         (2) determine current uses and project future demand
10     for forest products, services and benefits in Illinois;
11         (3) determine and evaluate the ownership
12     characteristics of the State's forests, the motives for
13     forest ownership and the success of incentives necessary to
14     stimulate development of forest resources;
15         (4) determine the economic development and management
16     opportunities that could result from improvements in local
17     and regional forest product marketing and from the
18     establishment of new or additional wood-related businesses
19     in Illinois;
20         (5) confer with and offer assistance to the Illinois
21     Finance Authority relating to its implementation of forest
22     industry assistance programs authorized by the Illinois
23     Finance Authority Act;
24         (6) determine the opportunities for increasing
25     employment and economic growth through development of
26     forest resources;

 

 

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1         (7) determine the effect of current governmental
2     policies and regulations on the management of woodlands and
3     the location of wood products markets;
4         (8) determine the staffing and funding needs for forest
5     and other conservation programs to support and enhance
6     forest resources development;
7         (9) determine the needs of forest education programs in
8     this State;
9         (10) confer with and offer assistance to the Department
10     of Natural Resources relating to the implementation of
11     urban forest assistance grants pursuant to the Urban and
12     Community Forestry Assistance Act; and
13         (11) determine soil and water conservation benefits
14     and wildlife habitat enhancement opportunities that can be
15     promoted through approved forest management plans.
16     (g) The Council shall report (i) its findings and
17 recommendations for future State action and (ii) its evaluation
18 of Urban/Community Forestry Assistance Grants to the General
19 Assembly no later than July 1 of each year.
 
20     (525 ILCS 15/7)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9107)
21     Sec. 7. The Illinois Forestry Development Fund, a special
22 fund in the State Treasury, is hereby created. The Department
23 of Natural Resources shall pay into the Fund all fees and fines
24 collected from timber buyers and landowners and operators
25 pursuant to the "Timber Buyers Licensing Act", and the "Forest

 

 

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1 Products Transportation Act", all gifts, contributions,
2 bequests, grants, donations, transfers, appropriations and all
3 other revenues and receipts resulting from forestry programs,
4 forest product sales, and operations of facilities not
5 otherwise directed by State law and shall pay such monies
6 appropriated from the Fund to timber growers for implementation
7 of acceptable forest forestry management practices as provided
8 in Section 5 of this Act. Monies may be appropriated from the
9 Fund for the expenses of the Illinois Forestry Development
10 Council. Ordinary operating expenses of the Forest Resources
11 Division of the Department, for the administration and
12 implementation of this Act, the development and implementation
13 of a wood industry marketing, development and promotions
14 program and other programs beneficial to advancing forests and
15 forestry in this State, as deemed appropriate by the General
16 Assembly, may be appropriated from this fund to the extent such
17 appropriations preserve the receipts to the Fund derived from
18 Section 9a of the "Timber Buyers Licensing Act".
19 (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)
 
20     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21 becoming law.