SB2073 amends the Illinois Forestry Development Act to expand the annual reporting duties of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Beginning in 2025, the DNR’s written report to the General Assembly due by March 1 must include a description of how much revenue the department received in the prior year from the 4% timber harvest fee collected under the Timber Buyers Licensing Act. The bill also requires the report to include the number of cost-share agreements entered into, the total amount of payments made from the Illinois Forestry Development Fund, and the number of acres affected by those payments.
The bill does not change the basic structure of the forest development cost-share program, but it adds transparency and oversight around how the program is funded and administered. The existing program allows eligible timber growers to receive state cost-share assistance for approved forest management practices, with payments potentially covering up to 80% of costs. SB2073 also preserves the existing provision that timber growers who paid the 4% timber harvest fee may receive priority consideration and an increased cost-share amount tied to those fees, subject to the total cost of the approved practices.
Impact
SB2073 would amend Section 5 of the Illinois Forestry Development Act to require more detailed annual reporting by DNR on timber-harvest-fee revenue and cost-share program activity. It would not alter eligibility standards, payment formulas, or land-management obligations under the program, but it would create a clearer accounting of fee collections, expenditures, agreements, and acreage impacted. The bill affects DNR, timber growers, forest landowners participating in the cost-share program, and legislative oversight of the Illinois Forestry Development Fund and related forestry revenues.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be a low-conflict administrative and transparency bill rather than a controversial policy change. Its focus is on reporting and fiscal visibility, which generally tends to draw neutral or favorable treatment from lawmakers interested in oversight of special funds and program performance. No recorded opposition, amendments, or vote history is provided in the materials.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the bill’s emphasis on the 4% timber harvest fee and whether timber growers who pay that fee should continue to receive priority or enhanced cost-share treatment. Stakeholders focused on forestry operations may support the reporting and fee-credit structure as a way to ensure contributors benefit from the program, while others could question whether the fee and associated preferential treatment are the best use of state forestry funds. However, no specific objections, supporters, or committee concerns are documented in the provided materials.