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HCR026.....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM - STUDY - Stating findings of the Legislature and
authorizing the Legislative Council to appoint a committee to undertake and
complete a study of the decline in receipts on National Forest System
lands.
02/27 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/28 Rpt prt - to 2nd rdg
03/01 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/02 3rd rdg - ADOPTED - 64-4-2
AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barrett, Bayer, Bedke, Bell, Bilbao, Black,
Block, Bock, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford, Chadderdon, Chavez, Chew,
Clark, Collins, Crane, Durst, Edmunson, Eskridge, Hagedorn, Hart,
Harwood, Henbest, Henderson, Jaquet, Killen, Kren, Labrador,
Loertscher, Luker, Marriott, Mathews, McGeachin, Mortimer, Moyle,
Nielsen, Nonini, Pasley-Stuart, Patrick, Raybould, Ring, Roberts,
Ruchti, Rusche, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(2), Shepherd(8), Shirley,
Shively, Smith(30), Smith(24), Snodgrass, Stevenson, Thayn, Trail,
Vander Woude, Wills, Wood(27), Wood(35), Mr. Speaker
NAYS -- King, LeFavour, Pence, Ringo
Absent and excused -- Boe, Lake
Floor Sponsor - Edmunson
Title apvd - To Senate
03/05 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to St Aff
03/21 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 10th Ord
03/22 10th Ord - ADOPTED - 32-0-3
AYES -- Andreason, Bair, Bastian, Bilyeu, Broadsword, Burkett,
Cameron, Coiner, Corder, Darrington, Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde,
Hammond, Heinrich, Hill, Jorgenson, Keough, Langhorst, Little, Lodge,
Malepeai, McGee, McKague, McKenzie, Pearce, Richardson, Schroeder,
Siddoway, Stegner, Werk
NAYS -- None
Absent and excused -- Davis, Kelly, Stennett
Floor Sponsor - President Pro Tempore Geddes
Title apvd - to House
03/22 To enrol - Rpt enrol - Sp signed
03/23 Pres signed
03/26 To Secretary of State
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]]
Fifty-ninth Legislature First Regular Session - 2007
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 26
BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 STATING FINDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND AUTHORIZING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO
3 APPOINT A COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE AND COMPLETE A STUDY OF THE DECLINE IN
4 RECEIPTS ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS.
5 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
6 WHEREAS, it has long been the intent and policy of the federal government
7 to hold rural communities harmless from the creation of federal lands and in
8 1906 the Committee on Public Lands recognized that the presence of federal
9 lands could create hardship for many counties as they provided little revenue
10 or commerce at that time; and
11 WHEREAS, in 1908, the federal government promised rural counties twenty-
12 five percent of all revenues generated from the multiple-use management of the
13 newly created national forests to support public roads and public schools; and
14 WHEREAS, in recent decades, the forest resources have not been managed in
15 a manner to produce long-term sustainable revenue to share with schools and
16 counties; and
17 WHEREAS, in 2000, Congress passed Public Law 106-393, the Secure Rural
18 Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The Act restored historical pay-
19 ment levels previously made to states and counties from the federal government
20 for road and school purposes because of declining levels of actual forest
21 receipts; and
22 WHEREAS, the reauthorization and appropriation of the Secure Rural Schools
23 and Community Self-Determination Act is pending before the United States Con-
24 gress, and Idaho counties are on record as being strongly supportive of a
25 fully funded approval of this Act; and
26 WHEREAS, federal land managers continue to be faced with funding short-
27 ages. In the event the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination
28 Act is not reauthorized and appropriated, counties will be faced with higher
29 property taxes or a reduction in services and, even if the Act is reauthorized
30 and appropriated, it will likely be the last time, and the state of Idaho must
31 seek a long-term solution; and
32 WHEREAS, in 2006, House Joint Memorial No. 21 was adopted by the members
33 of the Second Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature to provide
34 one option to address the problem of declining forest receipts by urging Con-
35 gress to support federal legislation transferring management of National For-
36 est System lands within Idaho to the state of Idaho to be managed for the ben-
37 efit of the rural counties and schools.
38 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session
39 of the Fifty-ninth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the
40 Senate concurring therein, that the Legislative Council is authorized to
41 appoint an interim committee to undertake and complete an assessment of the
42 decline in receipts on National Forest System lands, which have historically
43 been shared with counties, with the goal of the interim committee's recommen-
44 dations being to develop a federal, bipartisan, long-term solution that
2
1 addresses sustainable management of federal forest lands to stabilize payments
2 to Idaho's forest counties, which help support roads and schools, and to pro-
3 vide projects that enhance forest ecosystem health and provide employment
4 opportunities, and to improve cooperative relationships among those who use
5 and care about the lands the agencies manage. The Legislative Council shall
6 determine the membership from each house appointed to the interim committee
7 and shall authorize the interim committee to receive input, advice and assis-
8 tance from interested and affected parties who are not members of the Legisla-
9 ture. As much as is practicable, the interim committee shall work in coopera-
10 tion and coordination with the state of Idaho, its counties, its school and
11 highway districts, along with the recognized Indian tribes of the state of
12 Idaho. The interim committee is also authorized to retain the services of con-
13 sultants, within appropriated moneys, who are familiar with forest receipts,
14 and who can provide necessary economic and other research to assist the
15 interim committee and the Legislature in making an informed decision on this
16 most important topic.
17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Idaho legislative interim
18 committee on forest receipts will address National Forest System lands, but
19 only those lands that do not have special designations. The interim committee
20 is directed to formulate a solution that will protect all valid existing
21 rights, existing public access and activities, including hunting, fishing and
22 recreation, and that will not be construed to interfere with treaties or any
23 other obligations to the Indian tribes, commitments to county governments, or
24 the General Mining Law or Taylor Grazing Act.
25 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that nonlegislative members of the
26 interim committee may be appointed by the cochairs of the interim committee
27 who are appointed by the Legislative Council. Nonlegislative members of the
28 interim committee shall not be reimbursed from legislative funds for per diem,
29 mileage or other expenses and shall not have voting privileges regarding the
30 interim committee's recommendations or proposed legislation.
31 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the interim committee shall
32 report its findings, recommendations and proposed legislation, if any, to the
33 Second Regular Session of the Fifty-ninth Idaho Legislature.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 17100
This resolution would authorize the Legislative Council to
establish the Idaho Legislative Interim Committee on Forest
Receipts to formulate a long-term solution, which would stabilize
payments to Idaho's forest counties, which help support roads and
schools, and to provide projects that enhance forest ecosystem
health and provide employment opportunities, and to improve
cooperative relationships among those who use and care about the
National Forest System Lands.
FISCAL IMPACT
Any necessary legislator travel would be paid from the existing
legislative appropriation to the Senate and House of
Representatives. Funding for staff support and expenses would be
provided from the existing appropriation to the Legislative
Council for the Legislative Services Offices.
Contact
Speaker Lawerence Denney
Rep. Mike Moyle
Rep. Scott Bedke
Rep. Ken Roberts
Rep. Clete Edmunson
Phone: (208) 332-1000
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE HCR 26