MINUTES OF THE

SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT

STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 415, Utah State Capitol

March 3, 2016

 

Members Present:     Sen. Scott K. Jenkins, Chair

                                    Sen. Margaret Dayton

                                    Sen. Peter C. Knudson

                                    Sen. Brian E. Shiozawa

                                    Sen. Evan J. Vickers

 

Members Absent:      Sen. Allen M. Christensen

                                    Sen. Jani Iwamoto

 

Staff Present:             Brian Allred, Policy Analyst

                                    Karen Allred, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:  A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

 

Chair Jenkins called the meeting to order at 4:12 p.m.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Knudson moved to approve the minutes of the March 1, 2016 meeting.  The

                    motion passed unanimously with Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

 

S.B.   247     Sale of State Land (G. Davis)

 

MOTION:  Sen. moved to adopt the following amendments:

 

1.                  Page 3, Lines 59 through 65: 


                                   59              (b)  The Legislative Management Committee may:

                                   60              (i)  recommend that the agency execute the agreement or proposal;

                                    61              (ii)  recommend that the agency reject the agreement or proposal; or

                                   62              (iii)  recommend to the governor that the governor call a special session of the

                                   63      Legislature to review and approve or reject the agreement or proposal.

                                   64              (3)  Before legally binding the state by executing an agreement to sell or transfer fewer

                                   65      than 300 acres of any state land, the state shall notify the Legislative Management Committee. 

        (4) A land exchange, where the state land to be transferred to new ownership is of equal value to the land that the state will receive in the exchange, is exempt from the requirements of Subsections (2) and (3).   

 

 

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

 

Sen. Davis explained the bill to the committee.

 

Carlos Braceros, Utah Department of Transportation expressed concerns with the bill.

 

Spoke for the bill:    Kim Christy, Deputy Director, Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands

                                                      Administration

 

MOTION:   Sen. Vickers moved to go to the next item on the agenda.  The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

 

S.B.   251     Water Infrastructure Funding Amendments (J. S. Adams)

 

Sen. Adams explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:    Lisa Rutherford, resident of Ivins

                                Boyd Clayton, Deputy State Engineer, Water Rights

                               

Spoke for the bill:   Rep. M. Noel

 

Spoke against the bill:    Zack Frankel, Utah Rivers Council

                                        Paul Van Dam, citizen

 

MOTION:  Sen. Vickers moved pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

H.B.  269     Recycling of Copper Wire (F. Cox)

Rep. Cox explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:    Candace Daly, lobbyist

 

MOTION:  Sen. Dayton moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Vickers moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar.  The motion passed

                      unanimously with Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

 

H.B.   276    2nd Sub.    Utah Public Land Management Act (M. Noel)

 

Rep. Noel explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Vickers moved to adopt the following Amendments:

1.  Page 14, Lines 399 through 413:

           


                                399        63L-8-308.  Public Land Management Fund.

                                400        (1)  There is created an expendable special revenue fund known as the "Public Land

                                401        Management Fund."

                                402        (2)  The fund shall consist of:

                                403        (a)  fees collected by the DLM under this chapter;

                                404        (b)  money appropriated to the  { restricted account}    fund   by the Legislature;

                                405        (c)  money collected under Section 63L-8-505;

                                406        (d)  money voluntarily donated or contributed to the fund; and

                                407        (e)  interest earned on the   {restricted account}    fund  .

                                408        (3)  The DLM may expend money in the fund on:

                                409        (a)  administration costs;

                                410        (b)  project planning;

                                411        (c)  a payment authorized by this chapter; and

                                412        (d)  other duties required under this chapter.

       (4) The DLM shall annually expend money in the fund to pay a county in lieu of taxes the county cannot levy on public land owned by the state:

              (a) in an amount no less than the highest amount ever fully authorized by Congress for payment to the county under the federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes and Secure Rural Schools programs, according to the most recent federal formulas before the effective date of this chapter, as described in Section 63L-8-602; and

                     (b) as funding allows. 

                                413        Section 18.  Section 63L-8-309 is enacted to read:

 

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Vickers moved to adopt the following Amendments: 

2.                  Page 29, Lines 863 through 882:

           


             863                    (2)  The board consists of the following 11 members:

             864                    (a)  the lieutenant governor, or the lieutenant governor's designee;

             865                    {(b)  the speaker of the House, or the speaker's designee;

             866                    (c)  the president of the Senate, or the president's designee;} 

             867                    {(d)}    (b)    one representative, appointed by the governor, who represents the interests of oil,

             868             gas, and mining;

             869                    {(e)}    (c)    one representative, appointed by the governor, who represents the interests of

             870             agriculture;

             871               {    (f)}    (d)    one representative, appointed by the governor, who represents the interests of

             872             outdoor recreation;

             873                    {(g)}    (e)    one representative, appointed by the governor, who represents the interests of

             874             environmental groups;

             875                    {(h)}    (f)      {one representative}    three representatives  , appointed by the governor, who   {represents}    represent   the interests of

             876             county commissioners;

             877                     {(i)}    (g)    one representative, appointed by the governor, who represents the interests of rural

             878             transportation;

             879                     {(j)}    (h)    one representative, appointed by the governor, who represents the interests of

             880             wildlife management; and

             881                    {(k)}    (i)    one representative, appointed by the governor, who represents the interests of forest

882             management.


 

3.                  Page 29, Lines 884 through 887:

           


             884                    (b)  Notwithstanding the requirements of Subsection (3)(a), the governor shall, at the

             885             time of appointment or reappointment, adjust the length of terms of the members described in

             886             Subsections (2)  {(d)}    (b)   through   {(k)}    (i)   to ensure that the terms of board members are staggered so that

887             half of the appointed board is appointed every two years.


 

4.                  Page 30, Lines 899 through 910:

           


                                     899           (9)  Six members constitute a quorum at a meeting, and the action of a majority of

                                     900   members present is the action of the board.

                                     901           (10)  A member   {who is not a legislator}   may not receive compensation or benefits for

                                     902   the member's service, but may receive per diem and travel expenses in accordance with:

                                     903           (a)  Section 63A-3-106;

                                     904           (b)  Section 63A-3-107; and

                                     905           (c)  rules made by the Division of Finance pursuant to Sections 63A-3-106 and

                                     906   63A-3-107.

                                     907             {(11)  Salaries and expenses of a member who is a legislator shall be paid in accordance

                             908          with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rules, Title 5, Chapter 3, Legislator Compensation.} 

                                     909           Section 43.  Section 79-6-105 is enacted to read:

                                     910           79-6-105.  Division of Land Management duties.

 

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Lisa Rutherford, citzen

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Stan Rasmussen, Sutherland Institute

                                 

Spoke against the bill:             Steve Erickson, Utah Auduban Society

 

MOTION:  Sen. Vickers moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously

                    with Sen. Dayton absent for the vote.

 

H.B.  360     2nd Sub.    Land Use Amendments (M. Brown)

 

Rep. Brown explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke for the bill:      Rep. Fred Cox

 

Spoke against the bill:   Keith Brady, County Commissioner

 

                                      Jodi Hoffman, Utah League of Cities and Towns

 

MOTION:  Sen. Dayton moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed with

Sen. Schiozawa voting in opposition.

 

H.B.   305    2nd Sub.    Water Rights and Resources Amendments (J. Briscoe)

 

Rep. Briscoe explained the bill to the committee.

 

A Handout was distributed.

 

Boyd Clayton, Utah Division of Water Rights further explained the bill.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Dayton moved to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

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

 

Rep. Ivory explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:  Sen.  Knudson to pass the bill out favorably.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Dayton moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar.  The motion passed

                     unanimously.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Knudson moved to adjourn.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Chair Jenkins adjourned the meeting at 6:03 p.m.

 

 

 

________________________

Sen. Scott K. Jenkins, Chair