MINUTES OF THE HOUSE

NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT

STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 445, State Capitol

February 20, 2015

Members Present:    Rep. Douglas V. Sagers, Vice Chair

                                    Rep. Joel K. Briscoe

                                    Rep. Melvin R. Brown

                                    Rep. Scott H. Chew

                                    Rep. Jack R. Draxler

                                    Rep. Susan Duckworth

                                    Rep. Steve G. Handy

                                    Rep. Timothy D. Hawkes

                                    Rep. Mike K. McKell

                                    Rep. Kraig Powell

                                    Rep. Scott D. Sandall

Members Excused:   Rep. Michael E. Noel

                                    Rep. Lee B. Perry, Chair                                

Members Absent:     Rep. Mike Schultz

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

Vice Chair Sagers called the meeting to order at 8:10 a.m.

MOTION:     Rep. Handy moved to approve the minutes of the February 13, 2015 and February 18, 2015 meetings. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Duckworth, and Rep. Powell absent for the vote.

H.B. 258         Employee Classification Amendments (Rep. S. Chew)

Rep. Chew explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Kent Jones, State Engineer, and Boyd Clayton, Deputy State Engineer. "HB258 Employee Classification Amendments" was distributed to the committee.

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

1.    Page 5, Lines 146 through 149:      

146 (b) The state engineer shall act in accordance with the recommendation of a majority of

147the water users, if the majority of the water users:

148 (i) agree upon:

149 (A) {  an  }  a qualified  individual to be appointed as a water commissioner;

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Draxler and Rep. Powell absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. McKell moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Draxler and Rep. Powell absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Chew moved to place H.B. 258 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Powell absent for the vote.

1st Sub. S.B. 89         Aquatic Invasive Species Fee (Sen. S. Jenkins)

Sen. Jenkins explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Gregory Sheehan, Director, Division of Wildlife Resources, and Gene Shawcroft, General Manager, Central Utah Water Conservancy District. "Utah's efforts to stop invasive mussels" was distributed and a pipe encrusted with quagga mussels was passed around to the committee.

Spoke for the bill:       Redge Johnson, citizen

MOTION:     Rep. McKell moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

MOTION:     Rep. Draxler moved "this committee authorize the chair and our staff to frame a letter to the National Park Service, and also to our congressional delegation, urging the National Park Service to be more assertive in their interdiction of quagga mussels at Lake Powell." The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McKell absent for the vote.

H.B. 58           Change Application Modifications (Rep. K. Grover)

Rep. Grover explained the bill to the committee. Kent Jones, State Engineer, and John Mabey, attorney, Mabey Wright and James, answered questions from the committee and spoke in support of the bill. "HB 58 Change Application Modifications" was distributed to the committee.

Spoke for the bill:       Connely Baldwin, Rocky Mountain Power

                                   Mike Styler, Director, Department of Natural Resources, also speaking on                                    behalf of Sterling Brown, Utah Farm Bureau

                                   Gene Shawcroft, Central Utah Water Conservancy District

MOTION:     Rep. Brown moved to amend the bill on line 43 by striking "is authorized to" and inserting "may".

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:   Rep. Sandall moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

S.B. 66            Unauthorized Activity on State Land (Sen. M. Dayton)

Sen. Dayton explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Jason Curry, Public Information Officer, Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Overhead graphics were shown to the committee.

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

MOTION:     Rep. Powell moved to place S.B. 66 on the Consent Calendar. The motion failed with Rep. Brown and Rep. Duckworth voting in opposition and Rep. Briscoe absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Handy moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe absent for the vote.

Vice Chair Sagers adjourned the meeting at 9:43 a.m. 

Lee B. Perry, Chair