FY 1997 Appropriations Report - Natural Resources

     The total FY 1997 appropriation of $134,722,300 for the Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration is a decrease of 1.7 percent from estimated expenditures in FY 1996. The General Fund appropriation of $48,682,400 is an increase of 27.3 percent. The appropriations and legislative intent for the Departments and Divisions are outlined below.

    The Department of Agriculture is responsible for the administration of the laws that are related to agricultural activities, as outlined in Title 3 and Title 4 of the Utah Code Annotated, 1953. The laws provide for inspection and regulatory functions and emphasize the promotion of the agricultural industry. The total appropriation for the Department for FY 1997 is $12,381,800 which reflects a 2 percent decrease from the estimated level of expenditures for FY 1996. The General Fund appropriation of $8,202,400 is a 12 percent increase.

(See Table 31 for Program Budgets and Table 32 for Plan of Financing for Natural Resources.)

    The FY 1997 appropriation includes the following increases:

• Brand Inspector for Northern Utah funded from the General Fund Restricted - Utah Livestock Brand and Anti-Theft Fund of $37,000.

• Restoration of Brand Inspection base funding $6,000 from the General Fund Restricted - Utah Livestock Brand and Anti-Theft Fund Account.

• Compensation increases for brand inspectors of $24,000 from the General Fund Restricted - Utah Livestock Brand and Anti-Theft Fund Account.

• Predatory Animal Control Program - $300,000 of which $200,000 is ongoing and $100,000 is a one-time General Fund appropriation.

• Increase in the Public Affairs program of $8,000 from the General Fund.

• A General Fund appropriation of $30,000 for Environmental Quality to purchase expertise in federal contracting.

• Increase in the General Fund of $3,000 to cover the additional costs of Soil Conservation elections.

• An ongoing General Fund appropriation of $271,200 to hire Soil Conservation Technicians.

• Senate Bill 145 , "Department of Agriculture Oversight," appropriated $65,000 from the General Fund authorizing the hiring of a range specialist to work in the Department.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Agriculture prepare a study on the feasibility of prohibiting the commercial sale of Russian Olive trees.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that Resource Conservation funds be used for the expenses, travel reimbursement, and pay of Soil Conservation members and Soil Conservation supervisors as required by statute.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that the Soil Conservation Districts submit semi-annual reports documenting supervisory expenses to the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, the Office of Planning and Budget, and the Soil Conservation Commission. It is also the intent of the Legislature that these documents are reviewed and reported to the Governor and the 1997 Legislature.

    The mission of the Department of Natural Resources is to conserve, protect, and develop the state's natural resources. The total appropriation for the Department for FY 1997 is $115,275,500 which reflects a 2.8 percent decrease from the estimated level of expenditures for FY 1996. The General Fund appropriation is $40,480,000, a 30.9 percent increase.

    The FY 1997 and FY 1996 supplemental appropriations include the following, by division:

Administration

• Law Enforcement Director for $56,000 funded through the Division of Wildlife Resources and the Division of Parks and Recreation $44,800 from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources Account and $11,200 from Dedicated Credits.

• House Bill 51, "Appropriation for R.S. 2477 Defense," authorized the expenditure of $100,000 from the General Fund to preserve the use of R.S. 2477 Roads.

      The Legislature approved the following items of intent language for FY 1997:

      It is the intent of the Legislature that the Natural Resources Department continue to prepare and perfect performance measures for each it its divisions and programs. Each program shall have at least one outcome based measure and at least one efficiency measure. The Department may also recommend activity measures. The Department will work with the Fiscal Analyst in preparing these measures. Once the measures have been selected, the Department will provide the current and historical data that will make these measures useful for the next Legislative Session.

      It is the intent of the Legislature to support Iron County in their efforts to bring together a "one stop shop center" for state and county services in Cedar City. The Legislature supports the transfer of land which was formerly donated to parks by the county, back to the county for purposes of constructing a building. This building will house Iron County and other Natural Resources operations. Although this Legislature cannot bind future Legislators, this Legislature understands that this project would engage the state in a 20 year lease. It would require the Legislature to place General Funds in the Natural Resources budget to meet this lease commitment.

      It is the intent of the Legislature that funding for the Bear Lake Regional Commission be expended only as a one-to-one match with funds from the State of Idaho.

  Internal Service Fund

      The Legislature approved the following items of intent language for FY 1997:

      It is the intent of the Legislature that funds for Geographic Information System capital equipment be released under guidelines determined by the Legislative Auditor General identifying any duplication of services, under-utilization of resources, economies of scale between the Department of Natural Resources and the Automated Geographic Reference Center.

  Sovereign Lands and Forestry

• An appropriation of $20,000 was authorized for the use of monies received from local governments. The monies will be used to contract aircraft for wildland fire suppression.

  Supplementals

• For wildland fire suppression $1,430,000 in General Fund was appropriated.

• For a service facility at the Lone Peak Conservation Center $190,000 in Dedicated Credits was appropriated.

• This is the Place State Park was appropriated $174,400, $93,800 from the General Fund and $80,600 through Dedicated Credits.

• Green River Golf Course will open in the spring of 1996 and $190,600 in Dedicated Credits were appropriated to fund the course operations.

• Palisade Golf Course will be opening a new nine holes in the spring of 1996. Dedicated Credits in the amount of $68,200 were appropriated to cover the additional cost because of the growth.

• The Parks and Recreation capital budget was increased with an appropriation of $105,000 in one-time General Funds for park renovation.

• From the General Fund $250,000 was restored to the Parks Renovation and Maintenance base budget.

• The General Fund Restricted - Boating Account was appropriated $10,000 as an increase in the Personal Watercraft Instruction program.

• House Bill 423, "Application of Law Enforcement Salary Change," authorized a two-step increase in compensation for law enforcement officers in the Division of Parks and Recreation. Total funding for this increase was $347,600, $183,800 coming from the General Fund and $163,800 funded through Dedicated Credits.

• Senate Bill 131, "Personal Watercraft Requirements," increased the required age limit for personal watercraft training. A General Fund appropriation of $30,000 was made to cover the cost of the additional training. Dedicated Credits of $24,000 were authorized for expenditure for the same program.

• Senate Bill 11, "Public Safety Retirement Interest," authorized law enforcement officers to receive interest on their pension monies made available at termination. For this purpose $4,000 was appropriated, $1,400 from the General Fund and $2,600 from Dedicated Credits.

• Riverways and Trails in the state received a $300,000 appropriation from the General Fund.

• Senate Bill 206, "Great Salt Lake State Park," appropriated $50,000 for a study of Great Salt Lake State Park improvement and a feasibility study of a road and causeway to the south end of Antelope Island from Salt Lake County.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that the Division of Parks and Recreation focus on the need to prepare guidelines for inclusion of areas in the State Park system and that consideration of elimination of current park sites be made if that site fails to meet those guidelines.

    It is the intent of the Legislature to allow the Division of Parks and Recreation to spend any funds remaining from the original appropriation for Lampton Dam studies to develop interior state park trails. The non-lapsing nature of these funds shall remain unchanged.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that up to $30,000 be expended by the Division on fencing to surround Fremont Indian State Park.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that appropriations for Riverways and Trails be matched at least on a one-to-one basis by local funds.

Supplementals

• Green River Golf Course will open in the Spring of 1996 and $73,600 in Dedicated Credits were appropriated to fund the course operations.

• Palisade Golf Course will be opening a new nine holes in the spring of 1996. Dedicated Credits in the amount of $84,700 were appropriated to cover the additional cost because of the growth.

Wildlife Resources

• Seasonal help for the Division was authorized at a cost of $35,000 funded from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources Account.

• A one-time General Fund appropriation of $1,600,000 was made to mitigate the loss of General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources revenue to the Division because of the limit placed on the number of deer licenses which can be sold.

• Native Wildlife Study, was appropriated $70,000 in General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources.

• In order to prepare transects of the cougar population in southern Utah, $6,000 of General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources funds were authorized for expenditure.

• Expenditure of $2,250,000 was authorized from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Habitat Account for habitat projects around the state.

• The Wildlife Resources compensation base budget was restored by $300,000 of General Fund.

• An appropriation of $80,000 was made from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources Account to purchase a boat to be used on Lake Powell.

• An ongoing General Fund appropriation of $800,000 was for fish hatchery renovation.

• Senate Bill 11, "Public Safety Retirement Interest," authorized law enforcement officers to receive interest on their pension monies made available at termination. For this purpose $9,100 was appropriated; $3,100 from the General Fund, and $6,000 funded from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources Account.

• House Bill 423, "Application of Law Enforcement Salary Change," authorized a two-step increase in compensation for law enforcement officers in the Division of Wildlife Resources. Total funding for this increase was $173,600; $39,900 coming from the General Fund and $133,700 funded from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources Account.

    The Legislature intends that up to $500,000 of this budget may be used for big game depredation expense. The Legislature also intends that half of these funds shall be from the General Fund

Restricted - Wildlife Resources Account and half from the General Fund. This funding is intended to be non-lapsing.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that up to one-third of the revenue previously received in the Upland Game Stamp Account, collected in FY 1995, may be used in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture - Predator Control program to control predators on upland game habitat.

    The Legislature intends that the Division of Wildlife Resources lease as much of their land for grazing as is possible and still be consistent with the best big game practices.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that the Division of Wildlife Resources report to the Natural Resources Appropriation Subcommittee a detailed listing of expenditures from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Habitat Account during the 1997 Legislative Session.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that the Division of Wildlife Resources inform the Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee before acquisitions of real property are made public.

    It is the intent of the Legislature to allow the Division of Wildlife Resources to enter into cooperative agreements to purchase Animal Unit Months. Up to one-third of the funding may come from the State. But the remaining funding shall come from private sources. In this process there shall be no net loss of Animal Unit Months to domestic livestock.

Supplementals

• Expenditure of $977,000 was authorized from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Habitat Account for habitat projects around the state.

• For use by the Division $84,000 of General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources funding was authorized to purchase four additional vehicles in the motor pool.

• To replace a FY 1996 appropriation from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Heritage Account $400,000 in General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Habitat Account funding was authorized.

• For fish hatchery renovation was appropriated from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources Trust Account.

    The Legislature approved the following items of intent language for FY 1996:

    It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Natural Resources Motor Pool increase the fleet by four additional trucks for the use of the Division of Wildlife Resources, at a cost of $84,000.

    It is the intent of the Legislature that the Division of Wildlife Resources be allowed to spend up to $1,130,000 for the renovation of fish hatcheries from the General Fund Restricted - Wildlife Resources Trust Account.

Water Resources

• Central Utah Project Mitigation - General Fund $3,000,000

• Water projects - General Fund $2,167,000

• Dam safety projects - General Fund $3,200,000

  Supplementals

  To replace a FY 1996 appropriation from the General Fund Restricted - Bear River Development Fund $1,100,000 in Water Resource Conservation and Development funding was appropriated.

  Water Rights

       The Legislature approved the following items of intent language for FY 1997:

      It is the intent of the Legislature that the Division of Water Rights not require dam owners to improve their dams if matching monies from the Water Resources loan funds are not available.

  School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration

       Through the Enabling Act, prior to statehood, Congress granted to Utah certain lands in trust for the support of the common schools. It is the responsibility of this department to manage those lands in accordance with the intent of the Act. The total appropriation for School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration for FY 1997 was $7,065,000 which reflects a 23.4 percent increase over the estimated level of expenditures for FY 1996.

  Major Funding issues in the Department include:

• I n Land Grant Management funds, $1,000,000 for development projects was appropriated.

• F or a department information system, $340,000 in Land Grant Management funds was appropriated.

      The Legislature approved the following items of intent language for FY 1997:

      It is the intent of the Legislature that School and Institutional Trust Lands administration perfect performance measures for each of its divisions and programs. Each program shall have at least one outcome based measure and at least one efficiency measure and as many activity measures as they feel appropriate. The agency will work with the Fiscal Analyst in preparing these measures.

      It is the intent of the Legislature that School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration report on the results of the expenditure of funds for commercial real estate site development and mineral property development to the board and to the Legislature.

      It is the intent of the Legislature that School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration development projects not place the Department in direct competition with retail establishments.

      It is the intent of the Legislature that the Information Technology Commission review the School and Institutional Trust Land Administration's information systems strategic plan to determine that the hardware and software meet the budgeted requirements and follows statewide standards, and that the finished product meets the requirements of the contracts, prior to releasing any Land Grant Management Fund monies for expenditure.

  Supplementals

  • For a department information system, $420,000 in Land Grant Management funds were appropriated.

  • Land Grant Management funds in the amount of $500,000 were appropriated to continue the process of land swaps for inholdings.

  • Land Grant Management funds in the amount of $74,000 were appropriated to cover the expenditures in moving the office out of the Triad Center.