House File 531 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  ISENHART, BENNETT,
                                     FORBES, FINKENAUER,
                                     HEDDENS, STAED,
                                     STUTSMAN, KELLEY,
                                     PRICHARD, DUNKEL,
                                     RUFF,
                                     WESSEL=KROESCHELL, and
                                     OLSON

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act making an appropriation to the department of natural
  2    resources to support watershed projects administered by
  3    watershed management authorities.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 1868YH (4) 86
    da/nh

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES ==
  1  2 APPROPRIATION.
  1  3    1.  There is appropriated from the general fund of the state
  1  4 to the department of natural resources for the fiscal year
  1  5 beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016, the following
  1  6 amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the
  1  7 purposes designated:
  1  8    For purposes of supporting watershed management authorities
  1  9 created pursuant to section 466B.22 to administer special
  1 10 projects:
  1 11 .................................................. $  4,000,000
  1 12    2.  A special project must provide for any of the following:
  1 13    a.  Maximizing soil and water holding capacity of soil from
  1 14 precipitation.
  1 15    b.  Minimizing severe soil erosion and sand deposition
  1 16 during floods.
  1 17    c.  Managing water runoff in uplands under saturated soil
  1 18 moisture conditions.
  1 19    d.  Reducing and mitigating structural and nonstructural
  1 20 flood damage.
  1 21    e.  Reducing pollutant loading in order to minimize the
  1 22 presence of escherichia coli, nitrogen, and phosphorus in
  1 23 waterways.
  1 24    3.  The department shall expend moneys appropriated in
  1 25 subsection 1 by awarding grants to watershed management
  1 26 authorities on a competitive basis.  The department shall
  1 27 consult with the department of agriculture and land stewardship
  1 28 in establishing criteria in awarding such grants.
  1 29    4.  The department shall expend moneys appropriated in
  1 30 subsection 1 to support a special project on a matching basis.
  1 31 For every two dollars contributed by the state under this
  1 32 section, one dollar must be contributed by a person other than
  1 33 the state.
  1 34                           EXPLANATION
  1 35 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  2  1 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  2  2    This bill appropriates moneys from the general fund of the
  2  3 state to the department of natural resources for purposes of
  2  4 supporting watershed management authorities in administering
  2  5 special projects that maximize soil and water resources,
  2  6 minimize erosion, manage water runoff, reduce flood damage,
  2  7 and minimize the presence of escherichia coli, nitrites, and
  2  8 phosphorus in waterways. The department is required to expend
  2  9 the moneys on a competitive grant basis with a requirement that
  2 10 for every $2 of state moneys contributed $1 must be contributed
  2 11 from a nonstate source.  The department must consult with the
  2 12 department of agriculture and land stewardship in awarding the
  2 13 grants.
       LSB 1868YH (4) 86
       da/nh