If the Department shall determine that any species or variety of tree, vine, shrub, or other plant growing within this State is a nuisance as defined in Section 14 of this Act, and if in the judgment of the Department such species or variety of tree, shrub, vine or other plant should be eradicated from this State, or from any section thereof, in order to safeguard the other plants and plant products of the State or any section thereof, it shall give public notice thereof, designating the species or variety of plant, the eradication of which is proposed, the section of the State involved, and the reasons why the eradication of such plant is necessary; such notice shall also designate a place and a time, which time shall not be less than 30 days after the date of such notice, for a public hearing, at which all persons in the State interested in the proposed action of the Department may be heard.
If, after such hearing, the Department shall determine that such species or variety of plant should be eradicated, it shall give public notice of the fact, naming the species or variety of plant to be eradicated, describing the boundaries of the section of the State from which such species or variety of plant shall be eradicated, and the dates when such notice shall become effective.
If the Department shall have reason to suppose that any property or place in this State is infested with any injurious insect pest or infected with any plant disease, or has growing thereon or stored therein any species or variety of plant which the Department has declared to be a nuisance within the meaning of Section 14 of this Act, it shall have power to inspect, or cause to be inspected, from time to time, such property or place; and, if it shall find by such inspection as above stated, that any person is maintaining a nuisance as described in Section 14 of this Act, the Department shall give written notice of the facts to the owner, or other person in possession or control of the property or place where such nuisance was found; which notice shall specify the condition constituting such nuisance and the time within which such nuisance shall be abated; and such owner or person in charge shall proceed to eradicate, control or prevent the dissemination of such injurious insect pest or plant disease, or to remove, cut, destroy, or otherwise completely eradicate the species or variety of plant constituting the nuisance, within the time described in such notice.
Whenever such owner or other person cannot be found, or fails, neglects or refuses to obey the requirements of said notice, the Department may proceed to abate such nuisance; and in so doing the Department is authorized to treat, remove, cut or destroy host plants, infested or infected plants and plant products, or other things and substances used in connection therewith; and the expense thereof, together with all costs, shall be paid by such owner or other person in possession or control and shall be collected by the Department by a civil action in the name of the People of the State of Illinois against the person liable.
505 ILCS 90/15