Assigned to NREW                                                                                                                 FOR COMMITTEE

 


 

 

 


ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session

 

REVISED

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2079

 

conservation districts; water; invasive vegetation

Purpose

            Expands the powers of the Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCD) to include surveys, investigations, research and programming relating to eradicating invasive vegetation, and requires a conservation plan to be in effect with a state NRCD rather than the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to qualify for the Agricultural Water Conservation System Credit.

Background

            Statute authorizes the formation of an NRCD upon a petition by 25 or more owners of land, but not less than 20 percent of the owners of the proposed district. NCRD’s statutorily prescribed duties are to provide for the restoration and conservation of our state's land and soil resources (A.R.S. Title 37, Chapter 6).

            A taxpayer may claim a credit against the taxpayer’s income tax liability for purchasing and installing an agricultural water conservation system. This credit is equivalent to 75 percent of the qualifying expenses. To qualify for the program, the agricultural water conservation system must be designed to substantially conserve water that is used to produce crops, fruits, or other agricultural products, raise, harvest, or grow trees, or to sustain livestock and the expense must be consistent with a conservation plan filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (A.R.S. § 43-1084).

            According to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee Fiscal Note, the fiscal impact of the bill cannot be determined with certainty, but is expected to have only a small impact, if any (JLBC).

Provisions

1.   Includes surveys, investigations, and research relating to eradicating invasive vegetation in an NCRD's power to conduct surveys, investigations and research.

2.   Includes methods of eradicating invasive vegetation in allowed NCRD programming in cooperation with landowners, operators, and governmental entities.

3.   Requires, to qualify for the Agricultural Water Conservation System Credit, a conservation plan to be filed with the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or an NRCD, rather than the Soil Conservation Service.

4.   Adds, to the methods an NRCD is authorized to use in order to organize and establish an education center to increase the knowledge of natural resources, increasing public awareness of water conservation statewide, including water conservation methods and best management practices.

5.   Makes technical changes.

6.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Revisions

· Adds a provision.

House Action

NREW            1/12/21      DP     8-2-0-0

3rd Read          1/28/21      DP     48-11-1

 

Prepared by Senate Research

March 3, 2021

KN/RA/gs