Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee forwards four bills on burning appeals, mining fees, fur-farming substitute and hydraulic permitting

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted during executive session Feb. 19 to report four bills out of committee with due-pass recommendations.

House Bill 16-46, which clarifies the appeals process for enforcement of Department of Natural Resources (DNR) burning requirements, was reported out by voice vote, 11-0. Committee staff described the bill as a technical cleanup to ensure an applicable appeals process exists in the timeline created by prior legislation.

House Bill 16-47, an agency-request bill to increase reclamation-related fees charged to mining operations, was reported out on a roll-call vote, 6-5. Supporters said the language was negotiated with operators who run mines and that the bill increases fees to better cover ecological reclamation costs. Opponents raised concerns that the bill eliminates a tiered fee system and removes an exemption for certain small counties; some operators and small businesses, including gravel producers, told members they were frustrated by the change.

The committee also reported out the proposed substitute H1543.2 for House Bill 17-75, a rewrite of the underlying bill on fur farming and production of farmed fur products, on a 6-5 roll-call vote. The substitute removes a blanket prohibition on fur farming and would require that products marketed as farmed fur come from farms that are certified and inspected by an organization recognizing compliance; it exempts fishing-gear products and deletes the bill's intent section.

Finally, House Bill 19-22, which directs the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to consider additional factors when requiring mitigation for hydraulic project approvals issued after natural events, passed 11-0. The committee adopted an amendment (Schmick 034) directing DFW to apply the new factors equitably across areas that experienced the events.

Votes at a glance - HB 16-46 (appeals jurisdiction for DNR burning enforcement): reported out with due pass, voice vote; final announcement: 11 ayes, 0 nays. - HB 16-47 (mining reclamation fee changes): reported out with due pass, roll-call; final tally announced 6 ayes, 5 nays. Members recorded on the roll-call included Reeves (aye), Morgan (aye), Dent (nay), Engel (nay), Birnbaum (aye), McClintock (nay, without recommendation), Nance (aye), Orcutt (nay/do not pass), Richards (aye), Schmick (nay/do not pass), Springer (aye). - Proposed substitute H1543.2 for HB 17-75 (farmed fur products): reported out with due pass, roll-call; final tally announced 6 ayes, 5 nays. Roll-call recordings matched those above for the substitute. - HB 19-22 (DFW mitigation factors for post-event hydraulic project approvals): reported out with due pass, voice vote; final announcement: 11 ayes, 0 nays.

What the bills would do - HB 16-46: Technical cleanup to add a clear appeals pathway for enforcement tied to DNR's burning requirements, resolving a gap identified after earlier legislation tracking smoke and smoke output in permit processes. - HB 16-47: Raises the base annual fee assessed to mining operators (staff and members described it as a substantial increase, and a member referenced a roughly 75% increase in the base fee), removes a tiered fee structure and a small-county exemption; sponsors said the language was agreed to with mine operators. - H1543.2 (substitute for HB 17-75): Replaces a proposed prohibition on fur farming with requirements that farms be members of and certified by an organization that enforces inspection and certification requirements; exempts fur used in fishing gear; deletes the bill's intent section. - HB 19-22 (with Schmill 034 amendment): Adds factors for DFW to consider in mitigation decisions for hydraulic project approvals after natural events (example given: "bomb cyclone" that caused large tree losses), and requires the new factors be applied equitably across affected areas.

Procedure and next steps All four items were reported out with due pass recommendations and will move to the next step in the House process. Committee members who voiced or recorded objections stated they intended to continue work on amendments or interim changes where they felt bills did not address small-business impacts or regional concerns.

Ending Committee staff announced the conclusion of executive-session business and moved the meeting into the public-hearing portion of the agenda.