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MINUTES OF THE HOUSE
NATURAL RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE, & ENVIRONMENT
STANDING COMMITTEE
Room 445, State Capitol
March 5, 2014

Members Present:    Rep. Mike Noel, Chair
            Rep. Doug Sagers, Vice Chair
            Rep. Roger Barrus
            Rep. Joel Briscoe
            Rep. Mel Brown
            Rep. Kay Christofferson
            Rep. Jack Draxler
            Rep. Susan Duckworth
            Rep. Becky Edwards
            Rep. Steve Handy
            Rep. Ken Ivory
            Rep. John Mathis
            Rep. Mike McKell
            Rep. Merrill Nelson
            Rep. Ryan Wilcox
            Rep. Larry Wiley    

Staff Present:    Mr. J Brian Allred, Policy Analyst
            Ms. An Bradshaw, Committee Secretary
    
NOTE:    A list of visitors and handouts are filed with committee minutes

Chair Noel called the meeting to order at 4:09 p.m.

H.B. 416    Amendments to Procedures for Surface Leases (Rep. M. McKell)

Rep. McKell explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Brian Cottam, State Forester and director, Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, and Laura Ault, coordinator, Sovereign Lands Program.

MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Brown, and Rep. Nelson absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Handy moved to place H.B. 416 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe and Rep. Brown absent for the vote.




H.B. 432    Wildland Fire Liability Amendments (Rep. M. Wheatley)

Rep. Wheatley explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Clark Aposhian, Utah Shooting Sports Council.

MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Brown, and Rep. McKell absent for the vote.

Vice Chair Sagers assumed the chair.

H.C.R. 13    Concurrent Resolution on Transfer of Public Lands Act (Rep. M. Noel)

Rep. Noel explained the resolution to the committee.

Spoke for the resolution:    Maryann Christensen, Utah Eagle Forum
                Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties

MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Briscoe, and Rep. Brown absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Noel moved to place H.C.R. 13 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Briscoe, and Rep. Brown absent for the vote.

H.C.R. 10    Concurrent Resolution on School and Institutional Trust Lands Exchange Act (Rep. M. Noel)

Rep. Noel introduced the resolution to the committee with the assistance of Kevin Carter, director, School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration.

Spoke for the resolution:    Maryann Christensen, Utah Eagle Forum
                Steve Erickson, Utah Audubon Council

MOTION:    Rep. Christofferson moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Brown, and Rep. Wilcox absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Noel moved to place H.C.R. 10 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Brown, and Rep. Wilcox absent for the vote.

H.B. 138    Underground Petroleum Storage Tank Amendments (Rep. S. Eliason)

MOTION:    Rep. Handy moved to replace H.B. 138 with 1st Sub. H.B. 138. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Brown, and Rep. Wilcox absent for the vote.

Rep. Eliason explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Brent Everett, director, Division of Environmental Response and Remediation, and John Hill, Utah Petroleum Marketers and Retailers Association.

Spoke for the bill:    David Hancock, Maverik, Inc.
            Dave Davis, Utah Food Industry Association and Utah Retail Merchants
            Association
            Paul Ashton, Petroleum Retailers Organization
            Leland Pollock, Leland's Chevron

MOTION:    Rep. Draxler moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Wilcox, and Rep. Sagers absent for the vote.

H.B. 164    Interstate Compact on Transfer of Public Lands (Rep. K. Stratton)

Rep. Stratton explained the bill to the committee.

Spoke for the bill:    Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties
            Maryann Christensen, Utah Eagle Forum

MOTION:    Rep. Draxler moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Wiley voting in opposition and Rep. Briscoe and Rep. McKell absent for the vote.

S.C.R. 7    Concurrent Resolution on Comprehensive Statewide Wildland Fire Prevention, Preparedness, and Suppression Policy (Sen. E. Vickers)

Sen. Vickers explained the resolution to the committee with the assistance of Brian Cottam, State Forester and director, Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands.

MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Christofferson, and Rep. Ivory absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Mathis moved to place S.C.R. 7 on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe, Rep. Christofferson, and Rep. Ivory absent for the vote.                


H.B. 421    Sovereign Lands Management Account Amendments (Rep. M. McKell)

Rep. McKell asked that the bill not be heard at this time.

MOTION:    Rep. Edwards moved to hold the bill.

SUBSTITUTE MOTION:    Rep. McKell moved that the bill be held and that staff be instructed to put the bill on the interim study list.

The substitute motion passed unanimously with Rep. Christofferson and Rep. Wilcox absent for the vote.

H.B. 412    State of Utah Transportation Plan for the Dixie National Forest (Rep. M. Noel)

Rep. Noel explained the bill to the committee with the assistance of Leland Pollock, commissioner, Garfield County, and Dale Brinkerhoff, commissioner, Iron County. "Roads Closed to the Public in Dixie National Forest Map" was distributed to the committee.

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

1.    Page 4, Lines 98 through 100 :    

             98      throughout these ranger districts;
{   and   }

             99          (ii) hunter access
{   for wildlife target harvest hunts   } to      {   control   }        manage       wildlife populations        ;       and

             100
{  
     enhance   }
  (iii)       forage conditions for livestock grazing        and wildlife habitat       .


2.    Page 5, Lines 135 through 141 :    

             135          
{   (7) State agencies, such as the Department of Transportation, the Department of

             136      Natural Resources, the Division of Wildlife Resources, the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State
             137      Lands, and the Department of Agriculture and Food, should also coordinate with each other,
             138      with counties where these zones are situated, and with applicable federal agencies to develop,
             139      amend, and implement policies and management decisions that are consistent with the
             140      purposes, goals, and policies described in this section.

             141          (8)   }
  (7)       (a) The state recognizes the importance of longstanding road networks in all


3.    Page 5, Line 147 :    

             147          
{   (9)   }        (8)       The state calls upon applicable federal, state, and local agencies to coordinate with


The motion to amend passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe and Rep. Wilcox absent for the vote.

Spoke for the bill:    Mark Ward, Utah Association of Counties

MOTION:    Rep. Ivory moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe and Rep. Wilcox absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Ivory moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Briscoe and Rep. Wilcox absent for the vote.

Vice Chair Sagers adjourned the meeting at 6:31 p.m.


            


                

Mike E. Noel, Chair