Illinois State Flower: Violet
Updates in 2024:
HB2468 [LS] Farmland Conservancy Program; includes soil health in criteria for land improvement grant evaluations – carried over from 2023, stalled in committee
HB3556 [LS] Black Farmer Restoration Program; includes training “with a primary focus on regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community” – stalled in Senate
HB3627 [LS] Soil Health Week; first full week of March each year is designated as Soil Health Week – carried over from 2023, stalled in Senate
HB4155 [LS] Creates the Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office; includes minimizing negative environmental impacts to soil health in research or demonstration projects on agrivoltaics – stalled in committee
HB5052 [LS] Amends the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Good Food Purchasing Law.
“Good Food Purchasing Program core values” includes prioritizing suppliers that consider “improved soil health and carbon sequestration” – stalled in committee
HR0630 [LS] Declares March 3 through March 9, 2024 as Illinois Soil Health Week in the State of Illinois. Encourages the celebration of Soil Health Week and its related activities to increase the awareness of Illinois farmers, eaters, and those involved in agribusiness of the importance of the air and water quality environment for all citizens of this State. – adopted 5/3/2024
SB0251 [LS] Amends Public Act 103-6 by adding, changing, and repealing various State Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations. Makes appropriations and reappropriations for capital and operating expenditures and other purposes for State Fiscal Year 2025. $250,000 for soil health assessments – enacted 6/5/2024
Updates in 2023:
HB4412 (2022) Act concerning regulations; includes in relation to commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities, “(r) To maximize community benefits, including, but not limited to, reduced stormwater runoff, flooding, and erosion at the ground mounted solar energy system, improved soil health, and increased foraging habitat for game birds, songbirds, and pollinators, a county may (1) require a commercial solar energy facility owner to plant, establish, and maintain for the life of the facility vegetative ground cover, consistent with the goals of the Pollinator-Friendly Solar Site Act and (2) require the submittal of a vegetation management plan in the application to construct and operate a commercial solar energy facility in the county. No later than 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources shall develop guidelines for vegetation management plans that may be required under this subsection for commercial solar energy facilities. The guidelines must include guidance for short-term and long-term property management practices that provide and maintain native and non-invasive naturalized perennial vegetation to protect the health and well-being of pollinators.” – signed and enacted 1/27/2023
HB2468 [LS] Farmland Conservancy Program; includes soil health in criteria for land improvement grant evaluations – in committee at adjournment
HB3556 [LS] Black Farmer Restoration Program; includes training “with a primary focus on regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community” – passed House, in Senate at adjournment
HB3627 [LS] Soil Health Week; first full week of March each year is designated as Soil Health Week – passed House, in Senate at adjournment
SB1701 [LS] Soil & Water Conservation Dist; includes creation of Healthy Soils Initiative – signed and enacted 8/4/2023
HB3817 [LS] Illinois FY2024 budget; includes “provide capacity grants to support soil and water conservation districts, including, but not limited to, developing soil health plans, conducting soil health assessments, peer-to-peer training, convening producer-led dialogues, professional development and travel stipends for meetings and educational events”, increase of funding for programs from $14 million to $18 million. – signed and enacted 6/7/2023
Updates in 2022:
HJR0063/SJR0044 [LS/LS], Soil Health Week, Declares the first full week of March 2022 as “Illinois Soil Health Week” and the Wednesday of that week as “Illinois Soil Health Day” – adopted 3/24/2022
SR0706, compost awareness week, May 1-7, 2022, includes “healthier soils” in declarations – adopted 3/24/2022
SB3471 [LS], Nutrient Loss Reduction, includes creation of Partners for Nutrient Loss Reduction and Illinois Healthy Soils and Watersheds Initiative – stalled in committee
HB3501 [LS], Black Farmer Restoration Program; includes “focus on regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community” – stalled in committeeHB5224 [LS], Healthy Soil Act – stalled in committee
Updates in 2021:
HB0804/HB2647/SB1718/SB2436, includes Community Energy, Climate, and Jobs Planning Act; soil health may be in plans
HB3501, Black Farmer Restoration Program; includes “focus on regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community”
Legislative information
Date:
Passed May 2019
Legislation:
SB1980 / HB 2737: The Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act
Sponsors:
Agencies Involved:
Illinois Department of Agriculture
Rule Making Processes:
Will be created by local Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Program Summary
Description:
The Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act declares that soil health is a matter of public interest because of its impacts on erosion and sediment control, air pollution, water quality, resilience against floods and droughts, and public health.
The Act amends the original Soil and Water Conservation Districts Act to explicitly allow the Soil and Water Conservation Districts to take targeted action to support soil health and water quality. Actions can include but are not limited to; creating surveys, investigations, research, development of comprehensive plans, and making machinery and equipment that support soil health practices available to landowners.
The Act was intended to preempt potential legal battles of the districts designing soil-specific programs as well as provide guidance to the conservation districts. There is no funding is associated with this Act.
Soil Health Definitions:
“The overall composition of the soil, including the amount of organic matter stored in the soil, and the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.”
Stated Goals:
To build the soil health in the state for its many co-benefits including: preventing soil erosion, reducing pollution, improving water quality, conserving natural resources, and building resilience in the face of floods, droughts, and extreme weather
To promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of the State.
To allow the Soil and Water Conservation Districts to take specific action to increase soil health and soil organic matter
Program Required Measurements:
To be determined
Tools & Guidance:
To be determined
Funding Sources
Founding Source/s:
No funding is associated with this Act
Funding Type/s:
N/A
Practices Eligible for Funding:
N/A
Lessons Learned
Be prepared with clear policy, program frameworks, and ideas in order to take advantage of the right political climate when it arises. The obstacle previously was an unsupportive State Administration. When a new and supportive Administration took over in 2019, advocate organizations were prepared with policies and ideas that were able to be quickly implemented.
Work to build trust and communication with the Director of the Department of Agriculture and other key stakeholders before crafting policy
Turn programs into statutes when possible to protect against changes in administrations.
Help educate legislators by building relationships between legislators and farmers in their districts. The Illinois Environmental Council organizes legislative farm tours to see conservation practices in action so they are more likely to understand and advocate for them
Legislative Information
The Bill was tabled in the House Chamber. Requires a legislative champion to move the Bill forward next legislative session.
Date:
Introduced 2019
Legislation:
House Bill 2819 DNR-Soil Health Practices
Sponsors:
Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz
Agencies Involved:
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Rule Making Processes:
N/A
Program Summary
Description:
House Bill 2810 would amend the Department of Natural Resources Act to allow the Department to require specific soil health practices on land leased for agricultural use. Similar to SB1980 / HB 2737, this Bill was intended to preempt potential legal battles if the Department of Natural Resources begins requiring soil health practices. No funding was associated with this Bill.
Soil Health Definitions:
N/A
Stated Goals:
- To support building healthy soils in the state to capitalize on its many co-benefits
To allow the Department of Natural Resources to require the use of soil health practices on land leased for agricultural use
Program Required Measurements:
N/A
Tools & Guidance:
N/A
Funding Sources
Founding Source/s:
N/A
Funding Type/s:
N/A
Practices Eligible for Funding:
N/A
Lessons Learned
Legislative Information
Partners for Conservation (PFC) is a related policy
Date:
First created in 1995. The program has been extended twice, once in 1999, and most recently in 2008 creating an extension to 2021.
Legislation:
HB 1780 – Extended the program to 2021 and renamed the program to Partners for Conservation
Sponsors:
Representative Paul D. Froehlich
Representative Patrick J Verschoore
Representative Brandon W. Phelps
Agencies Involved:
Illinois Department of Agriculture is responsible for administering agriculture-related components of PFC
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Rule Making Processes:
- Sustainable agriculture grant program
- Grants reviewed by an 11-member Sustainable Agriculture Review Committee
- Based on the following criteria: Project objectives, cost, cooperative efforts plan of work, outreach, impacts
- Conservation practices cost-share program
- Based on which projects save the most soil or benefit the most acres per dollar cost
- Recipients must agree to continue or maintain structural conservation practices and possibly some management practices for at least 10 years
- Streambank stabilization and restoration program
- Selected by an independent committee
- Recipients must agree to maintain streambank stabilization practices for at least 10 years
- Soil and water conservation district grants program
- Overseen by Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Program Summary
Description:
The Partners for Conservation (PFC) initiative aims to protect natural resources and improve outdoor recreation in Illinois. PFC programs are all voluntary incentives. It has created four main strategies targeting soil and water conservation:
- Sustainable agriculture grant program supports demonstration projects, outreach, and education.
- Conservation practices cost-share program
- Streambank stabilization and restoration program funds demonstration projects on methods to limit stream bank erosion.
- Soil and water conservation district grants program supports soil and water conservation districts offset expenses.
Soil Health Definitions:
N/A
Stated Goals:
To manage and preserve the state’s natural resources and preserve and enhance biological resources through voluntary and incentive-based means
To collaborate with private landowners (90% of the state is privately owned) and community interests in promoting conservation efforts.
Program Required Measurements:
- Sustainable agriculture grant program: Must create an interim and final report on the progress of the program and a minimum of 6 digital pictures.
- Conservation practices cost-share program: Applicants are not required to take measurements.
- Streambank stabilization and restoration program: Must meet assessment and selection criteria established for successful streambank stabilization and maintain the practices for at least 10 years.
- Soil and water conservation district grants program: Applicants are not required to take measurements.
Tools & Guidance:
N/A
Funding Sources
Founding Source/s:
The PFC is funded through the General Fund and provides funding for its programs via the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Funding Type/s:
Sustainable agriculture grant program
- Individuals can receive up to $10,000 and groups, institutions or organizations can receive up to $20,000 per project
Conservation practices cost-share program
- SWCDs share cost for projects that reduce soil loss with landowners (maximum is 60%)
Streambank stabilization and restoration program
- Fund demonstration projects at suitable locations statewide and provide cost-share assistance to landowners with severely eroding stream banks
Soil and water conservation district grants program
- Funded by the Department of Agriculture
Practices Eligible for Funding:
- Sustainable agriculture grant program
- On-Farm Research and Demonstration grants
- Outreach and Education grants
- University Research grants
- Conservation practices cost-share program
- Cover and green manure crops
- Critical area planting
- Diversions
- Field border strips
- Filter strips
- Grade stabilization structures
- Grassed waterways
- No-till planting systems
- Nutrient management planning/implementation
- Pastureland and hayland plantings
- Terraces
- Water and sediment control basins
- Streambank stabilization and restoration program
- Vegetative or other bioengineering techniques for stream stabilization
- Soil and water conservation district grants program
- Soil conservation
- Water quality protection
- Wetlands management
- Flood control
- Soil erosion control at urban construction sites
- Streambank stabilization
- Recycling, soil interpretation
- Land use and site suitability
- Conservation education
Lessons Learned
Good programs don’t exist without funding. There was an Illinois budget crisis for years which effectively gutted this program.
Legislative Committees
House Committee: Agriculture & Conservation
Senate Committee: Agriculture
State Universities & Researchers
University of Illinois: Land-grant university
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment; Funding research on greenhouse gas emissions and farming practices, nutrient management and soil health, technology for sustainable agriculture, regulation, public health, food safety, and policy
Agricultural Organizations & Technical Assistance
Education & Advocacy Groups
Media & Additional Resources
Other state initiatives:
Pilot program for discounted crop insurance if farmers use a cover crop
- $300,000 was included in the 2019 state budget that will cover 60,000 acres of farmland with a payment of $5 per acre
Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) Program rates farm fields based on the use of conservation practices
- Implemented by SWCDs and shown success within the farming community as a means to support and acknowledge farmers
Last Update: 04/02/2025