NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT INTERIM COMMITTEE
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 | 8:30 AM | 110 Senate Building

Text Box: Approximate timeframe

 

Text Box: 8:30

1.    Committee Business

·         Call to order

·         Approval of the meeting minutes for August 21, 2024

·         Other committee business

Text Box: 8:35

2.    A Performance Audit of the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration

The committee will hear from the Office of the Legislative Auditor General (OLAG) and the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) regarding the findings of OLAG’s recent audit of SITLA.

 

·         Brian Dean, Deputy Auditor General, OLAG

·         Matthias Boone, Supervisor, OLAG

·         Andrew Poulter, Lead Auditor, OLAG

·         Michelle McConkie, Director, SITLA

·         Warren Peterson, Chair, SITLA Board of Trustees

·         Committee discussion/action

Text Box: 9:10

3.    Predator Control Measures Report

The committee will hear a status report on predator control measures from the Division of Wildlife Resources, as required by Section 23A-11-302.

 

·         J. Shirley, Director, Division of Wildlife Resources

·         Committee discussion/action

Text Box: 9:30

4.    Great Salt Lake Commissioner Report

The committee will hear the first annual report of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner, as required by Section 73-32-202.

 

·         Brian Steed, Great Salt Lake Commissioner

·         Tim Davis, Great Salt Lake Deputy Commissioner

·         Committee discussion/action

 


 

Text Box: 9:50

5.     Draft Legislation: State Water Policy Amendments

The committee will consider draft legislation that amends the state water policy. The chairs requested the draft legislation after the committee’s discussion of potential changes to the state water policy in the June meeting.

 

·         Committee staff

·         Committee discussion/action

Text Box: 10:05

6.    Groundwater Levels

The committee will hear about groundwater levels statewide, including areas of the state facing issues due to declining groundwater levels.

 

·         Teresa Wilhelmsen, State Engineer and Director, Division of Water Rights

·         Bill Keach, State Geologist and Director, Utah Geological Society

·         Hugh Hurlow, Groundwater Program Manager, Utah Geological Society

·         Committee discussion/action

Text Box: 10:30

7.    Financial Assurances for Mining Operators

The committee will discuss whether Utah should modernize the state’s mineral bonding laws to reflect current financial assurance options.

 

·         Mick Thomas, Director, Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

·         Committee discussion/action

Text Box: 11:00

8.    Other Items/Adjourn