Bill Text: IL HB5488 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Creates the Legacy Tree Program Task Force Act. Provides that the Legacy Tree Program Task Force shall establish recommendations to promote the identification, awareness, commemoration, and preservation of significant trees within the State. Sets forth provisions concerning the membership of the Task Force, compensation of members, support to the Task Force, and responsibilities of the Task Force. Provides that the Act is repealed on June 30, 2034.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Enrolled) 2024-05-24 - Passed Both Houses [HB5488 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB5488-Enrolled.html

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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.

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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;

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(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

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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,

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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.