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92_SB0881
LRB9201990TApr
1 AN ACT concerning natural resources.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Department of Natural Resources Act is
5 amended by changing Section 1-15 as follows:
6 (20 ILCS 801/1-15)
7 Sec. 1-15. General powers and duties.
8 (a) It shall be the duty of the Department to
9 investigate practical problems, implement studies, conduct
10 research and provide assistance, information and data
11 relating to the technology and administration of the natural
12 history, entomology, zoology, and botany of this State; the
13 geology and natural resources of this State; the water and
14 atmospheric resources of this State; and the archeological
15 and cultural history of this State.
16 (b) The Department (i) shall obtain, store, and process
17 relevant data; recommend technological, administrative, and
18 legislative changes and developments; cooperate with other
19 federal, state, and local governmental research agencies,
20 facilities, or institutes in the selection of projects for
21 study; cooperate with the Board of Higher Education and with
22 the public and private colleges and universities in this
23 State in developing relevant interdisciplinary approaches to
24 problems; and evaluate curricula at all levels of education
25 and provide assistance to instructors; and (ii) may sponsor
26 an annual conference of leaders in government, industry,
27 health, and education to evaluate the state of this State's
28 environment and natural resources.
29 (c) The Director, in accordance with the Personnel Code,
30 shall employ such personnel, provide such facilities, and
31 contract for such outside services as may be necessary to
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1 carry out the purposes of the Department. Maximum use shall
2 be made of existing federal and state agencies, facilities,
3 and personnel in conducting research under this Act.
4 (d) In addition to its other powers, the Department has
5 the following powers:
6 (1) To obtain, store, process, and provide data and
7 information related to the powers and duties of the
8 Department under this Act. This subdivision (d)(1) does
9 not give authority to the Department to require reports
10 from nongovernmental sources or entities.
11 (2) To cooperate with and support the Illinois
12 Science and Technology Advisory Committee and the
13 Illinois Coalition for the purpose of facilitating the
14 effective operations and activities of such entities.
15 Support may include, but need not be limited to,
16 providing space for the operations of the Committee and
17 the Illinois Coalition.
18 (e) The Department is authorized to make grants to local
19 not-for-profit organizations for the purposes of development,
20 maintenance and study of wetland areas.
21 (f) The Department has the authority to accept, receive
22 and administer on behalf of the State any gifts, bequests,
23 donations, income from property rental and endowments. Any
24 such funds received by the Department shall be deposited into
25 the Natural Resources Fund, a special fund which is hereby
26 created in the State treasury, and used for the purposes of
27 this Act or, when appropriate, for such purposes and under
28 such restrictions, terms and conditions as are predetermined
29 by the donor or grantor of such funds or property. Any
30 accrued interest from money deposited into the Natural
31 Resources Fund shall be reinvested into the Fund and used in
32 the same manner as the principal. The Director shall maintain
33 records which account for and assure that restricted funds or
34 property are disbursed or used pursuant to the restrictions,
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1 terms or conditions of the donor.
2 (g) The Department shall recognize, preserve, and
3 promote our special heritage of recreational hunting and
4 trapping by providing opportunities to hunt and trap in
5 accordance with the Wildlife Code.
6 (Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 91-582, eff. 8-14-99.)
7 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8 becoming law.