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| AN ACT concerning local 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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Wabash |
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| and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council Act. |
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| Section 5. Legislative Purpose. The restoration and |
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| conservation of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and their |
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| tributaries is in the economic and ecological interest of the |
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| citizens of this State. It is further in the public interest to |
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| establish, implement, and monitor water management projects |
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| run by local, State, federal and not for profit entities. |
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| Section 10. Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council.
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| (a) There is established the Wabash and Ohio Rivers |
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| Coordinating Council (Council), consisting of 13 voting |
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| members. One member shall be the Lieutenant Governor who shall |
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| serve as a voting member and as chairperson of the Council. The |
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| Directors of the following agencies and departments, or their |
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| designees, shall serve as ex-officio voting members: the |
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| Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce and |
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| Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Environmental Protection |
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| Agency, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department |
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| of Transportation. In addition, the Council shall include one |
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| member, appointed by the Governor, representing soil and water |
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| conservation districts located in the proximity of the Wabash |
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| and Ohio Rivers and its tributaries, and 6 members, appointed |
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| by the Governor, representing local communities and |
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| not-for-profit organizations working to protect the Wabash and |
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| Ohio Rivers and their tributaries, businesses, agriculture, |
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| recreation, conservation, and the environment. |
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| (b) The Governor may appoint, as non-voting members, |
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| individuals representing the interests of the states that |
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| border the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and individuals representing |
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| federal agencies. |
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| (c) The voting members of the Council who are appointed by |
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| the Governor shall serve 2-year terms, except that of the |
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| initial appointments, 3 members shall be appointed to serve |
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| 2-year terms and 4 members to serve one-year terms. |
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| (d) The Council shall meet at least quarterly. |
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| (e) The Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall be |
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| responsible for the operations of the Council, including, |
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| without limitation, funding and oversight of the Council's |
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| activities. Members of the Council shall serve without |
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| compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary travel |
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| expenses. |
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| (f) This Section is subject to the provisions of Section |
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| 405-500 of the Department of Central Management Services Law. |
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| Section 15. Duties of the Council. The Council shall do |
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| the following: |
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| (1) periodically review activities and programs
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| administered by State and federal agencies that directly impact |
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| the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and their tributaries; |
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| (2) work with local communities and organizations
to |
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| encourage partnerships that enhance awareness and capabilities |
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| to address watershed and water resource concerns and to |
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| encourage strategies that protect, restore, and expand |
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| critical habitats and soil conservation and water quality |
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| practices; |
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| (3) work with State and federal agencies to
optimize the |
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| expenditure of funds affecting the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and |
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| their tributaries; |
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| (4) advise and make recommendations to the Governor
and |
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| State agencies on ways to better coordinate the expenditure of |
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| appropriated funds affecting the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and |
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| their tributaries; |
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| (5) encourage local communities to develop water
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| management plans to address stormwater, erosion, flooding, |
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| sedimentation, and pollution problems and encourage projects |
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| for the natural conveyance and storage of floodwaters, the |
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| enhancement of wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation |
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| opportunities, the recovery, management, and conservation of |
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| the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and their tributaries, the |
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| preservation of farmland, prairies, and forests, and the use of |
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| measurable economic development efforts that are compatible |
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| with the ecological health of the State; and |
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| (6) help identify possible sources of additional
funding |
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| for Wabash and Ohio Rivers water management projects. |
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| Section 20. Agency duties. State agencies represented on |
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| the Council shall provide to the Council, on request, |
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| information concerning agency programs, data, and activities |
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| that impact the restoration and preservation of the Wabash and |
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| Ohio Rivers and their tributaries.
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