Governor Huntsman Signs Rangeland Improvement Legislation -- Announces Noxious Weed Control Grants

Ceremonial Signing at Governor’s Office
$626,000 in weed projects planned

Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., today signed legislation that will help Utah livestock owners improve the health of grazing land. The governor signed HB 145, the Rangeland Improvement Act, authored by Representative Bradley Johnson of Aurora, Utah. The Act is the first major revision of Utah grazing law in several years, and also gives the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) the authority to begin its Grazing Improvement Program (GIP). GIP will streamline various grazing advisory boards around the state and begin work on specific soil, vegetation and water improvement projects.

"I am excited about the potential that this act offers our hard working ranchers,” said Governor Huntsman. “HB 145, along with the Department of Agriculture and Food’s new GIP program, offer long term economic and environmental benefits for rural Utah,” he added.

The UDAF’s GIP program received widespread support from agricultural groups such as the: Utah Cattlemen’s Association, Utah Farm Bureau, Utah Farmer’s Union, Utah Woolgrowers Association, Utah Association of Conservation Districts, and others.

"Our GIP program focuses on improving the environment; both the ecological environment and the financial environment for Utah ranchers and farmers,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Food, Leonard Blackham.

GIP is designed to improve forage, reduce invasive weeds, increase water supplies, and positively impact state and federal land use management plans. The program will also improve wildlife habitat and watershed conditions.

Protect the Environment and Improve the Economy

GIP will be directed by William J. (Bill) Hopkin, the former manager of the 200,000 acre Deseret Land and Livestock ranch in northern Utah. A policy analyst will also provide staff support for the various state-wide grazing committees, and offer sound information regarding grazing issues on public and private lands. Information will flow both ways between the UDAF and the livestock industry.

"Utah’s livestock industry contributes more than $600 million to the state’s economy,” said Brent Tanner, Executive Vice President of the Utah Cattlemen’s Association. “The GIP program gives ranchers an increased voice in grazing land decision making and it has the potential to help ranchers be more profitable; and that’s good news for our rural communities,” he added.

The GIP Program has three major components:

1. Expand the influence and ability of regional and state grazing boards to impact federal management plans and current rangeland issues.

2. Expand the number of projects that enhance our natural resources, increase productivity and protect the landscape for all Utahns.

3. Work for a process that continues to make land management discussions that are "open" but are more reasonable, affordable and effective in addressing the impacts of invasive species and productive capacity of grazing land and watersheds. GIP must find ways to stop wasting resources on frivolous legal maneuvering.

The past 30 years of fighting over land use issues is now starting to show negative results such as dead forests, damaging wildfires, degraded watersheds, and low renewable capacity of the living resources of the land. The GIP program will work to reverse these negative trends.

H.B. 145 creates several provisions that will assist the GIP program. One of the provisions is to create state and regional grazing advisory boards that give ranchers a voice in public policy regarding grazing lands.

Weed Control Projects

In addition to the governor’s signing of HB 145, Commissioner Blackham announced the awarding of $140,000 in grants to counties and weed control districts to fight invasive weeds that hamper proper grazing. Twenty counties and weed control districts will receive the grants. As part of the agreement they will contribute $394,000 in funds and services to the various projects. This brings the total amount earmarked for weed control to nearly $626,000.

The following is a list of grants being made to various counties and Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) Noxious & Invasive Weed programs:

Contact Bill Gilson for specific project info.: (435) 279-5258.

U&I CWMA Box Elder & Cache Counties	$34,000
Sanpitch CWMA Sanpete County	$10,000
Tooele County	$ 6,700
Salt Lake County	$ 5,000
Squarrose CWMA Millard, Juab, Utah and Tooele Counties	$24,000
Weber River CWMA Morgan, Weber and Davis Counties	$16,000
Skyline CWMA Carbon County	$15,000
Grand County (MCRD-CWMA) Book Cliffs, Castle Valley	$13,000
Wasatch County CWMA	$8,000
Wayne County	$5,500
Rich County	$8,000
Canyon Country CWMA San Juan County	$3,500
Uintah County	$6,000
Daggett County	$3,000
Beaver County	$6,000

An example of treated vs. non-treated rangeland in Rich County. The rangeland to the left of the red line was disked and planted with forbs and grasses, resulting in denser and higher quality forage for livestock and wildlife. Such projects improve ground cover that improves the watershed as well.

More information about GIP

Read H.B. 145 (Utah Rangeland Improvement Act)

Posted May 2, 2006