Article I. General Provisions  

    (505 ILCS 35/1-1) (from Ch. 5, par. 2401-1)
    Sec. 1-1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Illinois Conservation Enhancement Act.
(Source: P.A. 85-960; 86-1475.)

    (505 ILCS 35/1-2) (from Ch. 5, par. 2401-2)
    Sec. 1-2. Purpose and policy. This Act creates 2 major programs, the Save Illinois Topsoil Program and the Illinois Natural Resource Enhancement Program. It is the purpose of this Act that certain marginal agricultural land be kept or taken out of crop production or pasture to protect soil and water quality and to protect and support fish and wildlife habitat. It is State policy to encourage the retirement of marginal, highly erodible agricultural land, particularly land adjacent to public waters and drainage systems, from crop production and to reestablish a cover of perennial vegetation in order to conserve, protect and enhance important water and land resources.
(Source: P.A. 85-960; 86-1475.)

    (505 ILCS 35/1-3) (from Ch. 5, par. 2401-3)
    Sec. 1-3. Definitions. As used in this Act:
    (a) "Director" means the Director of the Department of Agriculture unless otherwise stated.
    (b) "Conservation easement" means a nonpossessory interest in real property imposing limitations or affirmative obligations the purposes of which include retaining or protecting natural, scenic or open-space values of real property, assuring its availability for agricultural, forest, recreational or open-space use, protecting natural resources, maintaining or enhancing air or water quality, or preserving the natural, historical, architectural, archaeological or cultural aspects of real property. A conservation easement may be released at any time by mutual consent of the parties.
    (c) "Save Illinois Topsoil Program" means the program established under Article II.
    (d) "Landowner" means an "owner" as defined in Section 3 of "An Act relating to conservation rights in real property", approved September 12, 1977, who owns land in Illinois that qualifies as a farm, as "farm" is defined in Section 1-60 of the Property Tax Code.
    (e) "Marginal agricultural land" means land that is: (1) composed of class IIIe, IVe, V, VI, VII or VIII land as identified in the land capability classification system of the United States Department of Agriculture; or (2) similar to land described under item (1) and identified under a land classification system which may be developed by the Director for the purposes of this Act.
    (f) "Approved management plan" means a plant, animal and soil resource management plan for the land covered by a conservation easement. The plan shall be developed and approved by the soil and water conservation district of the county in which the land is located, with technical assistance provided by the Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and other State or federal agencies as needed.
    (g) "Agreement" means a legal written contract which contains commitments made by the Director and the landowner necessary to carry out the approved management plan and to convey a conservation easement to the Department of Agriculture. An agreement may be rescinded at any time by mutual consent of the parties.
    (h) "Fish and wildlife" means aquatic and terrestrial wild animals and plants and their habitat.
    (i) "Habitat" means the combination of biological, physical and environmental conditions essential for a species' survival and reproduction. Habitat may include, but is not limited to, wetlands, forests, grasslands, prairies, savannas, caves, rivers, lakes, streams and the soil resource base.
    (j) "Natural resources management plan" means a plan which addresses the protection, enhancement, establishment and management of habitat and associated fish and wildlife.
    (k) "Illinois Natural Resource Enhancement Program" means the program established under Article III.
(Source: P.A. 88-670, eff. 12-2-94; 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)