The House Resources and Conservation Committee
continued with the process of rule making last week, with several agencies
presenting edits to existing rules having spent the summer collaborating on the
shape of those possible changes.
The Idaho Department of Lands presented several
rule changes, which were approved:
- Changes to the Idaho Forest Practices Act were
precipitated by the Department's response to the Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality following regular water quality assessments. The rule language was
changed to
provide flexibility for private landowners for timber sales after a wildfire or
infestation, and revised the definition of "clearcut" to align with
the scientifically accepted term.
- Grazing, Farming, Conservation, Noncommercial
Recreation and Communication Leases - Proposed changes stipulated leasees must
submit a grazing management plan, and clarified language for farming and grazing. The Department
collaborated on these changes with members of a task force that included
representatives from Simplot, Idaho Farm Bureau and Western Watersheds.
- The Issuance of Geothermal Resource Leases -
These regarded leases for all state lands and focused on issues regarding
shutdowns in the case of public safety, environmental concerns or fire;
sampling by a leasee, use of byproducts by a third party, and a modification to
the lease assignment section. Ben Otto with the Idaho Conservation League spoke
in favor of the rule modifications.
Jake Howard of Idaho Outfitters and Guides
presented a rule change regarding wolf trapping which sets guidelines on what
outfitters and guides can and cannot do trapping for wolves. The rule has no
impact on what the public can do without a guide, and was approved by the
committee.
On Monday, the committee will meet for a joint
senate/house presentation from the American Lands Council.
The House Environment, Energy & Technology
Committee met on Wednesday afternoon to review a rule on public drinking
water and three rules on control of air pollution. Seven of the 17 committee members are newly
elected legislators. The questions were
many and the discussion was lively. The
drinking water rule included a section on incorporation by reference adopting
changes in federal regulations so that Idaho’s rule is consistent with the
federal rule. While this is usually a
pretty standard procedure, some committee members asked why the section of the
federal rule wasn’t included with the material they received so they could see
exactly what they were being asked to approve. A motion to adopt the rule failed by one vote.
The chairman asked the DEQ staff to come back next week with copies of the
federal changes that are to be incorporated so the committee has a complete
picture.
Then came the three air pollution rules. The first rulemaking was to make various
“housekeeping” revisions such as updates for consistency with federal
regulations, clarification, and typographical corrections to certain air quality
permitting rule sections, related definitions, and the toxic air pollutant
sections. Again there were a lot of
questions and discussion. The rule was
rejected.
The second rule included some changes to the auto emissions
inspection rule – which resulted from the passage of a law in 2008 requiring emissions
testing in both Ada and Canyon counties.
In discussion on this particular rule, some members asked if they could
reject just the proposed changes or would they have to reject the entire
rule—even those parts already in effect that were not changed. More lively discussion ensued before the
committee approved the proposed rule changes.
The final rule was to incorporate by reference so Idaho’s
regulations would be consistent with the federal rule for regulation of green
house gases. It was approved by the
committee.
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