House approves substitute to create Endangered Species Mitigation Account funded by brine‑shrimp royalty

The House took up first substitute House Bill 359, which would create a species protection account and fund endangered species mitigation in part through a royalty on brine shrimp harvested from the Great Salt Lake. Sponsor Representative Hatch told the House the royalty would likely generate approximately $300,000–$400,000 annually for the account.

Sponsor's summary said the substitute removes any taxing references to water that had generated controversy in earlier drafts and instead establishes a royalty (a rate discussed on the floor was 0.035, described as 3.5 percent of the value of unprocessed brine shrimp). The bill text delegates valuation methodology to the Tax Commission, which would annually determine the value for unprocessed brine shrimp for royalty calculations.

Opponents raised concerns about the effect of a new royalty on the growing brine shrimp industry and tourism around the Great Salt Lake. One member said taxing a growing industry might shift funds away from local tourism development and urged colleagues to vote against the bill for that reason. Supporters countered that brine shrimp are a natural resource extracted from state waters and that limited royalties to a mitigation account are a reasonable means to pay for species protection statewide; Representative Stevenson said the plan represented a sensible first step.

Several members declared conflicts of interest before the vote: one member noted family ties to the brine shrimp industry and another said their law firm represents industry clients. The clerk recorded the final vote on the substitute and announced the bill would be forwarded to the Senate (vote as announced on the floor).