505 ILCS 106/ Illinois Rivers-Friendly Farmer Program Act.

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505 ILCS 106/1

(505 ILCS 106/1)

Sec. 1.

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Illinois Rivers-Friendly Farmer Program Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-570, eff. 1-1-00.)

505 ILCS 106/5

(505 ILCS 106/5)

Sec. 5.

Program established.

The Department of Agriculture shall
establish the Illinois Rivers-Friendly Farmer Program to recognize farmers
helping to protect and enhance the State's rivers.

(Source: P.A. 91-570, eff. 1-1-00.)

505 ILCS 106/10

(505 ILCS 106/10)

Sec. 10.

Purposes.

The program is intended
to
promote farming practices
that benefit rivers while maintaining farm profitability and to inform the
public about farmers' contributions to cleaning up of the rivers of Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 91-570, eff. 1-1-00.)

505 ILCS 106/15

(505 ILCS 106/15)

Sec. 15.

A farmer seeking the "Rivers-Friendly Farmer"
designation may submit a written application to the Department of
Agriculture or an agency designated by the Department by rule.

(Source: P.A. 91-570, eff. 1-1-00.)

505 ILCS 106/20

(505 ILCS 106/20)

Sec. 20.

Program criteria.

Farmers who satisfy all of the following
criteria applicable to their operations may be designated Rivers-Friendly
farmers:

(1) Soil loss on cropland is at or below the tolerable soil loss level as
certified by a local Soil and Water Conservation District.

(2) An approved farm conservation plan is on file at the local Soil and
Water
Conservation District office.

(3) If the farm is required
to have a vegetative
filter strip, adjacent to a body of
water,
the strip
was constructed in accordance with the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service Technical Guide.

(4) Evidence of
participation in
programs such as
the USDA's Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program,
and
Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or the
Department's Conservation 2000 Conservation Practices Program, and Agricultural
Areas in accordance with Illinois' Agricultural Areas Conservation and
Protection Act, can be considered but is not required to be designated as a
"Rivers-Friendly Farmer".

(Source: P.A. 91-570, eff. 1-1-00.)

505 ILCS 106/25

(505 ILCS 106/25)

Sec. 25.

Rules.

The Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules to
implement and administer this Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-570, eff. 1-1-00.)

505 ILCS 106/30

(505 ILCS 106/30)

Sec. 30.

Processing Fee.

Any local Soil and Water Conservation District
that chooses to review a written application for the "Rivers-Friendly Farmer"
designation may collect a reasonable fee for services rendered.

The Department of Agriculture may collect an administrative filing fee of $15
for each application for a "Rivers-Friendly Farmer" designation.  In addition,
the Department shall collect an amount equal to the cost of providing a sign
that designates a farmer as a "Rivers-Friendly Farmer".

All moneys collected by the Department shall be deposited into a promotional
trust account as provided in
Section 40.7 of
the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.
Funds collected shall be used for the purposes of the program
authorized by this Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-570, eff. 1-1-00.)