Committee adopts substitute to consolidate water entities under DNR coordination; supporters say change is administrative

The House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Standing Committee adopted the first substitute to House Bill 520 and then voted to pass the bill out of committee favorably on Feb. 26.

Representative Snyder, sponsor of HB 520, described the substitute as a "clarification consolidation bill" and said the measure makes "a few technical changes" intended to improve coordination between various Great Salt Lake entities and the Department of Natural Resources. Snyder said the entities were created and initially housed in the governor's office and that the substitute moves toward administrative alignment with DNR for consistency.

Representative Bennion asked why the change was being made and expressed concern about preserving the independence of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner and related offices. Bennion noted that some models seen abroad separate water management from political influence. Snyder replied that the commissioner position is political under current law and that the governor's office remains the source of political appointments; he said the substitute aims to improve coordination and that the DNR director would have "maybe a more outsized influence than he did before" but that the change "should not impede the independence."

During public comment, Brian Steed, who identified himself as the Great Salt Lake commissioner, said the commissioner's office supports the substitute and "we don't have concerns about the the loss of independence," noting the office is already housed in DNR "as per the original statute." Nathan Bracken, an attorney for the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust, said the trust supports the substitute "limited to the parts of the bill that impact the trust." Joel Ferry, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources, told the committee he supports the bill and said closer coordination "will actually help streamline and make the flow of the offices that we have and the work that we're doing ... be that much greater."

Representative Koehler asked whether the substitute represents a coordination change or an administrative supervision change; Snyder answered that it is not an administrative reorganization of authorities but requires coordination with DNR and does not change existing authorities.

Representative Watkins moved to adopt the first substitute; the committee adopted it by voice vote. The committee then voted unanimously by voice vote to move HB 520, first substitute, out of committee with a favorable recommendation. The substitute and the committee's favorable recommendation were recorded in the Feb. 26 hearing; specific roll-call counts were not provided in the transcript.

The bill sponsor and multiple state officials and stakeholders described the changes as administrative and intended to improve coordination rather than to remove powers from existing entities.