MINUTES OF THE HOUSE

NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT

STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 445, State Capitol

February 19, 2016

Members Present:                Rep. Lee B. Perry, Chair

                                                Rep. Douglas V. Sagers, Vice Chair

                                                Rep. Joel K. Briscoe

                                                Rep. Melvin R. Brown

                                                Rep. Scott H. Chew

                                                Rep. Susan Duckworth

                                                Rep. Stephen G. Handy

                                                Rep. Timothy D. Hawkes

                                                Rep. Mike K. McKell

                                                Rep. Michael E. Noel

                                                Rep. Derrin Owens

Members Excused:          Rep. Scott D. Sandall

                                                Rep. Mike Schultz

Members Absent:      Rep. Kraig Powell 

Staff Present:                        J Brian Allred, Policy Analyst

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 8:04 a.m. Mr. Allred noted the presence of four large cowboy hats in the room.

MOTION:     Rep. Perry moved to approve the minutes of the February 12, 2016 and February 17, 2016 meetings. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Handy, and Rep. McKell absent for the vote.

H.B. 270         Constitutional Defense Restricted Account Amendments (Rep. M. Noel)

Rep. Noel explained the bill to the committee.

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

H.B. 276         Utah Public Land Management Act (Rep. M. Noel)

Rep. Noel explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke for the bill:       Leland Pollock, Garfield County Commission

                                    Matt Anderson, Coalition for Self-Government in the West

                                    Randy Parker, CEO, Utah Farm Bureau

                                    Redge Johnson, citizen

MOTION:     Rep. Noel moved to replace H.B. 276 with 1st Sub. H.B. 276. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McKell absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Perry moved to pass 1st Sub. H.B. 276 out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Briscoe voting in opposition and Rep. McKell absent for the vote.

H.C.R. 11       Concurrent Resolution Encouraging the Repayment of Funds Used to Keep National Parks, Monuments, and Recreation Areas Open (Rep. K. Ivory)

Rep. Ivory explained the resolution to the committee.

MOTION:     Rep. Chew moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McKell and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

S.B. 75            Water Rights Adjudication Amendments (Sen. M. Dayton)

Sen. Dayton explained the bill and provided "Resolving Conflict/Securing a Future" to the committee. Blake Bingham, Adjudication Program Manager, Division of Water Rights, and Ben Jensen, Attorney Generals Office, answered questions from the committee.

Spoke for the bill:       John Mabey, Executive Water Task Force

                                    Kent Jones, State Engineer

MOTION:     Rep. Duckworth moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McKell and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

S.C.R. 4          Concurrent Resolution - Old Spanish Trail Designation (Sen. R. Okerlund)

Sen. Okerlund explained the resolution to the committee.

MOTION:     Rep. Brown moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. McKell and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

H.C.R. 8         Concurrent Resolution on the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway (Rep. S. Handy)

Rep. Handy explained the resolution to the committee with the assistance of Michael Mower, Deputy Chief of Staff, Governor's Office, and Dennis Sullivan, Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA). "The Utah Alliance Racing to Save the Salt Flats" and a letter from Andrew Rupke, Utah Geological Survey, were provided to the committee.

Spoke for the resolution:        Larry Volk, Save the Salt and USFRA

                                                Robert Rampton, Save the Salt and USFRA

                                                Ronald Christensen, USFRA and Utah Alliance

                                                Lloyd Perry, USFRA

MOTION:     Rep. Brown moved to replace H.C.R. 8 with 1st Sub. H.C.R. 8. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hawkes, Rep. Noel, and Rep. Owens absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. McKell moved to pass 1st Sub. H.C.R. 8 out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hawkes, Rep. Noel, and Rep. Owens absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. McKell moved to place 1st Sub. H.C.R. 8 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hawkes, Rep. Noel, and Rep. Owens absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Rep. Brown moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hawkes, Rep. Noel, and Rep. Owens absent for the vote.

Vice Chair Sagers adjourned the meeting at 9:51 a.m.

Lee B. Perry, Chair