Can you tap maple trees on public land in Illinois?

On any "Department-owned, -leased or -managed property" it is unlawful "for any person to injure or remove any animal, plant or part thereof" except as provided by permit, law or regulation, under a Department-sponsored program, or when collecting edible fungi, nuts and berries for personal use (17 Ill. Adm. Code 110.70(a)). That covers state forests as well as parks. We found no IDNR permit or program for maple tapping (not confirmed that none exists at individual sites — ask the site superintendent).

The same rule (17 Ill. Adm. Code 110.70) applies to state parks, fish and wildlife areas and other IDNR sites; the only self-serve exception is hand-collecting edible fungi, nuts and berries for personal use during site hours.

The Shawnee National Forest's permits page covers firewood and holiday-tree permits, says no permit is needed to gather edible material like morels for your own use, and does not mention maple sap or tapping. The default federal rule prohibits damaging or removing any tree or forest product without authorization (36 CFR 261.6); ask a district office whether it would issue a permit (not confirmed).

Forests in Illinois: Shawnee National Forest

Town, county and roadside trees

Forest preserve districts, county conservation districts, park districts and municipalities each control their own land and street trees; you need their permission. No local tapping programs were surveyed.

Private land you don't own

Get the owner's permission. Illinois' Wrongful Tree Cutting Act is aimed at cutting: anyone who intentionally cuts, or knowingly causes to be cut, any timber or tree without the full legal right to do so owes the owner three times its stumpage value, plus remediation costs on protected land (740 ILCS 185/2 and 2.5, as amended by Public Act 101-0102). Tapping is not named. Use a written lease; UVM Extension's annotated sugarbush lease is a usable template.

Lease rates seen in the sources: No Illinois-specific survey was opened. UVM Extension's 2019 northeastern survey found private rents most commonly $1.00–$1.24 per tap per year ("Maple Rental Rates," January 2020).