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SPONSOR: |
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DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
209/aHGUAC |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Create Fire Planning Task Force |
SB |
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ANALYST: |
Valenzuela |
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APPROPRIATION
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Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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$18.0 - $50.4 |
Recurring |
General
Fund |
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(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates Senate Bill 148
Legislative Finance Committee files
Responses
Received From
Public
Regulation Commission
Regulation
and Licensing Department
Department
of Finance and Administration
Energy,
Minerals and Natural Resources Department
General
Services Department
The
House Government and Urban Affairs Committee (HGUAC) amendment to House Bill
209 adds two members to the task force: a representative of the Commissioner of
Public Lands and a representative of the federal Bureau of Land Management, who
would be appointed by the Governor.
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House Bill 209
proposes a nine-member fire planning task force, to work with communities
at-risk for forest fires to develop standards for building codes and ordinances
to reduce the threat. Assisted by EMNRD and DFA staff, the task force will hold
public meetings to solicit community input on standards designed to better
protect forested communities from the risks of wildfire. These standards for
building codes and ordinances, according to the bill, shall recognize the distinction
between altering existing situations and establishing standards for new
construction, consider the benefits of thinning overgrown forests, conducting
controlled burns, clearing spaces around homes and other structures, using
noncombustible roofing materials and double-pane windows and take other fire
suppression or prevention measures, and shall consider the impact to wildlife.
The bill identifies
the members of the task force, who will be paid mileage and per diem for attendance
at meetings and who shall elect the chair.
The bill requires the task force to seek public input from affected
landowners, land users and local governments.
HB209 requires the
task force to report its recommended legislation and progress to the legislature
and governor by December 15th.
Significant
Issues
The bill makes recognition of two important
points about the danger of forest fire and forested communities. First,
improved building codes or construction materials may have a beneficial impact
in reducing risk to structures during a forest fire. Second, zoning ordinances
for wildland/urban interface areas could be designed to create a buffer area to
better protect a community from an encroaching wildfire. The Forestry Division,
in its marketing literature on this topic, identifies more than 540,000 acres
of wildland urban interface. HB209 also makes clear that any standards must be
sensitive to existing structures, presumably because new building codes or ordinances
could place a significant burden on current land or homeowners in these
communities.
DFA reports that it does not believe the
Director of the Local Government Division should be on the task force. EMNRD
suggests the bill be modified to include a representative of the Department of
Game and Fish, which has expertise in management of wildlife and habitat.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
HB 209 does not contain an appropriation. Enactment would have a measurable fiscal impact because it requires that members be paid mileage and per diem for meetings. The bill does not identify a required location or schedule for these meetings. The table below provides estimated costs for mileage and per diem for a nine-member board based on the number of meeting days and a range of average per member mileage and per diem rates from $125.00/day to $175.00/day. These figures include mileage and per diem for three support staffers.
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Number
of meeting days |
$125.00
|
$150.00
|
$175.00
|
|
1 |
$ 1,500 |
$ 1,800 |
$ 2,100 |
|
5 |
$ 7,500 |
$ 9,000 |
$ 10,500 |
|
10 |
$ 15,000 |
$ 18,000 |
$ 21,000 |
|
12 |
$ 18,000 |
$ 21,600 |
$ 25,200 |
|
15 |
$ 22,500 |
$ 27,000 |
$ 31,500 |
|
20 |
$ 30,000 |
$ 36,000 |
$ 42,000 |
|
24 |
$ 36,000 |
$ 43,200 |
$ 50,400 |
|
25 |
$ 37,500 |
$ 45,000 |
$ 52,500 |
|
30 |
$ 45,000 |
$ 54,000 |
$ 63,000 |
A reasonable scenario
would be for the task force to hold a one- or two-day meeting each month. The
respective costs, for the task force, would range from $18.0 to $25.2 for 12
one-day meetings and $36.0 to $50.4 for 12 two-day meetings.
The bill does not
identify any state agency that would be required cover the mileage and per diem
costs.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
Enactment of HB209
would have an administrative impact on each of the state agencies included in
the task force.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP,
RELATIONSHIP
House Bill 209
duplicates Senate Bill 148.
The Construction
Industries Division of RLD reports that local jurisdictions may not adopt construction
standards that are less stringent than state standards. The issue has already grown contentious
between local jurisdiction and state standards for construction materials such
as straw bale used for home construction.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
The interim legisative water and natural resources committee have held
several hearings on the impact of forest fires to forested communities as has
the Legislative Finance Committee. A requirement to present the task force
findings to one or both of these legislative committees may be a good strategy
for any potential legislation.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
What state agency would be required to cover the mileage and per diem costs
for the task force ?