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H.B. 142 Enrolled

             1     

PUBLIC LANDS POLICY COORDINATING OFFICE

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Roger E. Barrus

             6     
Senate Sponsor: Ralph Okerlund

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill requires the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office to conduct a study and
             11      economic analysis of the transfer of certain federal lands to state ownership.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    requires the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office to conduct a study and
             15      economic analysis of the transfer of certain federal lands to state ownership; and
             16          .    establishes reporting requirements.
             17      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             18          None
             19      Other Special Clauses:
             20          This bill provides an immediate effective date.
             21      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             22      AMENDS:
             23          63J-4-603, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 252
             24      ENACTS:
             25          63J-4-606, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             26     
             27      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             28          Section 1. Section 63J-4-603 is amended to read:
             29           63J-4-603. Powers and duties of coordinator and office.


             30          (1) The coordinator and the office shall:
             31          (a) make a report to the Constitutional Defense Council created under Section
             32      63C-4-101 concerning R.S. 2477 rights and other public lands issues under Title 63C, Chapter
             33      4, Constitutional Defense Council;
             34          (b) provide staff assistance to the Constitutional Defense Council created under Section
             35      63C-4-101 for meetings of the council and Federalism Subcommittee;
             36          (c) (i) prepare and submit a constitutional defense plan under Section 63C-4-104 ; and
             37          (ii) execute any action assigned in a constitutional defense plan;
             38          (d) under the direction of the state planning coordinator, assist in fulfilling the state
             39      planning coordinator's duties outlined in Section 63J-4-401 as those duties relate to the
             40      development of public lands policies by:
             41          (i) developing cooperative contracts and agreements between the state, political
             42      subdivisions, and agencies of the federal government for involvement in the development of
             43      public lands policies;
             44          (ii) producing research, documents, maps, studies, analysis, or other information that
             45      supports the state's participation in the development of public lands policy;
             46          (iii) preparing comments to ensure that the positions of the state and political
             47      subdivisions are considered in the development of public lands policy;
             48          (iv) partnering with state agencies and political subdivisions in an effort to:
             49          (A) prepare coordinated public lands policies;
             50          (B) develop consistency reviews and responses to public lands policies;
             51          (C) develop management plans that relate to public lands policies; and
             52          (D) develop and maintain a statewide land use plan that is based on cooperation and in
             53      conjunction with political subdivisions; and
             54          (v) providing other information or services related to public lands policies as requested
             55      by the state planning coordinator;
             56          (e) facilitate and coordinate the exchange of information, comments, and
             57      recommendations on public lands policies between and among:


             58          (i) state agencies;
             59          (ii) political subdivisions;
             60          (iii) the Office of Rural Development created under Section 63M-1-1602 ;
             61          (iv) the Resource Development Coordinating Committee created under Section
             62      63J-4-501 ;
             63          (v) School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration created under Section
             64      53C-1-201 ;
             65          (vi) the committee created under Section 63F-1-508 to award grants to counties to
             66      inventory and map R.S. 2477 rights-of-way, associated structures, and other features; and
             67          (vii) the Constitutional Defense Council created under Section 63C-4-101 ;
             68          (f) perform the duties established in Title 9, Chapter 8, Part 3, Antiquities, and Title 9,
             69      Chapter 8, Part 4, Historic Sites;
             70          (g) consistent with other statutory duties, encourage agencies to responsibly preserve
             71      archaeological resources;
             72          (h) maintain information concerning grants made under Subsection (1)(j), if available;
             73          (i) report annually, or more often if necessary or requested, concerning the office's
             74      activities and expenditures to:
             75          (i) the Constitutional Defense Council; and
             76          (ii) the Legislature's Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim
             77      Committee jointly with the Constitutional Defense Council;
             78          (j) make grants of up to 16% of the office's total annual appropriations from the
             79      Constitutional Defense Restricted Account to a county or statewide association of counties to
             80      be used by the county or association of counties for public lands matters if the coordinator,
             81      with the advice of the Constitutional Defense Council, determines that the action provides a
             82      state benefit;
             83          (k) provide staff services to the Snake Valley Aquifer Advisory Council created in
             84      Section 63C-12-103 ; [and]
             85          (l) coordinate and direct the Snake Valley Aquifer Research Team created in Section


             86      63C-12-107 [.]; and
             87          (m) conduct the public lands transfer study and economic analysis required by Section
             88      63J-4-606 .
             89          (2) The coordinator and office shall comply with Subsection 63C-4-102 (8) before
             90      submitting a comment to a federal agency, if the governor would be subject to Subsection
             91      63C-4-102 (8) if the governor were submitting the material.
             92          (3) The office may enter into a contract or other agreement with another state agency to
             93      provide information and services related to:
             94          (a) the duties authorized by Title 72, Chapter 3, Highway Jurisdiction and
             95      Classification Act;
             96          (b) legal actions concerning Title 72, Chapter 3, Highway Jurisdiction and
             97      Classification Act, or R.S. 2477 matters; or
             98          (c) any other matter within the office's responsibility.
             99          Section 2. Section 63J-4-606 is enacted to read:
             100          63J-4-606. Public lands transfer study and economic analysis -- Report.
             101          (1) As used in this section:
             102          (a) "Public lands" is as defined in Section 63L-6-102 .
             103          (b) "Transfer of public lands" means the transfer of public lands from federal
             104      ownership to state ownership.
             105          (2) (a) The coordinator and the office shall:
             106          (i) conduct a study and economic analysis of the ramifications and economic impacts
             107      of the transfer of public lands; and
             108          (ii) during the study and economic analysis, consult with county representatives on an
             109      ongoing basis regarding how to consider and incorporate county land use plans and planning
             110      processes into the analysis.
             111          (b) The study and economic analysis shall:
             112          (i) inventory public lands;
             113          (ii) examine public lands':


             114          (A) ownership;
             115          (B) management;
             116          (C) jurisdiction;
             117          (D) resource characteristics;
             118          (E) federal management requirements related to national forests, national recreation
             119      areas, or other public lands administered by the United States; and
             120          (F) current and potential future uses and ways that socioeconomic conditions are
             121      influenced by those uses;
             122          (iii) determine:
             123          (A) public lands' ongoing and deferred maintenance costs, revenue production, and
             124      funding sources;
             125          (B) whether historical federal funding levels have been sufficient to manage, maintain,
             126      preserve, and restore public lands and whether that funding level is likely to continue;
             127          (C) the amount of public lands revenue paid to state, county, and local governments
             128      and other recipients designated by law from payments in lieu of taxes, timber receipts, secure
             129      rural school receipts, severance taxes, and mineral lease royalties;
             130          (D) historical trends of the revenue sources listed in Subsection (2)(b)(iii)(C);
             131          (E) ways that the payments listed in Subsection (2)(b)(iii)(C) can be maintained or
             132      replaced following the transfer of public lands; and
             133          (F) ways that, following the transfer of public lands, revenue from public lands can be
             134      increased while mitigating environmental impact;
             135          (iv) identify:
             136          (A) existing oil and gas, mining, grazing, hunting, fishing, recreation, and other rights
             137      and interests on public lands;
             138          (B) the economic impact of those rights and interests on state, county, and local
             139      economies;
             140          (C) actions necessary to secure, preserve, and protect those rights and interests; and
             141          (D) how those rights and interests may be affected in the event the federal government


             142      does not complete the transfer of public lands;
             143          (v) evaluate the impact of federal land ownership on:
             144          (A) the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration's ability to
             145      administer trust lands for the benefit of Utah schoolchildren;
             146          (B) the state's ability to fund education; and
             147          (C) state and local government tax bases;
             148          (vi) identify a process for the state to:
             149          (A) transfer and receive title to public lands from the United States;
             150          (B) utilize state agencies with jurisdiction over land, natural resources, environmental
             151      quality, and water to facilitate the transfer of public lands;
             152          (C) create a permanent state framework to oversee the transfer of public lands;
             153          (D) transition to state ownership and management of public lands using existing state
             154      and local government resources; and
             155          (E) indemnify political subdivisions of the state for actions taken in connection with
             156      the transfer of public lands;
             157          (vii) examine ways that multiple use of public lands through tourism and outdoor
             158      recreation contributes to:
             159          (A) the economic growth of state and local economies; and
             160          (B) the quality of life of Utah citizens;
             161          (viii) using theoretical modeling of various levels of land transfer, usage, and
             162      development, evaluate the potential economic impact of the transfer of public lands on state,
             163      county, and local governments; and
             164          (ix) recommend the optimal use of public lands following the transfer of public lands.
             165          (3) The coordinator and office shall:
             166          (a) on an ongoing basis, discuss issues related to the transfer of public lands with:
             167          (i) the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration;
             168          (ii) local governments;
             169          (iii) water managers;


             170          (iv) environmental advocates;
             171          (v) outdoor recreation advocates;
             172          (vi) nonconventional and renewable energy producers;
             173          (vii) tourism representatives;
             174          (viii) wilderness advocates;
             175          (ix) ranchers and agriculture advocates;
             176          (x) oil, gas, and mining producers;
             177          (xi) fishing, hunting, and other wildlife interests;
             178          (xii) timber producers; and
             179          (xiii) other interested parties; and
             180          (b) develop ways to obtain input from Utah citizens regarding the transfer of public
             181      lands and the future care and use of public lands.
             182          (4) The coordinator may contract with another state agency or private entity to assist
             183      the coordinator and office with the study and economic analysis required by Subsection (2)(a).
             184          (5) The coordinator shall submit a final report on the study and economic analysis
             185      described in Subsection (2)(a), including proposed legislation and recommendations, to the
             186      governor and the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee before
             187      November 30, 2014.
             188          Section 3. Effective date.
             189          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
             190      upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
             191      Constitution Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
             192      the date of veto override.


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