Policy Forum
New Mexico Adopts the Natural Heritage Conservation Act
The New Mexico Legislature approved a new state law, the Natural Heritage Conservation Act, during the 2010 session. Governor Richardson signed the bill which takes effect March 19th. The law creates a fund that will partially finance acquisition of conservation and agricultural easements, and the cost of restoration projects on private working lands. The legislature [...]
Senate Committee Hearing – Working Lands Fund – S 1343
The Senate Resources and Environment Committee has scheduled a hearing on the Idaho Working Lands Fund Act. The bill proposes that the Idaho Legislature establish a Working Lands Fund to protect and enhance the benefits that working lands provide to Idahoans. The Fund will accomplish this purpose by providing a “source of funds to complement [...]
Bibliography Index
Senate Committee Introduces Working Lands Bill
The Senate Resources and Environment Committee voted to print (introduce) the Working Lands Fund Act. The voice vote action at the Committee’s February 10th meeting had one dissenting vote. The Chief Clerk assigned number S1343 to the bill, and stakeholders can track the status of the bill as it progresses through the legislative session.
Sustaining Utah’s Agriculture
Representative Jack Draxler (Logan, Utah) proposes a fund that will finance conservation easements on private land. In the past 10 years, the state of Utah lost 500,000 acres of farms and ranches. To slow the conversion, the bill proposes an Agriculture Sustainability Investment Fund. If passed, the legislation will reallocate funds generated from an existing [...]
Wyoming Trust Allocates $4.8 Million
The Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust Board approved projects totaling $4.8 million. The current round of applications included acquisition of conservation easements, treatment of beetle infested forests, and watershed restoration projects. The legislature established the fund in 2005, and over $18 million of projects benefited from the trust. The Trust Fund seeks matching dollars, [...]
Interim Committee Requests Draft Legislation
The Idaho Working Lands Coalition presented a concept paper to the Natural Resources Interim Committee on December 15th. The paper proposes a Working Lands and Wild Life Trust Account, dedicated to retaining private working lands and wildlife habitat. Following the presentation and discussion, the Committee requested draft language of the enabling legislation for their review [...]
Wildlife and Working Lands: At the Crossroads
Wildlife Focal Areas and Private Land
The Idaho Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy identifies important habitat areas across the state. Known as Focal Areas, the delineated regions represent locations important to species of greatest conservation need. The Focal Areas are not restricted to ownership boundaries, and include federal, state, and private lands. The testimony of Fish and [...]
Interim Committee Reviews State of Working Lands
The Natural Resources Interim Committee convened July 31st. The agenda devoted the majority of the day to House Concurrent Resolution 18 (HCR 18), adopted in the 2009 legislative session. The Idaho Legislature requested that the Interim Committee “gather information from interested groups and existing resources regarding the extent of conversion of working forests, ranches and farms to other [...]
Land Use Controls or Financial Incentives
In 2005, the Working Lands Coalition initiated a review of policy alternatives to retain forests, ranches and farms. The Coalition Partners reached a consensus that they preferred financial incentives as an alternative to additional government regulation. The Natural Resources Interim Committee, in their July 31st meeting, recognized the contribution of working lands to the state of Idaho, [...]
