Full Text of SB2781 103rd General Assembly
SB2781sam001 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | Sen. Rachel Ventura Filed: 2/29/2024 | | 10300SB2781sam001 | | LRB103 37263 BDA 70130 a |
|
| 1 | | AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2781
| 2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2781 by replacing | 3 | | everything after the enacting clause with the following: | 4 | | "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | 5 | | Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act. | 6 | | Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds it is in | 7 | | the interest of the State to encourage natural solutions as | 8 | | one component of the State's efforts to reduce and remediate | 9 | | the impacts of climate change. Natural solutions must include | 10 | | planting native trees and other vegetation demonstrated to | 11 | | reduce carbon dioxide. To accomplish this purpose, the State | 12 | | must offer assistance to other units of local government that | 13 | | are taking steps to fight climate change by restoring forests, | 14 | | wetlands, prairies, and other landscapes that are native to | 15 | | Illinois and that are demonstrated to have a positive | 16 | | environmental impact. |
| | | 10300SB2781sam001 | - 2 - | LRB103 37263 BDA 70130 a |
|
| 1 | | Section 10. State goal. It is the goal of the State that | 2 | | there be no overall net loss of the State's existing forest, | 3 | | prairie, or wetland acres or their functional value due to | 4 | | State-supported activities. Further, the State and units of | 5 | | local government shall preserve, enhance, and create forests, | 6 | | prairies, and wetlands where practical in order to mitigate | 7 | | the impact of climate change and reduce carbon dioxide from | 8 | | the atmosphere. | 9 | | Section 15. Receipt of federal moneys. The Department of | 10 | | Natural Resources may receive federal moneys to administer a | 11 | | Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program. | 12 | | Section 20. Establishment of the Healthy Forests, | 13 | | Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program. | 14 | | (a) The Department of Natural Resources, subject to | 15 | | appropriation, shall establish and administer a Healthy | 16 | | Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program to restore | 17 | | degraded forest lands and native prairies and to promote the | 18 | | growth of native vegetation that removes carbon dioxide from | 19 | | the atmosphere and helps mitigate the impact of climate | 20 | | change. | 21 | | (b) Entities that may apply to participate in the Healthy | 22 | | Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program include: | 23 | | (1) State agencies and units of local government, |
| | | 10300SB2781sam001 | - 3 - | LRB103 37263 BDA 70130 a |
|
| 1 | | including, but not limited to, municipalities, townships, | 2 | | counties, forest preserves, and park districts; | 3 | | (2) conservation land trusts; | 4 | | (3) not-for-profit entities with conservation | 5 | | missions, including, but not limited to, climate change | 6 | | mitigation, preservation of natural lands, and | 7 | | conservation of the State's natural resources; and | 8 | | (4) other entities that, because of their missions, | 9 | | are determined by the Department to be eligible recipients | 10 | | of the grants under this Act. | 11 | | (c) At least 75% of the moneys appropriated for the | 12 | | Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program shall be | 13 | | awarded to the State agencies, units of local government, land | 14 | | trusts, and other entities that the Department determines are | 15 | | eligible for a grant under this Section. The Department may | 16 | | use an amount not to exceed 23% of the moneys appropriated for | 17 | | the Program for the purposes of restoring degraded forest | 18 | | lands and native prairies and to promote the growth of native | 19 | | vegetation that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and | 20 | | help mitigate the impact of climate change. The Department may | 21 | | use an amount not to exceed 2% of the moneys appropriated for | 22 | | the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Program for | 23 | | administrative costs associated with the Program. | 24 | | (d) The Department shall adopt any rules necessary for the | 25 | | implementation of this Act, including rules establishing | 26 | | requirements and timeframes for the submission of grant |
| | | 10300SB2781sam001 | - 4 - | LRB103 37263 BDA 70130 a |
|
| 1 | | applications by entities that are authorized to apply to | 2 | | participate in the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies | 3 | | Grant Program. | 4 | | (e) Grants provided under this Act may be used by eligible | 5 | | entities for the purpose of: | 6 | | (1) matching funds for federal or private dollars for | 7 | | projects that forward the goal of climate change | 8 | | mitigation through promotion of the management, planting, | 9 | | maintaining, and preserving of native grasses, plants, and | 10 | | trees; | 11 | | (2) financing projects along roadways and in parks and | 12 | | forest preserves on public or private lands to plant | 13 | | native trees and prairie grasses demonstrated to absorb | 14 | | carbon; | 15 | | (3) financing projects that promote the stewardship of | 16 | | existing public and private urban forests and natural | 17 | | lands, including the removal of invasive or nonnative | 18 | | plant species; | 19 | | (4) funding regional teams tasked with planting native | 20 | | prairie grasses and trees, prescribed burning for the | 21 | | maintenance of natural lands, removing invasive plant | 22 | | species, and educational outreach; and | 23 | | (5) promoting education and marketing regarding local | 24 | | projects or steps community members may take to promote | 25 | | the growth of native vegetation that removes carbon | 26 | | dioxide from the atmosphere. |
| | | 10300SB2781sam001 | - 5 - | LRB103 37263 BDA 70130 a |
|
| 1 | | Section 25. Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant | 2 | | Fund. The Healthy Forest, Wetlands, and Prairies Grant Fund | 3 | | shall be administered by the Department of Natural Resources. | 4 | | The Fund may receive moneys appropriated by the General | 5 | | Assembly or from the federal government, private donations, or | 6 | | any other legal source. Subject to the limitations in | 7 | | subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act, moneys in the Fund | 8 | | shall be used by the Department for the purpose of providing | 9 | | grant assistance in accordance with this Act and for the | 10 | | purpose of administering the grant program established under | 11 | | this Act. | 12 | | Section 90. The Department of Natural Resources Act is | 13 | | amended by changing Section 1-15 as follows: | 14 | | (20 ILCS 801/1-15) | 15 | | Sec. 1-15. General powers and duties. | 16 | | (a) It shall be the duty of the Department to investigate | 17 | | practical problems, implement studies, conduct research and | 18 | | provide assistance, information and data relating to the | 19 | | technology and administration of the natural history, | 20 | | entomology, zoology, and botany of this State; the geology and | 21 | | natural resources of this State; the water and atmospheric | 22 | | resources of this State; and the archeological and cultural | 23 | | history of this State. |
| | | 10300SB2781sam001 | - 6 - | LRB103 37263 BDA 70130 a |
|
| 1 | | (b) The Department (i) shall obtain, store, and process | 2 | | relevant data; recommend technological, administrative, and | 3 | | legislative changes and developments; cooperate with other | 4 | | federal, state, and local governmental research agencies, | 5 | | facilities, or institutes in the selection of projects for | 6 | | study; cooperate with the Board of Higher Education and with | 7 | | the public and private colleges and universities in this State | 8 | | in developing relevant interdisciplinary approaches to | 9 | | problems; and evaluate curricula at all levels of education | 10 | | and provide assistance to instructors and (ii) may sponsor an | 11 | | annual conference of leaders in government, industry, health, | 12 | | and education to evaluate the state of this State's | 13 | | environment and natural resources. | 14 | | (c) The Director, in accordance with the Personnel Code, | 15 | | shall employ such personnel, provide such facilities, and | 16 | | contract for such outside services as may be necessary to | 17 | | carry out the purposes of the Department. Maximum use shall be | 18 | | made of existing federal and state agencies, facilities, and | 19 | | personnel in conducting research under this Act. | 20 | | (c-5) The Department may use the services of, and enter | 21 | | into necessary agreements with, outside entities for the | 22 | | purpose of evaluating grant applications and for the purpose | 23 | | of administering or monitoring compliance with grant | 24 | | agreements. Contracts under this subsection shall not exceed 5 | 25 | | 2 years , without an executed extension in length . | 26 | | (d) In addition to its other powers, the Department has |
| | | 10300SB2781sam001 | - 7 - | LRB103 37263 BDA 70130 a |
|
| 1 | | the following powers: | 2 | | (1) To obtain, store, process, and provide data and | 3 | | information related to the powers and duties of the | 4 | | Department under this Act. This subdivision (d)(1) does | 5 | | not give authority to the Department to require reports | 6 | | from nongovernmental sources or entities. | 7 | | (2) To cooperate with and support the Illinois Science | 8 | | and Technology Advisory Committee and the Illinois | 9 | | Coalition for the purpose of facilitating the effective | 10 | | operations and activities of such entities. Support may | 11 | | include, but need not be limited to, providing space for | 12 | | the operations of the Committee and the Illinois | 13 | | Coalition. | 14 | | (e) The Department is authorized to make grants to local | 15 | | not-for-profit organizations for the purposes of development, | 16 | | management, maintenance , and study of wetland areas , forests, | 17 | | prairies, and other landscapes demonstrated to reduce the | 18 | | impact of climate change . | 19 | | (f) The Department has the authority to accept, receive | 20 | | and administer on behalf of the State any gifts, bequests, | 21 | | donations, income from property rental and endowments. Any | 22 | | such funds received by the Department shall be deposited into | 23 | | the DNR Special Projects Fund, a trust fund in the State | 24 | | treasury, and used for the purposes of this Act or, when | 25 | | appropriate, for such purposes and under such restrictions, | 26 | | terms and conditions as are predetermined by the donor or |
| | | 10300SB2781sam001 | - 8 - | LRB103 37263 BDA 70130 a |
|
| 1 | | grantor of such funds or property. Any accrued interest from | 2 | | money deposited into the DNR Special Projects Fund shall be | 3 | | reinvested into the Fund and used in the same manner as the | 4 | | principal. The Director shall maintain records which account | 5 | | for and assure that restricted funds or property are disbursed | 6 | | or used pursuant to the restrictions, terms or conditions of | 7 | | the donor. | 8 | | (g) The Department shall recognize, preserve, and promote | 9 | | our special heritage of recreational hunting and trapping by | 10 | | providing opportunities to hunt and trap in accordance with | 11 | | the Wildlife Code. | 12 | | (h) Within 5 years after the effective date of this | 13 | | amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Department | 14 | | shall fly a United States Flag, an Illinois flag, and a POW/MIA | 15 | | flag at all State parks. Donations may be made by groups and | 16 | | individuals to the DNR Special Projects Fund for costs related | 17 | | to the implementation of this subsection. | 18 | | (Source: P.A. 102-388, eff. 1-1-22; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; | 19 | | 103-363, eff. 7-28-23.) | 20 | | Section 95. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | 21 | | Section 5.1015 as follows: | 22 | | (30 ILCS 105/5.1015 new) | 23 | | Sec. 5.1015. The Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies | 24 | | Grant Fund. ". |
|