""We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road—the one "less traveled by"—offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth." — Rachel Carson

February 6, 2015

Dear Conservation Friends,

This week, several pieces of bad legislation advanced and several more were introduced. So far, not much positive is moving forward, unfortunately. The Governor made some additional appointments, including the director of State Parks, Sue Black. She does have some experience with parks, but more recently was the owner of a professional indoor soccer team. We hope she makes protecting our State Parks and ensuring that they are funded sustainably -- and not privatized -- a priority.

Please contact members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and ask them to oppose SB1185 appropriation; wolf recovery; litigation costs (Griffin, Allen, Burges, et al.). It passed out of Appropriations this week and will be heard on Monday in Natural Resources. The bill appropriates $250,000 to challenge any expansion of the Mexican wolf recovery program in Arizona. This is just wrong as it seeks to hinder recovery of these highly endangered animals.


Ask Senate Natural Resources Committee members to reject SB1185 – it would hinder wolf recovery.


Please also send a message to your senator and ask her/him to oppose SB1134 renewable energy; definition (Smith). It includes nuclear power in the definition of renewable energy. This is a bill that has been introduced repeatedly. It was a bad idea last year and the year before and continues to be a bad idea this year. If you have to mine the fuel for an energy source, it is not renewable! This passed out of the Senate Water and Energy Committee this week along party lines.


Ask your senator to vote no on SB1134 and reject defining nuclear power as renewable.

• Presentations by Agriculture -- Vegetables, Dairy, and Arizona Farm Bureau
• SB1185 appropriation; wolf recovery; litigation costs (Griffin, Allen, Burges, et al.) appropriates $250,000 to challenge any expansion of the Mexican wolf recovery program in Arizona. This is just wrong as it seeks to hinder recovery of these highly endangered animals. OPPOSE.

• SCR1013 administrative rules; legislative review (Dial) refers to the ballot a proposed constitutional amendment to require that any administrative rules where half of the House and Senate object must then be approved by a majority of the legislature. This undermines the separation of powers and shifts more power to the legislative branch. OPPOSE.

• Presentation on Environmental Issues by Henry Darwin, Director, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality

• SB1298 rules; counties; flood control districts (Griffin, Begay, Burges, et al.) makes numerous changes related to flood control district rules. It appears to be aimed at making it more difficult to implement rules and is likely directed at Maricopa County. MONITOR.
• SB1465 distributed energy generation systems (Lesko, Burges, Griffin, et al.) requires a long list of provisions be included in leases for solar rooftop systems. Much of it seems fine, but some is clearly intended to discourage solar leases. You might ask why they are requiring these provisions here and not relative to other types of leases. MONITOR.
  
• SCM1014 urging EPA; ozone concentration standard (Griffin, Allen, Burges, et al.) asks that the Environmental Protection Agency not implement the health-based standard for ozone that has been recommended and to keep it at the higher level. The memorial does not mention the health impacts of ozone pollution at all. OPPOSE.
  

• Briefing on the Novo BioPower Plant b Brad Worsley,President of Novo Power 
• SB1466 livestock loss board; compensation fund (Allen, Barton, Bowers, et al.) establishes a livestock loss board to compensate the livestock industry for livestock depredation by wolves. It also allows for a pay for presence system. I am suspicious of where this is headed. MONITOR.
  

• HB2175 public rights of way; claims (Finchem, Thorpe: Barton, et al. ) asserts claims to "rights-of-way" across public lands. This is an issue that arises every few years in an attempt to get roads through parks and other public lands. OPPOSE.

• SB1339 public records; unduly burdensome requests (Shooter) seeks to limit challenges to agency refusals to fill public records requests, by making it a defense if the request is not narrowed to their satisfaction. Do we really need more ways for government to keep information from the public? OPPOSE.  

• HB2361 assured water supply; alternative certificate (Shope, Barton, Cardenas, et al) makes changes to the provisions regarding reissuance of assured water supply designation. We are still reviewing this for its implications. MONITOR.
• HB2580 county supervisors; jurisdiction; specialized expertise (Campbell, Barton, Borrelli, et al) recognizes counties as cooperating and coordinating agencies for land management plans. MONITOR.

• HB2297 state agency rulemaking; restrictions (E Farnsworth) limits the ability of agencies to implement regulations. OPPOSE.
• HB2526 governor's regulatory review council; membership (Petersen, Fann, Mitchell, et al.) adds a small business representative to this body. It is already nearly impossible to get a protective environmental rule through, I assume they are hoping to make it even harder. MONITOR.
• HCR2028 civilian conservation corps; recognition (Saldate, Cardenas, Coleman, et al) recognizes the Civilian Conservation Corps. SUPPORT.