Public Act 103-0863
 
HB5488 EnrolledLRB103 37550 JAG 67674 b

    AN ACT concerning conservation.
 
    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 Legacy 
Tree Program Task Force Act.
 
    Section 5. Findings; purpose. 
    (a) The General Assembly finds that:
        (1) Trees are essential to ecological, cultural, and 
    economic life on Earth.
        (2) Trees support species diversity, food webs, 
    habitats, and numerous ecological processes, such as water 
    and air purification.
        (3) Trees assist in regulating climate and soil 
    fertility.
        (4) The State must commit to preserving and 
    celebrating our legacy and heritage trees and must develop 
    pathways for the public to advocate for the preservation 
    of trees in communities.
    (b) The General Assembly intends this Act to help create a 
Statewide legacy tree program to promote the identification, 
awareness, commemoration, and preservation of significant 
trees within the State.
 
    Section 10. Legacy Tree Program Task Force. 
    (a) The Legacy Tree Program Task Force is created, shall 
meet on a quarterly basis for 4 years after the effective date 
of this Act, and shall, by no later than June 30, 2028, submit 
to the General Assembly, in accordance with Section 3.1 of the 
General Assembly Organization Act, a report that contains the 
final recommendations developed under subsection (b).
    (b) The Legacy Tree Program Task Force shall establish 
recommendations for the creation of a statewide legacy tree 
recognition program to promote the identification, awareness, 
commemoration, and preservation of significant trees in the 
State.
    (c) The Task Force shall consist of the following members:
        (1) one representative of an environmental 
    organization, appointed by the Governor;
        (2) one representative of the Morton Arboretum, 
    appointed by the Governor;
        (3) the director of the Illinois Environmental 
    Protection Agency or a representative of their choosing;
        (4) one representative of the Illinois Forestry 
    Development Council, appointed by the Governor;
        (5) one representative of the Shawnee National Forest, 
    appointed by the Governor;
        (6) one representative of the Southern Illinois 
    University Department of Forestry, appointed by the 
    Governor;
        (7) one representative of the University of Illinois 
    Extension forestry program, appointed by the Governor;
        (8) one representative of an association that 
    represents Illinois arborists, appointed by the Governor;
        (9) two representatives of the Department of Natural 
    Resources, appointed by the Governor;
        (10) one representative of an environmental 
    organization that is different than the organization in 
    paragraph (1), appointed by the Governor;
        (11) one representative of the Chicago Urban Forestry 
    Board, appointed by the Governor;
        (12) one representative of a forest preserve district 
    in a county that is adjacent to Cook County, appointed by 
    the Governor;
        (13) one representative of a forest preserve district 
    located south of Interstate 80, appointed by the Governor;
        (14) one representative of a statewide organization 
    representing park districts, appointed by the Governor;
        (15) one member of the House of Representatives, 
    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
        (16) one member of the House of Representatives, 
    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of 
    Representatives;
        (17) one member of the Senate, appointed by the 
    President of the Senate; and
        (18) one member of the Senate, appointed by the 
    Minority Leader of the Senate.
    (d) Members of the Task Force shall serve without 
compensation.
    (e) The Department of Natural Resources shall provide 
staff and administrative support services to the Task Force 
and serve as the lead and chair agency of the Task Force.
 
    Section 15. Responsibilities. The Task Force shall 
establish recommendations for the following:
        (1) criteria for a definition of legacy tree and 
    legacy tree standards that can be used on a variety of 
    trees;
        (2) criteria for which the historical and cultural 
    significance of a tree could be measured;
        (3) procedures for nominating trees on public and 
    private property;
        (4) exploring partnership opportunities with units of 
    local government for oversight of the legacy tree program 
    and participation in the program;
        (5) creating a public awareness program, including 
    digital media, a website, a legacy tree tool kit and 
    educational materials to be made available by the 
    Department of Natural Resources for use by units of local 
    government;
        (6) exploring funding sources for the operation and 
    maintenance of the statewide legacy tree program, 
    including grant funding opportunities to facilitate 
    participation in the program by units of local government;
        (7) procedures for withdrawing trees from the program;
        (8) procedures for legacy tree assessment;
        (9) procedures for how a tree would be designated or 
    honored physically;
        (10) procedures for mapping trees on a searchable 
    website; and
        (11) procedures for delisting a healthy designated 
    legacy tree.
 
    Section 90. Repeal. This Act is repealed on June 30, 2034.

Effective Date:  1/1/2025