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MINUTES OF THE HOUSE

NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, & ENVIRONMENT STANDING COMMITTEE

Room C445, State Capitol, State Capitol Complex

February 20, 2009


Members Present:    Rep. Roger E. Barrus, Chair
    Rep. John Mathis, Vice Chair
        Rep. Mel Brown
    Rep. Brad Dee
    Rep. Jack Draxler
    Rep. Kerry Gibson
    Rep. James Gowans
    Rep. Neal Hendrickson
    Rep. Mike Noel
    Rep. Patrick Painter
    Rep. Phil Riesen
    Rep. Christine Watkins
    Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox
    Rep. Brad Winn

Staff Present:    Brian Allred, Policy Analyst
            Carrie Griffith, Committee Secretary
    
Note:        List of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes


Rep. Barrus called the meeting to order at 2:03 p.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Hendrickson moved to approve the minutes of the February 18, 2009 meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown, Rep. Dee, Rep. Gowans and Rep. Winn absent for the vote.

H.B. 164    Migratory Bird Production Areas (Rep. C. Oda)

MOTION:    Rep Gibson moved to delete H.B . 164 and replace it with 1st Sub. H.B. 164. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Brown, Rep. Dee, Rep. Gowans and Rep. Winn absent for the vote.

Rep. Oda explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke for the bill:    Scott Sabey, Attorney--South Shore Duck Clubs
            Robin Thomas, Division of Wildlife Resources
            Carlos Buceros, Utah Department of Transportation
            Bill Fenimore, Utah Audubon Council


            Ed Kent, Utah Wildlife and Habitat Coalition
            Rob Jensen, State Chairman Ducks Unlimited

MOTION:    Rep. Riesen moved to pass 1st Sub H.B. 164 out favorably.

SUBSTITUTE
MOTION:    Rep. Gibson moved to proceed to the next item on the agenda. The motion failed with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Brown, Rep. Gibson, Rep. Hendrickson, Rep. Mathis, Rep. Noel, and Rep. Winn voting in the affirmative.

The original motion to pass 1st Sub H.B. 164 out favorably passed with Rep. Brown, Rep. Gibson, Rep. Hendrickson, Rep. Mathis and Rep. Noel voting in opposition.

1st Sub. H.B. 187    Recreational Use of Public Waters on Private Property (Rep. B. Ferry)

Rep. Ferry explained the bill to the committee.

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

1.    Page 7, Line 192 :    

             192          (5)
{   (a)   } A person may not fish:


The motion passed unanimously.

Spoke for the bill:    Randy Sessions, citizen
            Tom Bingham, Utah Farm Bureau

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

1.    Page 7, Lines 192 through 199 :    

             192          (5) (a) A person may not
{   fish   }        engage in a recreational activity       :

             193          
{   (a)   }        (i)       in a public water:

             194          
{   (i)   }        (A)       listed in Section 73-6a-202 ; and

             195          
{   (ii)   }        (B)       located on or adjacent to property to which access is restricted; and

             196          
{   (b)   }        (ii)       within      {   500   }        300       feet        or within view, whichever is closer,       of a single family dwelling that is built before May 12, 2009, and


             197
     qualifies for the residential exemption under Section 59-2-103 if the owner of the single family
             198      dwelling posts a notice visible from the bed indicating the segment of public water in which
             199
{  
     fishing   }
  a recreational activity       is prohibited by this section.

    
  (b)Notwithstanding Subsection (5)(a), a person may walk within the bed of a public water described by Subsection (5)(a) from an entrance to the bed described in Subsection (4) to a segement of the public water in which a recreational activity is allowed by this part.      


SUBSTITUTE
MOTION:    Rep. Draxler moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 6, Line 173 :    

             173          (2)
{   Except as provided by Subsection (5), a   }        A       person may engage in a recreational


2.    Page 7, Lines 192 through 200 :    

             192          
{   (5) (a) A person may not fish:

             193          (a) in a public water:
             194          (i) listed in Section 73-6a-202 ; and
             195          (ii) located on or adjacent to property to which access is restricted; and
             196          (b) within 500 feet of a single family dwelling that is built before May 12, 2009, and
             197      qualifies for the residential exemption under Section 59-2-103 if the owner of the single family
             198      dwelling posts a notice visible from the bed indicating the segment of public water in which
             199      fishing is prohibited by this section.  
}

             200          
{   (6)   }        (5)       A person may not engage in a recreational activity authorized by Subsection (2) if


The motion failed with Rep. Dee, Rep. Draxler, Rep. Riesen, Rep. Watkins and Rep. Wilcox voting in the affirmative.


SUBSTITUTE
MOTION:    Rep. Noel moved to accept Rep. Brown's amendment with the following changes:

1.    Page 7, Line 196 :    


             196          
{   (b)   }        (ii)       within      {   500   }        150       feet


The motion passed unanimously.

Rep. McIff responded to property rights questions relating to Lines 327 and 328 of the bill.

Spoke against the bill:    Paul Dremann, Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council (handout)
            Rob Hughes, Resident South Jordan
            Jeff Donovan, concerned citizen
            Randall Peterson, concerned citizen
            Byron Gunderson, commercial anglers
            Bob Dibblee, President Utah council of Trout Unlimited
            Jim Carter, Anglers Coalition
            Jeff Salt, recreational boating

Spoke for the bill:    Chris Sloan, Utah Association of Realtors
            Dan Massey, land owner Weber River
            Kathleen Clarke, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and in                  behalf of Utah Association of Conservation Districts
            Eve Furse, resident Weber River
            Brent Bowman, cattle rancher
            Arthur Douglas, Utah Farmers Union
            Brent Tanner, Utah Cattlemen's Association
            Mike Kohler, Dairy Farmers of Utah
            Rusty Dassing, river guide

Rep. McIff further explained the bill to the committee and the public.

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

1.    Page 9, Lines 248 through 250 :    

             248          (16) Lower Sevier River from the Yuba dam downstream to Sevier Lake;
{   and   }

             249          (17) White River from the Colorado state line in Uintah County downstream to the
             250      confluence with the Green River
{   .   }       


    (18) Blacksmith Fork River from the State Road 165 bridge upstream to Lions Hollow; and

    (19) Logan River from the Red Banks Campground to the Idaho state line.  


Rep. Gibson declared a conflict of interest because he owns property on the Weber River. The motion passed unanimously.

MOTION:    Rep. Noel moved to pass 1st Sub. H.B. 187 out favorably as amended. The motion passed with Rep. Dee, rep. Riesen, Rep Watkins and Rep. Wilcox voting in opposition.
        
Due to time restraints, the following bills were not heard:

H.C.R. 7    Concurrent Resolution Expressing Opposition to the Congressional Enactment of the National Landscape Conservation System (Rep. M. Brown)
and    

H.B. 143    Vehicle Inspection and Emission Testing Exemptions (Rep. K. Sumsion)


MOTION:    Rep. Brown moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.

Rep. Barrus adjourned the meeting at 4:43 p.m.


    
                    _________________________
    Rep. Roger E. Barrus, Chair