A bill presented by the Working Lands Coalition to establish a fund in the state treasury generated more discussion than expected in the Senate Resources and Environment Committee Wednesday.
Senate Bill 1343 would establish a fund to make grants to landowners as incentive to engage in natural resources stewardship projects, helping to retain farms, forests and grazing lands as working lands.
Senators questioned why the language of the bill was not more specific to easements, whether it duplicated work being done by existing agencies and programs, and if establishing a mechanism but no money for such a fund would serve as an invitation later to return to the state for money.
“Are we going to hear from you in a couple years asking for money with this empty bucket of conscience sitting in front of us?” Senator Pearce asked.
Chairman Schroeder did not agree that the committee was setting itself up for a future funding request.
“The question comes down to should we keep the group together and the structure to put together a mechanism of funding working lands projects. This doesn’t tie the state into funding at all,” he said.
Ultimately, the committee voted send the bill on to the Senate with a do pass recommendation.
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