Committee Meeting Information

April 23 and 24, 2007

American Heritage Center

Laramie, Wyoming

 

Committee Members Present

Senator Gerald E. Geis, Co-Chairman

Representative Doug Samuelson, Co-Chairman

Senator Wayne H. Johnson

Senator Drew Perkins

Senator Bill Vasey

Representative Stan Blake

Representative Bob Brechtel

Representative Ross Diercks

Representative Amy Edmonds

Representative Mark Semlek

Representative Matt Teeters

Representative Sue Wallis

Representative Dan Zwonitzer

 

Committee Members Absent

Senator Eli Bebout

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Maxine Weaver, Staff Attorney

 

Others Present at Meeting

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

Call To Order (April 23, 2007)

Co-Chairman Samuelson called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  The order of the meeting generally followed the prepared agenda [Appendix 2]. 

 

Executive Summary

The Committee held a field trip Monday which included forest health issues in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, the Laramie water pump station and the University of Wyoming.  During the meeting on Tuesday, the Committee voted to draft the following legislation for discussion at the fall meeting:  water well drilling and pump installation licensure, state engineer rulemaking authority, state trust land management account, nursery stock, animal damage management board and livestock welfare.

 

The Committee received reports and updates on livestock and wildlife diseases, and water development projects.

 

Field Trip

The Committee heard from Bill Crapser, State Forester, Jim Webster, Fire Mitigation Coordinator and Les Koch, Forest Health Specialist with the Wyoming State Forestry Division and from Mary Peterson, Forest Supervisor and Jim Meyer, Timber Staff with the United States Forest Services office in Laramie, Wyoming before heading to the field to look at forest health issues in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest [Appendix 3].

 

Upon arriving back in Laramie, the Committee toured the Laramie water pump station, hearing from Terry Haugen, Public Works Director and Mike Lytle, Water Systems Supervisor with the City of Laramie.  Next, Lynne Boomgaarden, Director of the Office of State Lands and Investments showed the Committee some results of growth pressure on state trust lands next to the City of Laramie.  Finally, the Committee met on the University of Wyoming Campus to hear from Keith Clarey, Wyoming Geological Survey, Steve Gray, State Climatologist, Greg Kerr, Director of Office of Water Programs, Frank Galey, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Donal O'Toole and Ken Mills with the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab [Appendices 4 and 5].

 

Meeting Recess

The Committee recessed until 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

 

Call To Order (April 24, 2007)

Co-Chairman Samuelson, called the meeting back to order at 8:00 a.m. 

 

Water Development

Mike Purcell, Director of the Wyoming Water Development Office discussed projects in the development program, the rehabilitation program, federal dams, the effects of the drought and updated the Committee on various irrigation projects around the state.

 

State Engineer's Office

Pat Tyrrell, State Engineer and Harry Labonde, Deputy State Engineer updated the Committee on the Yellowstone Compact, the Colorado River, the North Platte River and coalbed methane natural gas issues.

 

Mr. Tyrrell presented draft language on the water well drilling and pump installation licenses [Appendix 6].  Co-Chairman Geis moved to draft a bill for the September meeting seconded by Senator Johnson.  The motion passed.

 

Mr. Tyrrell provided background information [Appendix 7] and draft language on general rulemaking authority [Appendix 8].  Co-Chairman Geis moved to draft a bill for the fall meeting.  The motion was seconded by Senator Johnson and passed.

 

Forest Health

Bill Crapser, State Forester provided updates on fire equipment, fire season preparedness, the fire outlook for the 2007 fire season and expressed concern over cutbacks in federal budgets.

 

Office of State Lands and Investments

Lynne Boomgaarden, Director, Jim Whalen, Assistant Director and Marvin Applequist, Commercial Property Manager with the Office of State Lands and Investments, discussed conflicting lease applications, the beginning agricultural producers program [Appendix 9], growth issues, the Duncan ranch and implementation of task force recommendations.  Ms. Boomgaarden presented draft language on the state trust land management account [Appendix 10].  Co-Chairman Geis moved to draft a bill for the September meeting seconded by Representative Wallis.  The motion passed.

 

State Fair Facilities

Senator Jim Anderson, John Etchepare, Director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) and James Goodrich, State Fair Manager provided background information on the state fair facilities [Appendices 11 and 12].  More information will be presented to the Committee at the fall meeting in Douglas.

 

Department of Agriculture

Mr. Etchepare, Hank Uhden and Mike Lee with the WDA, discussed the need for minor revisions to the nursery statues and presented draft language [Appendix 13] to the Committee.  Co-Chairman Geis moved to draft a bill for the fall meeting seconded by Representative Semlek.  Representative Wallis moved to amend the draft language.  The amendment was seconded and passed.  The motion as amended passed.

 

Mr. Uhden further presented information on the sunset date on the animal damage management board [Appendix 14].  Co-Chairman Geis moved to draft to repeal the sunset date.  The motion died for lack of a second. 

 

Co-Chairman Geis moved to draft a bill for the fall meeting to extend the sunset date of the animal damage management board to 2015.  The motion was seconded by Representative Semlek and passed.

 

Mr. Uhden and Mr. Lee presented background information on weights and measures and fuel quality.  More information will be presented at subsequent meetings [Appendices 15 and 16].

 

Livestock Board

Update on Livestock and Wildlife Diseases

Dr. Walter Cook, Acting State Veterinarian, updated the Committee on livestock and wildlife diseases, including scrapies in the Upton area, bovine tuberculosis found in Colorado, equine viral arteries, chronic wasting disease and the brucellosis status.

 

Jim Schwartz, Director of the Livestock Board, Lee Romsa, State Brand Commissioner and Phil Marton, Chairman of the Livestock Board presented information on issues affecting the Livestock Board, including animal welfare and provided an update on the search for a new state veterinarian [Appendices 17 through 19].

 

Co-Chairman Geis moved to have the Livestock Board draft a bill for discussion at the fall meeting to address livestock welfare issues.  The motion was seconded by Representative Semlek.  The Livestock Board will work with LSO staff to draft a bill for discussion at the fall meeting.

 

Public Comment

Bobbie Frank, with the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts, expressed concerns regarding water quality, non-point source discharges and total maximum daily loads.  Co-Chairman Geis moved to have Ms. Frank develop a draft bill for the September meeting.  The motion was seconded by Representative Brechtel and passed.  Ms. Frank will work with LSO staff to draft a bill for discussion at the fall meeting.

 

Jim Magagna, Executive Vice-President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association presented information on an environmental investment program [Appendix 20].  Co-Chairman Geis moved to study instream flow.  The motion was seconded by Senator Vasey.  The motion failed.  Co-Chairman Geis suggested the various parties get together to bring information back to the Committee next spring.

 

Bryce Reece, Executive Vice-President of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association, expressed concerns with large projects where no reclamation was done or where the reclamation failed, causing erosion and weed problems.  He discussed the possibility of setting up a reclamation account like the abandoned mine land account or the orphan site remediation account.  He also proposed the potential for an ombudsman in the Governor's office to handle landowner issues.

 

Connie Wilbert spoke in favor of a temporary change of use for instream flow.

 

Reports and Updates

No additional reports or updates were given.  Most of the reports due to the Committee have deadlines after the fall meeting [Appendix 21]. 

 

Meeting Adjournment

The fall meeting will be in Douglas, Wyoming on September 10 through 12, 2007.  There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m. 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Representative Doug Samuelson, Co-Chairman

 

 

Appendix		Appendix Topic		Appendix Description		Appendix Provider
1		Committee Sign-In Sheet		Lists meeting attendees		Legislative Service Office
2		Committee Meeting Agenda		Provides an outline of the topics the Committee planned to address at meeting		Legislative Service Office (LSO)
3		Forest Health Overview		Packet from Forest Service		State Forester
4		State Climatologist		U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook		LSO
5		Wyoming State Geological Survey		Coalbed Natural Gas Aquifer Impact Study Powder River Basin, Wyoming		Wyoming State Geological Survey
6		State Engineer		Proposed Legislation – Water well drilling and pump installation licensure.		State Engineer's Office
7		State Engineer		Rulemaking Authority Bill - PowerPoint		State Engineer's Office
8		State Engineer		Proposed Legislation – State engineer rulemaking authority.		State Engineer's Office
9		Office of State Lands and Investments (OSLI)		Beginning Agricultural Producers Loan Program Update		OSLI
10		OSLI		Proposed Legislation – State trust land management account.		OSLI
11		State Fair Facilities		January 5, 2007 Memo with attachments		Department of Agriculture
12		State Fair Facilities		Construction Spread Sheet		State Fair Manager
13		Department of Agriculture		Proposed legislation – Nursery stock		LSO
14		Department of Agriculture		Proposed legislation – Animal damage management program-amendments		Department of Agriculture
15		Department of Agriculture		Weights and Measures Information		Department of Agriculture
16		Department of Agriculture		Standards for Antifreeze and petroleum products		Department of Agriculture
17		Livestock Board		Portion of 2007 HB0125		Livestock Board
18		Livestock Board		April 13, 2007 Attorney General Opinion		Livestock Board
19		Livestock Board		Protection of domestic animals		Livestock Board
20		Public Comment		Draft Discussion paper for a proposal for a proposed environmental investment program		Wyoming Stock Growers Association
21		Reports and Updates		Reports due list		LSO