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MINUTES OF THE HOUSE

NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, & ENVIRONMENT STANDING COMMITTEE

Room C445, State Capitol

                    March 4, 2013

Members Present:    Rep. Mike Noel, Chair
    Rep. Doug Sagers, Vice Chair
    Rep. Roger Barrus
    Rep. Joel Briscoe
    Rep. Mel Brown
    Rep. Kay Christofferson
    Rep. Susan Duckworth
    Rep. Becky Edwards
    Rep. Steve Handy
    Rep. Ken Ivory
    Rep. John Mathis
    Rep. Mike McKell
    Rep. Merrill Nelson
    Rep. Ryan Wilcox
    Rep. Larry Wiley

Members Absent:    Rep. Jack Draxler

Staff Present:    Mr. J Brian Allred, Policy Analyst
            Ms. An Bradshaw, Committee Secretary
    
Note:    A list of visitors and handouts are filed with committee minutes

Chair Noel called the meeting to order at 8:03 a.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Wiley moved to approve the minutes of February 28, 2013. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Brown, Rep. Duckworth, Rep. Ivory, Rep. Mathis, Rep. Nelson, and Rep. Wilcox absent for the vote.

H.J.R. 15    Joint Resolution on State and Political Subdivisions Jurisdiction (Rep. M. Roberts)

Rep. Roberts introduced the resolution to the committee. A handout was provided.

Spoke in favor of the resolution:    Mr. Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties
                    Mr. Sterling Brown, Utah Farm Bureau

Spoke to the resolution:        Mr. Steve Erickson, Utah Audubon Society

MOTION:    Rep. Brown moved to move to the next item on the agenda.



H.B. 164    State and Political Subdivision Jurisdictional Amendments (Rep. M. Roberts)

Rep. Roberts introduced the bill to the committee. Mr. Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties, answered questions from the committee.

MOTION:    Rep. Ivory moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Edwards, and Rep. Wiley voting in opposition and Rep. Brown and Rep. Nelson absent for the vote.

H.J.R. 15    Joint Resolution on State and Political Subdivisions Jurisdiction (Rep. M. Roberts)

MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Briscoe and Rep. Wiley voting in opposition and Rep. Brown and Rep. Nelson absent for the vote.

H.B. 365    Swine Amendments (Rep. J. Mathis)

Rep. Mathis introduced the bill to the committee with the assistance of Mr. Owen Garrett, Garrett Hunting Services, and Mr. Mike Richens, Hunting Adventures, LLC.

MOTION:    Rep. McKell moved to amend the bill as follows:


1.    Page 1, Lines 11 through 13 :    

             11          This bill:
             12          .    amends provisions prohibiting the release of swine on public or private property for
             13      hunting purposes
{   .   }        ; and

. requires the Department of Agriculture and Food to make rules relating to the release of swine on private property for hunting purposes.  


2.    Page 1, Line 25 :    

             25          
  (1) (a)       A person may not release swine on public [or private] property for hunting purposes.

  (b) A person may release swine on private property for hunting purposes in accordance with department rules made under Subsection (2).

(2) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the department shall make rules regulating the release of swine on private property for hunting purposes.  


The motion to amend passed with Rep. Barrus and Rep. Wilcox voting in opposition and Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Brown, and Rep. Ivory absent for the vote.


Spoke in opposition to the bill:    Dr. Bruce King, Utah State Veterinarian (handout)
                    Dr. Drew Allen, Utah Veterinary Medical Association

Spoke to the bill:            Mr. Leonard Blackham, Utah Commissioner of Agriculture                     and Food
                    Ms. Robin Cahoon, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

MOTION:    Rep. Barrus moved to table the bill.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:    Rep. Ivory moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion failed with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Duckworth, Rep. Edwards, Rep. Handy, Rep. Nelson, Rep. Sagers, and Rep. Wiley voting in opposition and Rep. Brown absent for the vote.

The committee returned to the original motion for discussion.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to move to the next item on the agenda. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown absent for the vote.

S.B. 61    Hunting Permit Amendments (Sen. A. Christensen) (Rep. C. Oda)

Sen. Christensen introduced the bill to the committee with the assistance of Ms. Robin Cahoon, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Spoke in favor of the bill:    Mr. Byron Bateman, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife

MOTION:    Rep. Wilcox moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Wilcox moved to place SB61 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown absent for the vote.

H.B. 357    Waste Management Facilities Siting Amendments (Rep. R. Menlove)


Rep. Menlove introduced the bill to the committee with the assistance of Mr. Nathan Whiting, citizen, and Mr. Scott Anderson, Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

Spoke to the bill:    Mr. Nathan Rich, Executive Director, Wasatch Integrated Management             District


MOTION:    Rep. Sagers moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed favorably with Rep. Ivory voting in opposition and Rep. Brown absent for the vote.

Chair Noel relinquished the chair to Vice Chair Sagers.

H.B. 382    Escalante Region Grazing Zone (Rep. M. Noel)

MOTION:    Rep. Noel moved to amend the bill as follows:


1.    Page 2, Lines 41 through 44 :    

             41          (5) "Escalante Region Grazing Zone" means BLM
{   ,   }        and       Forest Service      {   , and SITLA   } lands

             42      situated in the following townships in Garfield and Kane Counties, as more fully illustrated in
             43      the map jointly prepared by the Garfield
  County       and Kane      {   Counties   }        County       GIS      {   Department   }        Departments       in February 2013,

             44      entitled "Escalante Region Grazing Zone":

2.    Page 14, Line 423 through Page 15, Line 444 :    

             423          (3) The state finds that:
             424          (a) grazing on the lands comprising the Escalante Region Grazing Zone has provided a
             425      significant contribution to the history, customs, culture, and values of the area for more than
             426      100 years;
             427          (b) abundant natural and vegetative resources exist within the Escalante Region
             428      Grazing Zone to support and expand continued, responsible grazing activities;
             429          (c) grazing and its associated historic resources, its long and dignified human history,
             430      its shaping of human endeavors in the American West, its variety of cultural resources,
             431      affiliation, type and distribution, its landmarks, structures, and other objects of historic or
             432      scientific interest are worthy of and have been recognized for protection by local, state, and
             433      federal governments;
             434          (d) the highest management priorities for lands within the Escalante Region Grazing
             435      Zone are responsible management, enhancement, and development of existing and future


             436      grazing resources in order to provide protection for the resources, objects, customs, culture, and
             437      values identified above;
             438          (e) responsible development of abundant deposits of energy and mineral resources,
             439      including oil, natural gas, oil shale, oil sands, coal, phosphate, gold, uranium, and copper, as
             440      well as areas with high wind and solar energy potential, are compatible with grazing activities
             441      in the Escalante Region Grazing Zone; and
             442          (f) responsible development of abundant recreation resources, including
  wildlife,       roads,

             443      campgrounds, water resources, trails, OHV use, sightseeing, canyoneering,
  hunting, fishing,       and hiking are

             444      compatible with grazing activities in the Escalante Region Grazing Zone.

3.    Page 15, Lines 445 through 450 :    

             445          (4) The state supports:
             446          (a) efficient and responsible full development
{   of all permitted existing and future

             447      grazing resources in the Escalante Region Grazing Zone; and  
}
  , within the Escalante Region Grazing Zone, of:

(i) all permitted existing and future grazing resources; and
(ii) other uses compatible with grazing activities; and  

             448          (b) a cooperative management approach by federal agencies, the state of Utah, and
             449      local governments to achieve broadly supported management plans for the full development
{   of

             450      all grazing resources within the Escalante Region Grazing Zone.  
}
  , within the Escalante Region Grazing Zone, of:

(i) all grazing resources; and
(ii) other uses compatible with grazing activities.  


The motion to amend passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe and Rep. Brown absent for the vote.

Rep. Noel introduced the bill to the committee with the assistance of Mr. Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties.

Spoke in favor of the bill:    Mr. Sterling Brown, Utah Farm Bureau



MOTION:    Rep. Ivory moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Brown, and Rep. Mathis absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Christofferson moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Brown, and Rep. Mathis absent for the vote.

Vice Chair Sagers adjourned the meeting at 9:57 a.m.





    

                 
                
            






    
             _________________________
    Rep. Mike Noel, Chair