Bill Amendment: IL SB1701 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly
NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List
Bill Title: SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DIST
Status: 2023-08-04 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0494 [SB1701 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SB1701-Senate_Amendment_002.html
Bill Title: SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DIST
Status: 2023-08-04 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0494 [SB1701 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SB1701-Senate_Amendment_002.html
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1 | AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1701
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2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1701 by replacing | ||||||
3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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4 | "Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by changing | ||||||
5 | Section 6z-32 as follows:
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6 | (30 ILCS 105/6z-32)
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7 | Sec. 6z-32. Partners for Planning and Conservation.
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8 | (a) The Partners for Conservation Fund (formerly known as | ||||||
9 | the Conservation 2000 Fund) and the Partners for
Conservation | ||||||
10 | Projects Fund (formerly known as the Conservation 2000 | ||||||
11 | Projects Fund) are
created as special funds in the State | ||||||
12 | Treasury. These funds
shall be used to establish a | ||||||
13 | comprehensive program to protect Illinois' natural
resources | ||||||
14 | through cooperative partnerships between State government and | ||||||
15 | public
and private landowners. Moneys in these Funds may be
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16 | used, subject to appropriation, by the Department of Natural |
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1 | Resources, Environmental Protection Agency, and the
Department | ||||||
2 | of Agriculture for purposes relating to natural resource | ||||||
3 | protection,
planning, recreation, tourism, climate resilience, | ||||||
4 | and compatible agricultural and economic development
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5 | activities. Without limiting these general purposes, moneys in | ||||||
6 | these Funds may
be used, subject to appropriation, for the | ||||||
7 | following specific purposes:
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8 | (1) To foster sustainable agriculture practices and | ||||||
9 | control soil erosion,
sedimentation, and nutrient loss | ||||||
10 | from farmland, including grants to Soil and Water | ||||||
11 | Conservation Districts
for conservation practice | ||||||
12 | cost-share grants and for personnel, educational, and
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13 | administrative expenses.
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14 | (2) To establish and protect a system of ecosystems in | ||||||
15 | public and private
ownership through conservation | ||||||
16 | easements, incentives to public and private
landowners, | ||||||
17 | natural resource restoration and preservation, water | ||||||
18 | quality protection and improvement, land use and watershed | ||||||
19 | planning, technical assistance and grants, and
land | ||||||
20 | acquisition provided these mechanisms are all voluntary on | ||||||
21 | the part of the
landowner and do not involve the use of | ||||||
22 | eminent domain.
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23 | (3) To develop a systematic and long-term program to | ||||||
24 | effectively measure
and monitor natural resources and | ||||||
25 | ecological conditions through investments in
technology | ||||||
26 | and involvement of scientific experts.
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1 | (4) To initiate strategies to enhance, use, and | ||||||
2 | maintain Illinois' inland
lakes through education, | ||||||
3 | technical assistance, research, and financial
incentives.
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4 | (5) To partner with private landowners and with units | ||||||
5 | of State, federal, and local government and with | ||||||
6 | not-for-profit organizations in order to integrate State | ||||||
7 | and federal programs with Illinois' natural resource | ||||||
8 | protection and restoration efforts and to meet | ||||||
9 | requirements to obtain federal and other funds for | ||||||
10 | conservation or protection of natural resources. | ||||||
11 | (6) To support implement the State's Nutrient Loss | ||||||
12 | Reduction Strategy, including, but not limited to, funding | ||||||
13 | the resources needed to support the Strategy's Policy | ||||||
14 | Working Group, cover water quality monitoring in support | ||||||
15 | of Strategy implementation, prepare a biennial report on | ||||||
16 | the progress made on the Strategy every 2 years, and | ||||||
17 | provide cost share funding for nutrient capture projects. | ||||||
18 | (7) To provide capacity grants to support soil and | ||||||
19 | water conservation districts, including, but not limited | ||||||
20 | to, developing soil health plans, conducting soil health | ||||||
21 | assessments, peer-to-peer training, convening | ||||||
22 | producer-led dialogues, professional memberships, | ||||||
23 | professional development , and travel stipends for meetings | ||||||
24 | and educational events.
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25 | (8) To develop guidelines and local soil health | ||||||
26 | assessments for advancing soil health. |
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1 | (9) To implement a crop insurance premium discount | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | program at the State level for practices that improve soil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | health. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | (b) The State Comptroller and State Treasurer shall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | automatically transfer
on the last day of each month, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | beginning on September 30, 1995 and ending on
June 30, 2023,
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7 | from the General Revenue Fund to the Partners for Conservation
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8 | Fund,
an
amount equal to 1/10 of the amount set forth below in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | fiscal year 1996 and
an amount equal to 1/12 of the amount set | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | forth below in each of the other
specified fiscal years:
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2 | (c) The State Comptroller and State Treasurer shall | ||||||
3 | automatically transfer on the last day of each month beginning | ||||||
4 | on July 31, 2021 and ending June 30, 2022, from the | ||||||
5 | Environmental Protection Permit and Inspection Fund to the | ||||||
6 | Partners for Conservation Fund, an amount equal to 1/12 of | ||||||
7 | $4,135,000.
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8 | (c-1) The State Comptroller and State Treasurer shall | ||||||
9 | automatically transfer on the last day of each month beginning | ||||||
10 | on July 31, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023, from the | ||||||
11 | Environmental Protection Permit and Inspection Fund to the | ||||||
12 | Partners for Conservation Fund, an amount equal to 1/12 of | ||||||
13 | $5,900,000. | ||||||
14 | (d) There shall be deposited into the Partners for
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15 | Conservation Projects Fund such
bond proceeds and other moneys | ||||||
16 | as may, from time to time, be provided by law.
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17 | (Source: P.A. 101-10, eff. 6-5-19; 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; | ||||||
18 | 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.)
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19 | Section 10. The Grant Accountability and Transparency Act | ||||||
20 | is amended by changing Section 45 as follows:
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21 | (30 ILCS 708/45)
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22 | Sec. 45. Applicability.
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23 | (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the | ||||||
24 | requirements established under this Act apply to State |
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1 | grant-making agencies that make State and federal pass-through | ||||||
2 | awards to non-federal entities. These requirements apply to | ||||||
3 | all costs related to State and federal pass-through awards.
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4 | The requirements established under this Act do not apply to | ||||||
5 | private awards, to allocations of State revenues paid over by | ||||||
6 | the Comptroller to units of local government and other taxing | ||||||
7 | districts pursuant to the State Revenue Sharing Act from the | ||||||
8 | Local Government Distributive Fund or the Personal Property | ||||||
9 | Tax Replacement Fund, to allotments of State motor fuel tax | ||||||
10 | revenues distributed by the Department of Transportation to | ||||||
11 | units of local government pursuant to the Motor Fuel Tax Law | ||||||
12 | from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund or the Transportation Renewal | ||||||
13 | Fund, or to awards, including capital appropriated funds, made | ||||||
14 | by the Department of Transportation to units of local | ||||||
15 | government for the purposes of transportation projects | ||||||
16 | utilizing State funds, federal funds, or both State and | ||||||
17 | federal funds. This Act shall recognize that federal and | ||||||
18 | federal pass-through awards from the Department of | ||||||
19 | Transportation to units of local government are governed by | ||||||
20 | and must comply with federal guidelines under 2 CFR Part 200. | ||||||
21 | The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 102nd | ||||||
22 | General Assembly apply to pending actions as well as actions | ||||||
23 | commenced on or after the effective date of this amendatory | ||||||
24 | Act of the 102nd General Assembly. | ||||||
25 | (a-5) Nothing in this Act shall prohibit the use of State | ||||||
26 | funds for purposes of federal match or maintenance of effort. |
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1 | (b) The terms and conditions of State, federal, and | ||||||
2 | pass-through awards apply to subawards and subrecipients | ||||||
3 | unless a particular Section of this Act or the terms and | ||||||
4 | conditions of the State or federal award specifically indicate | ||||||
5 | otherwise. Non-federal entities shall comply with requirements | ||||||
6 | of this Act regardless of whether the non-federal entity is a | ||||||
7 | recipient or subrecipient of a State or federal pass-through | ||||||
8 | award. Pass-through entities shall comply with the | ||||||
9 | requirements set forth under the rules adopted under | ||||||
10 | subsection (a) of Section 20 of this Act, but not to any | ||||||
11 | requirements in this Act directed towards State or federal | ||||||
12 | awarding agencies, unless the requirements of the State or | ||||||
13 | federal awards indicate otherwise.
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14 | When a non-federal entity is awarded a cost-reimbursement | ||||||
15 | contract, only 2 CFR 200.330 through 200.332 are incorporated | ||||||
16 | by reference into the contract. However, when the Cost | ||||||
17 | Accounting Standards are applicable to the contract, they take | ||||||
18 | precedence over the requirements of this Act unless they are | ||||||
19 | in conflict with Subpart F of 2 CFR 200. In addition, costs | ||||||
20 | that are made unallowable under 10 U.S.C. 2324(e) and 41 | ||||||
21 | U.S.C. 4304(a), as described in the Federal Acquisition | ||||||
22 | Regulations, subpart 31.2 and subpart 31.603, are always | ||||||
23 | unallowable. For requirements other than those covered in | ||||||
24 | Subpart D of 2 CFR 200.330 through 200.332, the terms of the | ||||||
25 | contract and the Federal Acquisition Regulations apply.
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26 | With the exception of Subpart F of 2 CFR 200, which is |
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1 | required by the Single Audit Act, in any circumstances where | ||||||
2 | the provisions of federal statutes or regulations differ from | ||||||
3 | the provisions of this Act, the provision of the federal | ||||||
4 | statutes or regulations govern. This includes, for agreements | ||||||
5 | with Indian tribes, the provisions of the Indian | ||||||
6 | Self-Determination and Education and Assistance Act, as | ||||||
7 | amended, 25 U.S.C. 450-458ddd-2.
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8 | (c) State grant-making agencies may apply subparts A | ||||||
9 | through E of 2 CFR 200 to for-profit entities, foreign public | ||||||
10 | entities, or foreign organizations, except where the awarding | ||||||
11 | agency determines that the application of these subparts would | ||||||
12 | be inconsistent with the international obligations of the | ||||||
13 | United States or the statute or regulations of a foreign | ||||||
14 | government.
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15 | (d) 2 CFR 200.101 specifies how 2 CFR 200 is applicable to | ||||||
16 | different types of awards. The same applicability applies to | ||||||
17 | this Act.
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18 | (e) (Blank). | ||||||
19 | (f) For public institutions of higher education, the | ||||||
20 | provisions of this Act apply only to awards funded by federal | ||||||
21 | pass-through awards from a State agency to public institutions | ||||||
22 | of higher education. This Act shall recognize provisions in 2 | ||||||
23 | CFR 200 as applicable to public institutions of higher | ||||||
24 | education, including Appendix III of Part 200 and the cost | ||||||
25 | principles under Subpart E. | ||||||
26 | (g) Each grant-making agency shall enhance its processes |
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1 | to monitor and address noncompliance with reporting | ||||||
2 | requirements and with program performance standards. Where | ||||||
3 | applicable, the process may include a corrective action plan. | ||||||
4 | The monitoring process shall include a plan for tracking and | ||||||
5 | documenting performance-based contracting decisions.
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6 | (h) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, | ||||||
7 | grants awarded from federal funds received from the federal | ||||||
8 | Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund in accordance with | ||||||
9 | Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 are | ||||||
10 | subject to the provisions of this Act, but only to the extent | ||||||
11 | required by Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of | ||||||
12 | 2021 and other applicable federal law or regulation. | ||||||
13 | (i) This Act does not apply to the Department of | ||||||
14 | Agriculture's Soil and Water Conservation District Grants | ||||||
15 | Program. | ||||||
16 | (Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; | ||||||
17 | 102-626, eff. 8-27-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-1092, eff. | ||||||
18 | 6-10-22.)
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19 | Section 15. The Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act | ||||||
20 | is amended by adding Sections 3.24, 3.25, 3.26, 3.27, 22.03a, | ||||||
21 | 22.03b, 22.03c, and 22.03d as follows:
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22 | (70 ILCS 405/3.24 new) | ||||||
23 | Sec. 3.24. "Healthy soils practices" means systems of | ||||||
24 | agricultural, forestry, and land management practices that: |
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1 | (1) improve the health of soils, including, but not | ||||||
2 | limited to, consideration of depth of topsoil horizons, | ||||||
3 | water infiltration rate, water-holding capacity, organic | ||||||
4 | matter content, biologically accessible nutrient content, | ||||||
5 | bulk density, biological activity, and biological and | ||||||
6 | microbiological diversity; | ||||||
7 | (2) follow the principles of: minimizing soil | ||||||
8 | disturbance and external inputs; keeping soil covered; | ||||||
9 | maximizing biodiversity; diversifying crop rotations; | ||||||
10 | maximizing presence of living roots; integrating animals | ||||||
11 | and insects into land management, including grazing | ||||||
12 | animals, birds, beneficial insects, or keystone species, | ||||||
13 | such as earthworms; and incorporating the context of local | ||||||
14 | conditions in decision-making, including, for example, | ||||||
15 | soil type, topography, and time of year; and | ||||||
16 | (3) include practices such as tillage or no-till, | ||||||
17 | cover-cropping, perennialization of highly erodible land, | ||||||
18 | precision nitrogen and phosphorus application, managed | ||||||
19 | grazing, integrated crop-livestock systems, silvopasture, | ||||||
20 | agroforestry, perennial crops, integrated pest management, | ||||||
21 | nutrient best management practices, invasive species | ||||||
22 | removal and the planting of native species and those | ||||||
23 | practices recommended by the United States Department of | ||||||
24 | Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service - | ||||||
25 | Field Office Technical Guide.
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1 | (70 ILCS 405/3.25 new) | ||||||
2 | Sec. 3.25. "Soil health assessment" means a suite of | ||||||
3 | soil-health-indicator measures, including, but not limited to, | ||||||
4 | soil organic matter, soil structure, infiltration and bulk | ||||||
5 | density, water-holding capacity, microbial biomass, and soil | ||||||
6 | respiration.
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7 | (70 ILCS 405/3.26 new) | ||||||
8 | Sec. 3.26. "Initiative" means the Illinois Healthy Soils | ||||||
9 | Initiative.
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10 | (70 ILCS 405/3.27 new) | ||||||
11 | Sec. 3.27. "Healthy soil" means the continuing capacity of | ||||||
12 | a soil to function as a vital, living biological system that | ||||||
13 | sustains plants, animals, and humans, increases soil organic | ||||||
14 | matter, improves soil structure and water-holding and | ||||||
15 | nutrient-holding capacity and nutrient cycling, enhances water | ||||||
16 | infiltration and filtration capability, promotes water | ||||||
17 | quality, and results in net long-term ecological benefits. | ||||||
18 | "Healthy soil" includes soil that hosts a diversity of | ||||||
19 | beneficial organisms, grow vigorous crops, enhance | ||||||
20 | agricultural resilience, including the ability of crops and | ||||||
21 | livestock to tolerate and recover from drought, temperature | ||||||
22 | extremes, extreme precipitation events, pests, diseases, and | ||||||
23 | other stresses, break down harmful chemicals, and help convert | ||||||
24 | organic residues into stable soil organic matter and retaining |
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1 | nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus.
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2 | (70 ILCS 405/22.03a new) | ||||||
3 | Sec. 22.03a. Illinois Healthy Soils Initiative. | ||||||
4 | (a) The Illinois Healthy Soils Initiative is created. It | ||||||
5 | is the purpose of the Initiative to improve the health of soils | ||||||
6 | through efforts that improve soil and water quality, increase | ||||||
7 | the resilience of ecosystems to extreme weather events, | ||||||
8 | protect and improve agricultural productivity, and support | ||||||
9 | aquatic and wildlife habitat. | ||||||
10 | The Initiative shall be administered by the Director of | ||||||
11 | Agriculture with consultation from soil and water conservation | ||||||
12 | districts, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the | ||||||
13 | Department of Natural Resources, and the University of | ||||||
14 | Illinois Extension Program. The Department shall create | ||||||
15 | guidelines and guidance to assist soil and water
conservation | ||||||
16 | districts in developing soil health assessments in order to | ||||||
17 | identify desired capacity and funding levels and establish | ||||||
18 | regular, measurable, cost-effective, and technically | ||||||
19 | achievable goals to advance voluntary and incentive-based | ||||||
20 | strategies that improve healthy soils. These assessments shall | ||||||
21 | be used to identify opportunities to access and leverage | ||||||
22 | financial and technical assistance from local, State, and | ||||||
23 | federal sources to guide resources to their best potential | ||||||
24 | use. | ||||||
25 | The Initiative shall complement and improve coordination |
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1 | of existing resources and processes and shall not replace | ||||||
2 | existing, local, State, private, or federal funding or | ||||||
3 | technical assistance programs. The Department shall report on | ||||||
4 | progress of the Initiative annually. | ||||||
5 | The Initiative shall promote voluntary and incentive-based | ||||||
6 | soil health efforts. No part of this Section shall be used to | ||||||
7 | impose mandates or require practice adoption.
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8 | (70 ILCS 405/22.03b new) | ||||||
9 | Sec. 22.03b. Guidelines for soil health assessments. The | ||||||
10 | Department shall adopt and revise guidelines to assist soil | ||||||
11 | and water conservation districts in determining local goals | ||||||
12 | and needs for implementing soil health assessments. | ||||||
13 | In developing its guidelines to assist soil and water | ||||||
14 | conservation districts in determining local goals and needs | ||||||
15 | for soil health assessments, the Department shall consider: | ||||||
16 | (1) county and State levels of conservation practice | ||||||
17 | adoption. Guidance should also be provided to districts to | ||||||
18 | meet USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service determined | ||||||
19 | conservation practice standards or Illinois Urban Manual | ||||||
20 | Practice Standards; | ||||||
21 | (2) information regarding beginning, socially | ||||||
22 | disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers, as well | ||||||
23 | as disadvantaged communities; | ||||||
24 | (3) availability of State, federal, and private | ||||||
25 | financial and technical assistance programs to soil and |
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1 | water conservation districts, local governments, and | ||||||
2 | conservation partners; and | ||||||
3 | (4) opportunities for evaluating results-based | ||||||
4 | practices utilizing tools, such as the U.S. Department of | ||||||
5 | Agriculture's revised universal soil loss equation, that | ||||||
6 | model environmental outcomes at the field, county, | ||||||
7 | watershed, or State level. | ||||||
8 | The information collected through the development of the | ||||||
9 | guidelines shall be summarized and provided to the soil and | ||||||
10 | water conservation districts to inform the development of | ||||||
11 | local soil health assessments. | ||||||
12 | Initial guidelines shall be completed and provided to soil | ||||||
13 | and water conservation districts by July 1 of each year and | ||||||
14 | shall include the grant agreement for the Soil and Water | ||||||
15 | Conservation District Grants Program as well as outlining the | ||||||
16 | funding resource support contained within the grant agreement | ||||||
17 | to better inform the development of local soil health | ||||||
18 | assessments.
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19 | (70 ILCS 405/22.03c new) | ||||||
20 | Sec. 22.03c. Local soil health assessments. Upon the | ||||||
21 | adoption of guidelines described in Section 22.03b, each soil | ||||||
22 | and water conservation district shall develop its own soil | ||||||
23 | health assessment to guide voluntary and incentive-based | ||||||
24 | strategies to improve soil health. The soil health assessment | ||||||
25 | shall be technically feasible and economically reasonable. |
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1 | The Department shall provide a template to the districts | ||||||
2 | for the local soil health assessment, including the required | ||||||
3 | information listed in this Section as well as information | ||||||
4 | regarding available data and support materials collected as | ||||||
5 | the guidance information listed in Section 25. | ||||||
6 | Each district is encouraged to collaborate with other | ||||||
7 | local governmental entities and local stakeholders in | ||||||
8 | developing and implementing its soil health assessment. Each | ||||||
9 | district shall use the guidelines provided by the Department | ||||||
10 | in developing its soil health assessment. | ||||||
11 | Upon the request of a district, the Department shall | ||||||
12 | assist in the preparation of the district's soil health | ||||||
13 | assessment. Districts may also work collaboratively to | ||||||
14 | establish joint plans to leverage existing capacity and | ||||||
15 | resources most effectively. | ||||||
16 | To carry out its assessment, a district shall identify | ||||||
17 | soil health practices. The soil health assessment must | ||||||
18 | consider opportunities to access, leverage, and use State and | ||||||
19 | federal resources within a specific soil and water | ||||||
20 | conservation district service area. | ||||||
21 | Soil and water conservation districts may also convene | ||||||
22 | producer-led dialogues to identify special initiatives or | ||||||
23 | pilot projects to leverage additional resources and implement | ||||||
24 | soil health practices at scale across multiple operations and | ||||||
25 | land ownerships. | ||||||
26 | In developing a soil health assessment, the soil and water |
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1 | conservation district shall: | ||||||
2 | (1) evaluate existing assets, such as current | ||||||
3 | practices, current cropping systems, crop processing
and | ||||||
4 | market infrastructure, riparian buffers, wetlands, public | ||||||
5 | lands, funding, education, research
and peer-to-peer | ||||||
6 | training opportunities, and existing partnerships; | ||||||
7 | (2) consider the eligible funding categories available | ||||||
8 | through the Partners for Conservation Fund and the | ||||||
9 | district's ability to advance healthy soils practices | ||||||
10 | consistent with Natural Resource Conservation Service soil | ||||||
11 | health principles within a soil and water conservation | ||||||
12 | district service area; | ||||||
13 | (3) determine vulnerabilities, such as runoff risk, | ||||||
14 | riparian function, stormwater, floodplains and stream | ||||||
15 | impairments, and observed and predicted impacts from | ||||||
16 | climate change, especially to socially disadvantaged | ||||||
17 | farmers, ranchers, and communities; | ||||||
18 | (4) identify opportunities to conduct outreach to | ||||||
19 | agricultural producers and landowners and to develop | ||||||
20 | individual soil health plans; | ||||||
21 | (5) establish goals for achieving measurable outcomes | ||||||
22 | for soil health and farmer viability through voluntary and | ||||||
23 | incentive-based activities. This includes identifying | ||||||
24 | opportunities to support beginning, socially | ||||||
25 | disadvantaged, and veteran farmers as well as small and | ||||||
26 | mid-scale farmers; |
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1 | (6) estimate 2-year funding levels needed from State, | ||||||
2 | federal and private sources in order to achieve goals; and | ||||||
3 | (7) identify opportunities to develop partnerships and | ||||||
4 | leverage resources from local governments, utilities, and | ||||||
5 | State and federal agencies. | ||||||
6 | The Department shall identify shared goals and priorities | ||||||
7 | between districts and shall assist in developing partnerships | ||||||
8 | and shared funding approaches to maximize capacity and | ||||||
9 | resources. Initial soil health assessments shall be submitted | ||||||
10 | to the Department by September 1, 2024.
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11 | (70 ILCS 405/22.03d new) | ||||||
12 | Sec. 22.03d. Compliance and standards; cost sharing. To be | ||||||
13 | eligible to receive State cost-share support after September | ||||||
14 | 1, 2024, soil and water conservation districts shall have an | ||||||
15 | updated soil health assessment. | ||||||
16 | The Department shall update its rules and procedures for | ||||||
17 | cost-share funding to be inclusive of all relevant soil health | ||||||
18 | practices promoting the rapid adoption of cost-effective and | ||||||
19 | technically feasible projects. Updates to the rules and | ||||||
20 | procedures for State cost-share programs shall also address | ||||||
21 | barriers to access experienced by beginning, socially | ||||||
22 | disadvantaged, and veteran farmers. | ||||||
23 | The Department may require results-based practices or the | ||||||
24 | assessments of the environmental outcomes of projects, at the | ||||||
25 | field or county level, as a condition of cost-share funding.
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1 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
2 | becoming law.".
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