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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill modifies the responsibilities of the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 ▸ requires the director of the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to:
13 • coordinate the development of a state-wide wildland fire policy; and
14 • report to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim
15 Committee on the director's recommendation for a state-wide wildland fire
16 policy;
17 ▸ describes the goals of a state-wide catastrophic wildfire reduction strategy; and
18 ▸ states that the division may use funds to promote wildfire prevention, wildfire
19 mitigation, and wildfire preparedness.
20 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
21 None
22 Other Special Clauses:
23 None
24 Utah Code Sections Affected:
25 AMENDS:
26 65A-8-103, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 342
27 ENACTS:
28 65A-8-103.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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30 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
31 Section 1. Section 65A-8-103 is amended to read:
32 65A-8-103. Forestry and fire control funds.
33 (1) The division shall use money available to it to meet the costs of:
34 (a) controlling forest, range, and watershed fires;
35 (b) controlling insect and disease epidemics;
36 (c) rehabilitating or reforesting nonfederal forest, range, and watershed lands; [
37 (d) promoting wildfire preparedness, wildfire mitigation, and wildfire prevention; and
38 [
39 (2) All money available to the division to meet the costs of Subsections (1)(a) through
40 [
41 (3) (a) The collection and disbursement of all money made available to the division
42 shall be in accordance with the rules of the Division of Finance.
43 (b) Money collected by the division from fees, rentals, sales, contributions,
44 reimbursements, and other such sources shall be deposited in the appropriate account.
45 Section 2. Section 65A-8-103.5 is enacted to read:
46 65A-8-103.5. Wildland fire policy -- Report.
47 (1) The director shall:
48 (a) coordinate the development of a comprehensive, state-wide wildland fire
49 prevention, preparedness, and suppression policy;
50 (b) coordinate with applicable state agencies to identify critical wildlife habitat areas as
51 the policy described in Subsection (1)(a) is developed; and
52 (c) report to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee
53 by November 30, 2015, on the director's recommendation for the policy described in
54 Subsection (1)(a).
55 (2) The goals of the state-wide catastrophic wildfire reduction policy described in
56 Subsection (1)(a) shall be to:
57 (a) restore and maintain landscapes, ensuring landscapes across the state are resilient to
58 wildfire-related disturbances in accordance with fire management objectives;
59 (b) create fire-adapted communities, ensuring that human populations and
60 infrastructure can withstand a wildfire without loss of life or property;
61 (c) improve wildfire response, ensuring that all political subdivisions can participate in
62 making and implementing safe, effective, and efficient risk-based wildfire management
63 decisions; and
64 (d) reduce risks to wildlife, such as the greater sage grouse, which can be devastated by
65 wildfire.
66 (3) In developing the wildland fire policy described in Subsection (1)(a), the director
67 shall coordinate with representatives of counties, cities, and towns in the state, along with any
68 other stakeholders the director considers necessary and relevant, including the Catastrophic
69 Wildfire Reduction Strategy Statewide Steering Committee and six regional work groups.