A new program offered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources can help qualified landowners reduce their property taxes while providing natural resource habitats. The program is the Illinois "Conservation Stewardship Program" and will be applicable to 2008 property tax valuations that are payable in 2009. It provides property tax incentives for landowners who develop and follow conservation management plans for woodlands, prairies or wetlands. Applications and details are now available on-line at http://dnr.state.il.us under the IDNR home page "What's New" section. Land accepted into the Conservation Stewardship Program will be valued at 5% of market value for property tax purposes.

Landowners who wish to receive the special valuation for unimproved land provided by this law are required to prepare a Conservation Management Plan according to rules developed by IDNR. That Plan will describe how the land will be managed to protect and maintain environmental resources. When a plan is approved, DNR will notify the Department of Revenue, which will then notify the appropriate county assessor of the properties that have qualified for the special valuation and the necessary adjustment in the valuation will be made. Sale or transfer of land enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program does not affect the valuation of the land unless the acreage requirement is no longer met or the use of the land changes.

Land eligible for enrollment includes five or more adjacent acres of unimproved land (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). Other details of land eligibility are on the website. Submission of a conservation management plan to DNR will be treated as compliance with the requirements of that plan until DNR can review the plan.

If a landowner fails to comply with their approved conservation management plan, the land will be removed from the program and the landowner will be required to pay the difference between the actual taxes paid and what the taxes would have been without the reduced valuation.

Persons with questions about the Conservation Stewardship Program or the application process, are requested to e-mail the questions to dnr.cmp@illinois.gov. Questions will be answered by return e-mail unless you indicate a preference for a phone call and include your phone number in your e-mail.

June 26 through October 30, 2008 (except August 7 & 14) the Illinois Products Farmers' Market will be on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The farmers' market will be in the Commodities Pavilion from 4 to 7 pm. For more information call 782-0777.