[Riverweb] RESTORE LIABILITY PROTECTION FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION AND CONSERVATION

[csmith at prairierivers.org]

We apologise for any cross postings


ACTION ALERT!        HB5519

April 30, 2008

RESTORE LIABILITY PROTECTION FOR

OUTDOOR RECREATION AND CONSERVATION

For more than 40 years, landowners in Illinois who allowed the public onto
their property for recreation and conservation purposes were protected from
liability under the Recreational Use of Land and Water Areas Act. The law
was extremely reassuring to individual landowners, land trusts, corporations
and public agencies that granted an easement across their property for a
trail or opened their land to the public for hiking, biking, fishing,
bird-watching and all other forms of outdoor recreation and conservation
uses.

In 2005, the law was changed to only cover landowners who make their land
available for hunting and recreational shooting.  The new law eliminated
protection to landowners who opened their property to the public for all
other recreational activities.  Illinois became the only state in the nation
that does not offer this protection.  As a result, landowners across the
State may severely restrict or eliminate access to their property for public
outdoor recreational and conservation activities.

Illinois needs to restore liability protection for landowners who open their
land to the public for all recreational and conservation activities now.

Ask your state representatives to support HB5519

We can reinstate these essential protections by ensuring our legislators
pass HB 5519.  Please immediately call or write your State Representative
and Representative John Fritchey, the sponsor of the bill, and let them know
that you support restoring broad liability protection for landowners that
open their land to the public for all recreational and conservation
activities.  Representative Fritchey can be reached at: (217) 782-2458 or
via email at: mystaterep at aol.com.  You may wish to emphasize the following:

*        Instances when you have enjoyed public access to private property
for a specific recreation or conservation activity (such as biking,
canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, nature walks, etc.)
*        Trails that you and others in your organization use or future trails
you are developing, which could be limited because private landowners may
not want to continue to provide critical trail connections for fear of
liability.
*        Examples of landowners that are willing to extend conservation
easements over their land for the public to use for recreation and
conservation purposes.

To find your legislator go to
http://www.elections.il.gov/districtlocator/SelectSearchType.aspx (Please
note the corrected link.)



For more information please contact: Openlands Policy Director, Lenore
Beyer-Clow at (312)-863-6264,  <mailto:lbeyer-clow at openlands.org&gt;
lbeyer-clow at openlands.org.



Lenore Beyer-Clow

Policy Director

Openlands

25 E. Washington St. #1650

Chicago, IL 60602

312 863-6264

lbeyer-clow at openlands.org

***PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS***

Cecily Smith
Policy and Outreach Specialist
Prairie Rivers Network
1902 Fox Drive, Suite G
Champaign IL 61820
217.344.2371