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House rejects local-option conservation easement bill after lengthy debate
Summary
After extended floor debate about whether short-term easements undermine long-term open-space planning, the Utah House defeated House Bill 50, a measure that would have allowed counties and landowners to choose limited-term conservation easements; the vote was 20-50.
The Utah House of Representatives on Feb. 16 defeated House Bill 50, a local-option measure to allow counties to fund conservation easements for agricultural land, after an hourslong floor debate over whether short-term easements would preserve open space or encourage speculation.
Representative Olson, sponsor of the bill, framed the measure as a matter of landowner and local choice and introduced an amendment that would let a conservation easement continue for either a period not to exceed the remainder of the granter’s life or 10 years. "House Bill 50 is about choice," Olson said on the floor as the debate opened.
Opponents argued short-term…
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