520 ILCS 5/1.32

(520 ILCS 5/1.32) (from Ch. 61, par. 1.32)

Sec. 1.32. Distribution of funds; State Furbearer Committee.

(a) There is created within the State Treasury the State Furbearer Fund. All interest earned on monies in this Fund shall remain in the fund. Six percent of the money collected from the sale of State Habitat Stamps, and all interest earned, gifts, donations, grants, and bequests of money for the conservation of furbearing mammals shall be deposited into the State Furbearer Fund and shall be held separate and apart from the general fund. These monies shall be appropriated to the Department for the following purposes:

(1) 10% of all funds derived from the sale of State Habitat Stamps and deposited into the State Furbearer Fund, and 100% of all interest earned, gifts, donations, grants and bequests of money for the conservation of furbearing mammals shall be appropriated for the purpose of conservation of fur-bearing mammals, and for projects, approved by the Department, for the purpose of developing and improving public fur-bearing mammal habitat management areas within the State. The State Furbearer Committee may include, on an emergency basis only, any projects as the repair, maintenance, and operation of mammal habitat management areas, except that no monies spent within the State for this purpose shall be used for administrative expenses.

(2) 45% of all funds derived from the sale of State Habitat Stamps and deposited into the State Furbearer Fund shall be allocated by the Department to suitable non-profit institutions, corporations, or universities, for projects approved by the Department, for the purpose of conducting surveys and investigations concerning the biology, ecology, and management of fur-bearing mammals within the State. Before allocating any funds under the provisions of this paragraph (2), the Department shall obtain evidence that the project is acceptable to the appropriate non-profit institution, corporation, or university having jurisdiction over the expenditure of funds for the project, and shall consult those non-profit institutions, corporations, and universities and the State Furbearer Committee for approval before allocating funds.

(3) 45% of all funds derived from the sale of State Habitat Stamps and deposited into the State Furbearer Fund shall be allocated for projects approved by the Department for the purpose of educating hunters and trappers of fur-bearing mammals within the State and the general public concerning the role that hunting and trapping has upon fur-bearing mammal management, concerning the laws associated with the harvesting of fur-bearing mammals, concerning the techniques used in the hunting and trapping of fur-bearing mammals, and concerning the conservation, management, and ecology of fur-bearing mammals. Projects, as determined by the State Furbearer Committee, may include the promotion of products made from wild fur-bearing mammals, except that no monies spent for these projects shall be used for administrative expenses.

All allocations and accounting of moneys in the State Furbearer Fund, including all expenditures previously incurred, shall be allocated according to the percentages established by this amendatory Act of 1992.

(b) The State Furbearer Committee shall consist of: (1) the State Furbearer Biologist, (2) the Chief of the Division of Wildlife Resources or his designee, (3) the Chief of the Division of Land Management or his designee, (4) one representative appointed by the Director who is from a nonprofit institution, corporation or university within the State and is actively engaged in wildlife research pertaining to game or fur-bearing mammals, and (5) at least 2, but not more than 3, at large representatives from statewide fur-bearing mammal hunting and trapping organizations appointed by the Director. The Committee's duties shall be to review and recommend all State Furbearer Projects, and to review and recommend all expenditures from the State Furbearer Fund.

(c) At the end of each license accounting period, if 6% of the money collected from the sale of State Habitat Stamps and deposited into the State Furbearer Fund is less than $100,000, the Director shall request a transfer and the State Comptroller and State Treasurer shall transfer from the Illinois Habitat Fund to the State Furbearer Fund the amount necessary to bring the total deposited into the State Furbearer Fund to $100,000.

(Source: P.A. 86-159; 86-1028; 87-135; 87-1015.)