2021 WCCA Fall Meeting: Agriculture, Water, State and Public Lands Committee and Energy and Environment Committee Meeting

2021 WCCA Fall Meeting Agriculture, Water, State and Public Lands Committee and Energy and Environment Committee Meeting

Wednesday, September 22

CAMPLEX Wyoming Center

Gillette, Wyoming

Agriculture, Water, State and

Public Lands Committee

Chairman John Espy, Carbon County

Co-Chairman Dave Neves, Big Horn County

Energy and Environment Committee

Chairman Robert Short, Converse County

Co-Chair D.G. Reardon, Campbell County

Committee Meeting Agenda Topics:

• Welcome and Roll Call (5 minutes)

• Approve May 2021 Minutes – Chairmen Short and Co-Chairmen Espy (5 minutes)

• Executive Update – Beth Callaway (15 minutes)

• Congressional Update – Esther Wagner, Congresswoman Cheney’s office; Tyler Lindholm, Senator Lummis’ office; Bryn Stewart, Senator Barrasso’s office (30 minutes)

• Orphaned Water Rights; 21LSO-0062 v0.3 Disposition of water rights – David Schroeder, State Board of Control (40 minutes)

• Migration Corridor Working Group Update – Commissioners Bousman and Espy (5 minutes)

• National Association of Counties Update – Commissioner Espy (5 minutes)

Minutes of Previous Meeting:

5/20/21 Agriculture, Water, State & Public Lands and Energy and Environment Committees

Roll Call: - Energy & Environment - Agriculture, Water, State & Public Land: Lloyd Thiel, Dru Palmer, Terry Wolf, Bob Maul, Paul Bertoglio, Dave Stephens, Dave North, Mary Thoman, Tyler Lindholm, Leland Christensen, Colleen Faber, DG Reardon, Lonnie Wright, Dave Neves, Fred M. Devish, Terri Jones, Robert Short, and John Espy

Approval of the 1/14/21 minutes.

NACo Update

Terry Wolf discussed the following topics:

• President Biden’s Executive Order #13990 on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis and Waters of the United States.

• Discussed how resolutions passed out of NACo Steering Committees and passed by the NACo Board of Directors gives NACo staff guidance for lobbying efforts.

• Discussed the importance of being a member on the NACo Steering Committees.

• Discussed upcoming NACo Annual Conference from July 9 to 12 in Prince Gearges County, MD and the Western Interstate Region conference on October 13 to 15 in Salt Lake County, UT

Joe Budd: Executive update.

• Talked about migration corridors and 30 X 30 plan. Governor’s office will be meeting with the joint agriculture committee about the plan could do and what the definition of “conservation” could be.

• He talked about the BLM and Forest sage grouse plans and them not being out yet.

• He talked about invasive species and getting agencies together. Specifically zebra mussels and the significant costs that could happen if they got established.

• Some interim topics are taking federal lands back, wild horses, and ag authority.

  
  

Congressional Update: Shelby Shields – Senator Barrasso’s Office.

• She talked about a temporary grazing act bill and how it would benefit the State.

• She talked about a bill regarding filming on public lands.

• Talked about forest management and the energy committee. They are monitoring any nominees going through the appointment process.

• They sent letters regarding an investigation into the big four meat packers to the Biden Administration.

Esther Wagner: Energy and Lands for Congresswoman Cheney

• Executive orders regarding oil & gas leasing bans

• Lost revenue and compensation while leasing bans are in effect

• Carbon Capture

• Uranium reserve

• Coal: Introduced an AML extension bill

• Working with house natural resources staff

• Expanding Markets for Meat Processors Act

• Death tax

• Executive order 13990 regarding WOTUS

Senator Lummis Update: Tyler Lindholm and Leland Christensen

• Federal Leasing Ban

• Cattle haulers

• Power Act and lost revenue

• Grizzly bears and delisting bill

• New market for state inspected beef

• The 2nd Amendment mandates equality act

• Water infrastructure act

• NEPA requirements for broadband expansion

• Endless Frontiers Act and domestic production of rare earth minerals

Biden Administration Executive Actions

• Discussed was a resolution opposing the leasing moratorium – Dru Palmer gave an update regarding lawsuits against the moratorium. There are multiple NGO’s in support of the moratorium. Private funding available for Counties to join in the lawsuit at no cost. Dru will talk to Jeremiah with more details.

• The 30 X 30 Initiative was discussed

• WPLI bill recently introduced

Congressional tour subcommitte report

Consensus of the group was to see if there was interest to present out of

committee to the whole WCCA. Lloyd Thiel discussed about the next tour be in the Big Horn Basin and potential funding options/costs. The recommendation from the committees was to bring it to the WCCA body.

Report from the Energy Strong Conference in Uintah County, Utah: Jason Begger

• Event was Utah focused, but many of the issues applied to Wyoming

• Leasing bans were discussed along with climate change and green energy

• 30 x 30 initiative

• The action items were “where do we go from here?”

• The are frustrations with decisions being made in other areas of the country on how we as western states are supposed to do stuff on the ground in our own areas

• The event was mainly a thought provoking exercise and potentially convene the group again this year

Big Game Migration Corridor Initiative: John Espy

• Governor Gordon signed an executive order identifying three corridors

• Designated for G & F internal use, not for land use decision making

Aquatic Invasive Species: Alan Osterland with the Game & Fish

• Zebra mussels have been a concern for about 10 years.

• On 3/3/21 the G & F was notified of these mussels being found in a fish tank moss ball product

• G & F had never seen this before and did a media blitz and enforcement

• Once there is an infestation, they change the ecosystem because they are filter feeders and cause loss of revenue

  
  

Carcass Disposal: Scott Edberg

• Only option for CWD is an approved landfill

• To minimize issues with disposal is through education and their website

• Had carcass disposal conference in Casper and produced a white paper

• Dumpsters have placed in various locations in the State and was successful

• DEQ has a $100,000 available for carcass management

Interim Topics Discussion

• Predator management – Dealing with coyotes on federal land, cheat grass control on BLM land

• Biden administration executive actions – both committees need to stay on stop of issues

Meeting adjourned at 1655 hours.