Illinois Legislative Leaders Recognized for Protecting Private Lands

CHICAGO—February 10, 2006—The Nature Conservancy in Illinois is pleased to recognize outstanding contributions made by a couple of key Illinois legislators to protect open spaces. State Sen. John Sullivan (D-Rushville) and State Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr., (R-Mundelein) were each given the Conservancy’s Acorn Award this week for sponsoring a bill that allows property owners to seek compensation when their lands are illegally damaged by off-road motorists.

Each year the Conservancy reviews legislative proceedings to determine if there are exceptional actions that merit special recognition through its Acorn Award. Policy decisions that support conservation of our lands and waters are deciding factors.


				Senator John M Sullivan

				Senator Ed Sullivan, Jr

The Conservancy recently honored Sen. Sullivan and Rep. Sullivan in the Illinois General Assembly with Acorn Awards for their leadership roles in passing legislation that allows landowners to file civil action and seek monetary damages whenever motorists trespass and damage their property.

Under state law, trespass violations are classified as Class B misdemeanors. The amendments to the Criminal Code added civil action as a potential penalty. Violators would be required to pay at least $250. If actual damages are proven the cost would be higher. Landowners also can seek to recover their court and attorney costs from violators.

Bruce Boyd, director of The Nature Conservancy in Illinois, thanked Sen. Sullivan and Rep. Sullivan for their crucial efforts in protecting private lands.

“Their leadership was vital in protecting natural areas, rivers and open space,” Boyd said. “It’s long been illegal to drive off the road and damage private property, but people who do so now will in actual fact have to pay for their crimes.”

The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves the plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit us on the Web at nature.org.