This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Fri, Feb 4, 2022 at 9:22 AM by pflowers.
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10 LONG TITLE
11 Committee Note:
12 The Federalism Commission recommended this bill.
13 Legislative Vote: 8 voting for 0 voting against 1 absent
14 General Description:
15 This resolution recognizes the need for and encourages cooperation and coordination
16 between the state of Utah and relevant federal agencies to manage more efficiently the
17 resources and lands of the state of Utah.
18 Highlighted Provisions:
19 This resolution:
20 ▸ recognizes the goals of the federal government to protect natural resources, lands,
21 and waters of the nation;
22 ▸ recognizes that a high percentage of lands in Utah are managed by the federal
23 government;
24 ▸ recognizes that Utah has a strong history of responsible stewardship over public
25 lands in Utah;
26 ▸ recognizes that the ongoing drought and other conditions in the state of Utah require
27 stronger and more immediate response to properly manage the resources and public
28 lands in the state of Utah;
29 ▸ recognizes certain aspects of the management of the resources in the state of Utah
30 have failed to properly preserve the resources and protect the citizens of the state of
31 Utah; and
32 ▸ encourages greater cooperation and coordination between the state of Utah and
33 relevant federal agencies to improve the management and protection of the
34 resources of the state of Utah.
35 Special Clauses:
36 None
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38 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
39 WHEREAS, President Joseph R. Biden's Executive Order 14008 sets a goal of
40 conserving at least 30% of America's land and water resources by the year 2030;
41 WHEREAS, the United States Department of the Interior, United States Department of
42 Agriculture, United States Department of Commerce, and the Council on Environmental
43 Quality released the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful Report on May 6, 2021,
44 that similarly sets a goal of conserving 30% of America's lands and water resources by the year
45 2030;
46 WHEREAS, the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful Report acknowledges
47 that land and water stewardship by private property owners, states, and local governments
48 demonstrates that the most effective and enduring conservation strategies are those that reflect
49 the priorities, needs, and perspectives of the families and communities that know, live, work,
50 and care for the lands and waters;
51 WHEREAS, approximately 23% of Utah, or 12,628,600 acres, receives the highest
52 level of protection available as national parks, wilderness areas, national monuments, and other
53 highly restricted Federal lands;
54 WHEREAS, a host of different federal statutes, including the National Environmental
55 Policy Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Forests Management
56 Act, the National Park Service Organic Act, the Antiquities Act, the Taylor Grazing Act, the
57 Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Archeological Resources Protection Act, the National
58 Historic Preservation Act, and others provide varying layers of protections for America's lands,
59 waters, air, and cultural resources;
60 WHEREAS, the people of Utah have a long history of successful stewardship over
61 Utah's lands and waters;
62 WHEREAS, Utah is currently suffering from extreme drought through much of the
63 state;
64 WHEREAS, decades of wildfire suppression and a dearth of timber harvest have led to
65 a growing problem of catastrophic wildfires throughout Utah;
66 WHEREAS, bark beetle infestations have caused significant tree mortality in many of
67 Utah's forests;
68 WHEREAS, changes in Utah's vegetation cover, including the encroachment of
69 coniferous trees into aspen forests and sagebrush rangelands, has degraded habitat for wildlife
70 and domestic livestock;
71 WHEREAS, the state of Utah, in cooperation with federal partners, is successfully
72 working to restore sagebrush and aspen habitat through Utah through the Watershed
73 Restoration Initiative;
74 WHEREAS, the state of Utah is actively working with the United States Forest Service,
75 Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other partners through the Shared Stewardship
76 Program to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and protect Utah's critical water sources;
77 WHEREAS, the state of Utah's Endangered Species Mitigation Fund successfully
78 directs conservation efforts to assist in the recovery of threatened and endangered species
79 leading to the downlisting of species including: June sucker, humpback chub, razorback
80 sucker, Kanab ambersnail, and Deseret milkvetch;
81 WHEREAS, livestock grazing on public lands forms a critical part of Utah's culture and
82 economy, and is a sustainable, renewable form of food and fiber production on public lands;
83 WHEREAS, Utah's domestic livestock provide critical ecosystem services on public
84 lands, including removal of noxious weeds and reduction in wildfire risk;
85 WHEREAS, the state of Utah's Grazing Improvement Program works to improve
86 sustainable grazing operations throughout the state, including the implementation of rotational
87 grazing systems to reduce environmental impacts and installation of water infrastructure to
88 reduce livestock impacts on water sources;
89 WHEREAS, the Utah Division of State History's anti-vandalism campaign actively
90 works to educate the public on the proper stewardship of archeological resources and better
91 protect archeological resources on public lands;
92 WHEREAS, the state of Utah's Utah Migration Initiative currently works to connect
93 wildlife habitats and migration corridors throughout Utah, including the construction of
94 wildlife overpasses, fish passage structures, and other pro-wildlife infrastructure;
95 WHEREAS, federal designations of Utah's lands and waters, such as national
96 monuments and wilderness areas, can impair the ability of the state and federal agencies
97 partners to achieve conservation and stewardship goals within those designated lands; and
98 WHEREAS, federal designations of Utah's lands and waters can hinder the efforts of
99 the State and federal agencies to improve wildlife habitat and promote biodiversity:
100 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
101 Governor concurring therein, supports the conservation and stewardship of Utah's lands and
102 waters through the voluntary efforts of state agencies, local governments, and private
103 landowners.
104 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor oppose the use of
105 federal designations to lock up more federal land in Utah without the consent of the Legislature
106 and Ĥ→ [
106a principles of state sovereignty.
107 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor strongly
108 encourage state agencies to work with federal partners to honor the state sovereignty, follow
109 the state's resource management plans, and achieve the goals of the Conserving and Restoring
110 America the Beautiful Report in a manner that does not impair the ability of Utahns to use and
111 benefit from Utah's public lands.