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Committee backs aspirational land-conservation goal of 7 million acres; senators debate scope and government role
Summary
H.5069, a priority-setting bill to coordinate land trusts and agencies toward conserving 7,000,000 acres, received a favorable report after senators urged statewide application and questioned the scope of government-held conservation.
The Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee advanced H.5069, a bill to prioritize coordination among land-trust networks and state agencies with an aspirational goal of 7,000,000 conserved acres.
Mister Strickland summarized the measure as a priority-setting bill that "does not require any major financial commitments on the part of the state" but asks agencies and land trusts to work together to increase conserved acreage from about 3,000,000 toward a 7,000,000 goal.
Senators pressed for assurance the effort would be statewide and not concentrated only in parts of the state that already have robust conservation networks. A senator asked about the state’s total acreage; a committee member cited approximately 21,000,000 acres, noting the 7,000,000 goal would represent roughly one-third of that figure. Some senators framed the goal as an incentivized, voluntary conservation effort rather than an expansion of government ownership.
There was a motion and second on the bill; the committee voted in favor with the transcript noting two senators opposed (recorded as "1 and 2" opposed) but without a roll-call tally. The chair adjourned the meeting after the vote.
The bill now proceeds to the Senate floor for further consideration.
