(a) This Division may be cited as the Conservation Stewardship Law.
     (b) The General Assembly finds that it is in the best interest of this State to maintain, preserve, conserve, and manage unimproved land to assure the protection of these limited and unique environmental resources for the economic and social well-being of the State and its citizens.

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 35 ILCS 200/10-400

  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
  • Unimproved land: means woodlands, prairie, wetlands, or other vacant and undeveloped land that is not used for any residential or commercial purpose that materially disturbs the land. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 35 ILCS 200/10-405

     The General Assembly further finds that, to maximize voluntary taxpayer participation in conservation programs, conservation should be recognized as a legitimate land use and taxpayers should have a full range of incentive programs from which to choose.
     Therefore, the General Assembly declares that it is in the public interest to prevent the forced conversion of unimproved land to more intensive uses as a result of economic pressures caused by the property tax system at values incompatible with their preservation and management as unimproved land, and that a program should be designed to permit the continued availability of this land for these purposes.
     The General Assembly further declares that the following provisions are intended to allow for the conservation, management, and assessment of unimproved land generally suitable for the perpetual growth and preservation of such land in this State.