5 ILCS 615/2
The Department of Natural Resources shall be empowered with respect to public lands to grant permits and leases in the name of the State of Illinois, with the approval of the Governor in writing, for the extraction of oil, gas and other petroleum deposits, except that no surface extraction activities shall be performed nor production equipment located on lands owned by the Department of Natural Resources if the State owns 100% of the underlying mineral interests of those lands. Extraction activities underlying lands owned by the Department of Natural Resources that utilize directional drilling techniques may be permitted at the discretion of the Department. However, the Department shall not grant permits on leases for the extraction of oil, gas, and other petroleum deposits from the following classifications of lands if the State owns 100% of the underlying mineral interests: (1) lands where threatened or endangered species occur, as determined pursuant to the federal Endangered Species Act or the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act, (2) Illinois Natural Area Inventory sites, (3) nature preserves dedicated under the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act, (4) lands containing a wild and scenic river as designated under the Wild and Scenic River Area Act, (5) lands registered under the Register of Land and Water Reserves under Part 4010 of Title 17 of the Illinois Administrative Code, and (6) lands on which federal or State laws or regulations prohibit the surface extraction or production facility activity. The grant of such permits or leases shall be subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth in this Act.
5 ILCS 615/2