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1		AN ACT concerning local government.
2		Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3		represented in the General Assembly:
4		Section 5. The Cook County Forest Preserve District Act is
5		amended by changing Sections 7, 8, and 8.1 as follows:
6		(70 ILCS 810/7) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6410)
7		Sec. 7. Any forest preserve district shall have the power
8		to create forest preserves, and for that purpose shall have the
9		power to acquire in fee simple or by easements in land, in the
10		manner hereinafter provided, and hold lands containing one or
11		more natural forests or parts thereof or land or lands
12		connecting such forests or parts thereof, or lands capable of
13		being forested, for the purpose of protecting and preserving
14		the flora, fauna, and scenic beauties within such district, and
15		to restore, restock, protect and preserve the natural forests
16		and such lands together with their flora and fauna, as nearly
17		as may be, in their natural state and condition, for the
18		purpose of the education, pleasure, and recreation of the
19		public. Lands may be acquired in fee simple or by easements in
20		land for the consolidation of such preserves into unit areas of
21		size and form convenient and desirable for public use and
22		economical maintenance and improvement and when in the judgment
23		of the Board the public access, use, and enjoyment of such

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1		preserves and other purposes of this Act will be served by
2		connecting any such preserves with forested ways or links,
3		lands for connecting links of such width, length, and location
4		as the Board deem necessary or desirable may be acquired in fee
5		simple or by easements in land and held for such purposes and
6		improved by forestation, roads, and pathways. Any such district
7		may also acquire lands in fee simple or by easements in land
8		along or enclosing water courses, drainage ways, lakes, ponds,
9		planned impoundments or elsewhere which, in the judgment of its
10		Board are required to store flood waters, or control other
11		drainage and water conditions, or to recycle secondary treated
12		sewage effluents or wastewater through the production and sale
13		of agricultural, silvicultural or aquacultural products,
14		necessary for the preservation and management of the water
15		resources of the district, provided no debris, tree, tree
16		limbs, logs, shrubbery, or related growths and trimmings
17		therefrom shall be deposited in, along, or upon the bank of any
18		waters and water courses within the State of Illinois or any
19		tributary thereto where the same shall be liable to be washed
20		into or deposited along waters and water courses, either by
21		normal or flood flows, as a result of storms or otherwise,
22		which may in any manner impede or obstruct the natural flow of
23		such waters and water courses. Unforested lands adjacent to
24		forest preserves may also be acquired in fee simple or by
25		easements in land, to provide for extension of roads and
26		forested ways around and by such preserves and for parking

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1		space for automobiles and other facilities not requiring
2		forested areas but incidental to the use and protection
3		thereof. All work done in or along any water course shall be
4		done in accordance with the provisions of "An Act in relation
5		to the regulation of the rivers, lakes, and streams of the
6		State of Illinois," approved June 10, 1911, as heretofore and
7		hereafter amended, insofar as such Act may be applicable.
8		(Source: P.A. 80-320.)
9		(70 ILCS 810/8) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6411)
10		Sec. 8. Any forest preserve district shall have power to
11		acquire easements in land, lands in fee simple and grounds
12		within such district for the aforesaid purposes by gift, grant,
13		legacy, purchase or condemnation and to construct, lay out,
14		improve and maintain wells, power plants, comfort stations,
15		shelter houses, paths, driveways, roadways and other
16		improvements and facilities in and through such forest
17		preserves as it shall deem necessary or desirable for the use
18		of such forest preserves by the public. Such forest preserve
19		districts shall also have power to lease not to exceed 40 acres
20		of the lands and grounds acquired by it, for a term of not more
21		than 99 years to veterans' organizations as grounds for
22		convalescing sick and disabled veterans, and as a place upon
23		which to construct rehabilitation quarters, or to a county as
24		grounds for a county nursing home or convalescent home. Any
25		such forest preserve district shall also have power to grant

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1		licenses, easements and rights-of-way for the construction,
2		operation and maintenance upon, under or across any property of
3		such district of facilities for water, sewage, telephone,
4		telegraph, electric, gas or other public service, subject to
5		such terms and conditions as may be determined by such
6		district.
7		Whenever the board determines that the public interest will
8		be subserved by vacating any street, roadway, or driveway, or
9		part thereof, located within a forest preserve, it may vacate
10		that street, roadway, or driveway, or part thereof, by an
11		ordinance passed by the affirmative vote of at least 3/4 of all
12		the members of the board.
13		The determination of the board that the nature and extent
14		of the public use or public interest to be subserved is such as
15		to warrant the vacation of any street, roadway, or driveway, or
16		part thereof, is conclusive, and the passage of such an
17		ordinance is sufficient evidence of that determination,
18		whether so recited in the ordinance or not. The relief to the
19		public from further burden and responsibility of maintaining
20		any street, roadway or driveway, or part thereof, constitutes a
21		public use or public interest authorizing the vacation.
22		Nothing contained in this Section shall be construed to
23		authorize the board to vacate any street, roadway, or driveway,
24		or part thereof, that is part of any State or county highway.
25		When property is damaged by the vacation or closing of any
26		street, roadway, or driveway, or part thereof, damage shall be

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1		ascertained and paid as provided by law.
2		Except in cases where the deed, or other instrument
3		dedicating a street, roadway, or driveway, or part thereof, has
4		expressly provided for a specific devolution of the title
5		thereto upon the abandonment or vacation thereof, whenever any
6		street, roadway, or driveway, or part thereof is vacated under
7		or by virtue of any ordinance of any forest preserve district,
8		the title to the land in fee simple included within the street,
9		roadway, or driveway, or part thereof, so vacated vests in the
10		forest preserve district.
11		The board of any forest preserve district is authorized to
12		sell at fair market price, gravel, sand, earth and any other
13		material obtained from the lands and waters owned by the
14		district.
15		(Source: P.A. 83-388.)
16		(70 ILCS 810/8.1) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6411.1)
17		Sec. 8.1. Property owned by a forest preserve district and
18		property in which a forest preserve district is the grantee of
19		a conservation easement or grantee of a conservation right as
20		defined in Section (1)(a) of the Real Property Conservation
21		Rights Act shall not be subject to eminent domain or
22		condemnation proceedings.
23		(Source: P.A. 80-1443.)
24		Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25		becoming law.