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| 1 | AN ACT concerning conservation.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Illinois Prescribed Burning Act is amended | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | by changing Sections 10 and 15 as follows:
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| 6 | (525 ILCS 37/10) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | (a) "Prescribed burning" means the planned application of | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | fire to naturally occurring vegetative fuels under specified | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | environmental conditions and following appropriate | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | precautionary measures, which causes the fire to be confined | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | to a predetermined area and accomplish the planned land | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | management objectives. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | (b) "Certified prescribed burn manager" means an | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | individual who successfully completes an approved training | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | program and receives proper certification. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | (c) "Prescription" means a written plan for conducting a | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | prescribed burn. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | (d) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Natural | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | Resources. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | (e) "Landowner" means the person or entity that owns the | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | land. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | (f) "Agent of the landowner" means the person or | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1 | organization that has a written contract or agreement with the | ||||||
| 2 | landowner to manage the land, such as, but not limited to, | ||||||
| 3 | tenants and lessees. | ||||||
| 4 | (g) "Third-party land manager" means an individual, | ||||||
| 5 | organization, or contractor under contract or agreement with | ||||||
| 6 | the landowner or landowner's agent to manage the land. | ||||||
| 7 | (h) "Gross negligence" means an act of willful, wanton, | ||||||
| 8 | and reckless conduct. | ||||||
| 9 | (Source: P.A. 95-108, eff. 8-13-07.)
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| 10 | (525 ILCS 37/15) | ||||||
| 11 | Sec. 15. Requirements; liability. | ||||||
| 12 | (a) Before conducting a prescribed burn under this Act, a | ||||||
| 13 | person shall: | ||||||
| 14 | (1) obtain the written consent of the landowner; | ||||||
| 15 | (2) have a written prescription approved by a | ||||||
| 16 | certified prescribed burn manager; | ||||||
| 17 | (3) have at least one certified prescribed burn | ||||||
| 18 | manager present on site with a copy of the prescription | ||||||
| 19 | while the burn is being conducted; | ||||||
| 20 | (4) notify the local fire department, county | ||||||
| 21 | dispatcher, 911 dispatcher, or other designated emergency | ||||||
| 22 | dispatcher on the day of the prescribed burn; and | ||||||
| 23 | (5) make a reasonable attempt to notify all adjoining | ||||||
| 24 | property owners and occupants of the date and time of the | ||||||
| 25 | prescribed burn. | ||||||
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| 1 | (b) No landowner or agent of the landowner, third party | ||||||
| 2 | land manager, or certified prescribed burn manager shall be | ||||||
| 3 | liable for damage, injury, or loss caused by a prescribed burn | ||||||
| 4 | or resulting smoke of a prescribed burn conducted under an | ||||||
| 5 | approved prescription unless the landowner, agent, third party | ||||||
| 6 | or certified burn manager is proven to be grossly negligent. | ||||||
| 7 | The property owner and any person conducting a prescribed burn | ||||||
| 8 | under this Act shall be liable for any actual damage or injury | ||||||
| 9 | caused by the fire or resulting smoke upon proof of | ||||||
| 10 | negligence. | ||||||
| 11 | (c) Any prescribed burning conducted under this Act: | ||||||
| 12 | (1) is declared to be in the public interest; | ||||||
| 13 | (2) does not constitute a public or private nuisance | ||||||
| 14 | when conducted in compliance with Section 9 of the | ||||||
| 15 | Environmental Protection Act and all other State statutes | ||||||
| 16 | and rules applicable to prescribed burning; and | ||||||
| 17 | (3) is a property right of the property owner if | ||||||
| 18 | naturally occurring vegetative fuels are used. | ||||||
| 19 | (Source: P.A. 95-108, eff. 8-13-07.)
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