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PROPOSED INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT
Department: Resource Management
Other Part(ies): Illinois Department of Natural Resources State Historic Preservation Office (“SHPO”), Springfield, Illinois; and the Illinois State Museum, Springfield, Illinois
Request: Authorization to enter into an intergovernmental agreement to streamline the permitting process between the agencies related to compliance with the Archaeological and Paleontological Resources Protection Act (20 ILCS 3435/.01 et seq.) (the “Act”).
Goods or Services: This agreement will serve as a general permit to conduct archaeological investigations on lands owned, managed, and leased by the Forest Preserves of Cook County (the “Forest Preserves”) as required by the Act in lieu of the issuance of individual permits.
Agreement Number(s): N/A
Agreement Period: Five (5) years from date of execution
Fiscal Impact: None
Accounts: N/A
District(s): Districtwide
Summary: The Forest Preserves is responsible for protecting and preserving archaeological and paleontological resources on public lands owned by the Forest Preserves, pursuant to the Act. The Forest Preserves, through the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, has undertaken a records review of its archaeological resources - both known and unknown - following management priorities established within the Natural and Cultural Resources Master Plan. This work has involved verification and identification of new site areas, identification of threats to archaeological resources, and development of appropriate resource management strategies for cultural resources located on Forest Preserves land, so that these invaluable resources can be preserved and protected for future generations.
This intergovernmental agreement stipulates personnel requirements, field and laboratory methods, reporting, and curation obligations for work under the Act for the purpose of reducing the number of individual permits to be issued across the many investigation sites occurring on Forest Preserves property, increasing efficiencies for all involved agencies. A functionally identical agreement was previously in place since 2016, but has since expired.
The SHPO is the state office designated as the lead agency responsible for implementation of the Act. The Illinois State Museum, a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is a statewide system of museums responsible for curation and data recordation under the Act, for the purpose of preserving and maintaining a tangible record of Illinois’ natural and cultural heritage.
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