Senate creates public‑lands stewardship commission account amid transparency questions

The Utah Senate passed first substitute House Bill 2 87 to move the Commission for the Stewardship of Public Lands from uncodified law into statute and to create two funds: a public lands restricted account and a public lands litigation expendable special revenue fund to accept appropriations and donations for litigation and stewardship purposes. The chamber recorded the vote and the bill passed and will be signed by the president.

Sponsor Senator Okerlund said the changes increase transparency by publishing who is on the commission and what its duties are and that the new accounts will make it possible to receive and spend monies appropriated for public-lands work. Senators from both parties pressed the sponsor about an earlier $650,000 legal contract and about a pending potential litigation expense reported in committee — amounts they said had been discussed by the commission and that some members had not been given full access to the law-firm’s work.

Senator Dabakis raised concerns about commission transparency and said some members felt excluded from information produced by the law firm hired last year. The sponsor said the bill primarily creates the accounts and codifies the commission’s existence and duties and that operational questions about information access would be answered by commission processes and potential substitutes. The Senate passed the bill and it will be transmitted for enrollment.