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HCR027.....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
WOODY BIOMASS - STUDY - Stating findings of the Legislature and authorizing
the Legislative Council to appoint an interim committee to study specific
issues related to woody biomass and incentives to make woody biomass
available to be processed into value added products.
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 - 68-0-2
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, Jaquet, Killen, King, Kren, Labrador, Lake,
LeFavour, Loertscher, Luker, Marriott, Mathews, McGeachin, Mortimer,
Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini, Pasley-Stuart, Patrick, Pence, Raybould,
Ring, Ringo, 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 -- None
Absent and excused -- Boe, Henderson
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 - 33-0-2
AYES -- Andreason, Bair, Bastian, Bilyeu, Broadsword, Burkett,
Coiner, Corder, Darrington, Davis, Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde,
Hammond, Heinrich, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Keough, Langhorst, Lodge,
Malepeai, McGee, McKague, McKenzie, Pearce, Richardson, Schroeder,
Siddoway, Stegner, Stennett, Werk
NAYS -- None
Absent and excused -- Cameron, Little
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. 27
BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 STATING FINDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND AUTHORIZING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO
3 APPOINT AN INTERIM COMMITTEE TO STUDY SPECIFIC ISSUES RELATED TO WOODY
4 BIOMASS AND INCENTIVES TO MAKE WOODY BIOMASS AVAILABLE TO BE PROCESSED
5 INTO VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS.
6 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
7 WHEREAS, forest management agencies are spending record amounts on fire
8 suppression, and forest health and fire mitigation issues make it imperative
9 that woody biomass in the forests of Idaho be removed; and
10 WHEREAS, the United States Forest Service is beginning to require the
11 removal of woody biomass that meets certain size requirements; and
12 WHEREAS, removal of woody biomass targeted in areas of insects and disease
13 would help alleviate forest health issues and protect lands adjacent to for-
14 ests; and
15 WHEREAS, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is formulating new
16 regulations related to air quality which will make it more difficult for for-
17 est land owners to dispose of woody biomass in traditional ways such as slash
18 burning; and
19 WHEREAS, efficient methods for the removal of woody biomass have been cre-
20 ated and it has been demonstrated that woody biomass can be converted into
21 value added products such as bark, mulch, wood pellets, posts and poles,
22 flooring and other products; and
23 WHEREAS, the rural areas of Idaho that are agriculture and natural
24 resource dependent could benefit from the creation of jobs relating to the
25 removal and utilization of woody biomass; and
26 WHEREAS, there is a need to formulate strategies to stimulate harvest
27 operators and value added entrepreneurs to plan for the removal and processing
28 of woody biomass and incentives are needed to develop and assist operators and
29 processors who want to remove and process woody biomass; and
30 WHEREAS, it is critical that the state of Idaho create a supportive busi-
31 ness climate so that woody biomass harvest operators and processors can thrive
32 in Idaho by taking advantage of opportunities for tax and investment incen-
33 tives and create economic and employment opportunities for Idaho citizens.
34 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session
35 of the Fifty-ninth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the
36 Senate concurring therein, that the Legislative Council is authorized to
37 appoint an interim committee to study specific issues related to woody biomass
38 and incentives to make woody biomass available to be processed into value
39 added products. The Legislative Council shall determine the membership from
40 the House of Representatives and the Senate appointed to the interim committee
41 and shall authorize the interim committee to receive input, advice and assis-
42 tance from interested and affected parties who are not members of the Legisla-
43 ture. As much as practicable, the interim committee shall work in cooperation
44 and coordination with the state of Idaho, representatives from state and fed-
2
1 eral forests, industry representatives, elected officials, university forest
2 policy experts, county officials and others to assist in making recommenda-
3 tions relating to the removal and utilization of woody biomass.
4 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that nonlegislative members of the
5 interim committee may be appointed by the cochairs of the interim committee
6 who are appointed by the Legislative Council. Nonlegislative members of the
7 interim committee shall not be reimbursed from legislative funds for per diem,
8 mileage or other expenses and shall not have voting privileges.
9 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the committee shall report
10 its findings, recommendations and proposed legislation, if any, to the Second
11 Regular Session of the Fifty-ninth Idaho Legislature.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 17109
This resolution would authorize the Legislative Council to
establish the Idaho Legislative Interim Committee on Utilization
of Woody Biomass which will be set up to investigate the
feasibility of making large amounts of woody biomass available to
be processed into value added products and develop incentives for
this to occur on State, federal and private forest lands thus
reducing the risk of catastrophic fire events, while improving
forest health.
FISCAL NOTE
If this resolution is adopted by the Legislature and Legislative
Council continues the committee, any necessary legislator travel
and per diem expense would be paid from the existing legislative
appropriation to the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Funding for staff support and expenses would be provided from the
existing appropriation to the Legislative Council for the
Legislative Services Office.
Contact 332-1000
Speaker Lawerence Denney
Rep. Mike Moyle
Rep. Scott Bedke
Rep. Ken Roberts
Rep. Clete Edmunson
Rep. Paul Shepherd
Rep. Mary Lou Shepherd
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE HCR 27