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Senate advances bill to create invasive-species mitigation fund after hearings on wildfire costs
Summary
Senate Bill 89 would establish an invasive-species mitigation fund and allow the Department of Agriculture to enter cooperative agreements for land restoration to prevent fires; sponsor cited recent fatal fires and cattle losses, and the first substitute passed to third reading.
Senator Stoll urged passage of a first substitute to Senate Bill 89, which would create an Invasive Species Mitigation Fund and authorize the Utah Department of Agriculture to enter cooperative agreements with agencies and landowners for pre-fire land restoration to reduce wildfire risk.
Stoll cited last summer’s fires, noting multiple deaths, multivehicle crashes tied to dust events, cattle losses and persistent air-quality impacts. He said the proposed fund would be replenished through executive appropriations and that mitigation before fires could be more cost-effective than remediation afterwards.
Senator Dayton explained his opposition in part because existing authorities — such as the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands — already have programs that address similar needs; he objected to creating another restricted revenue account rather than using existing mechanisms. After debate, the first substitute was read for the third time and the Senate advanced the bill to the third-reading calendar (reported vote noted on the floor as approximately 22 in favor).
