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Show 5 Yardley Reports On Legislative Action By Uep. James F. Yardley 73rd District I want to take this time to thank all of you who took the time to contact me this week in regards to concerns and questions you had on some of the issues that have appeared in these newsletters. This! week I have three bills which I would like to report back to you about. These bills are: H-B-8 concerned the use of unappropriated public waters. "No appropriation of water may be made and no rights to the use thereof initiated and no notice of intent to appropriate shall be recognized except application for such appropriation first be made to the state ' engineer in the manner hereinafter , . provided, and not otherwise. The appropriation must be for some f useful and beneficial purpose, which I may include appropriation by the ! State of Utah for minimum flows, ! without diversion, between specific points or levels for and on natural streams and lakes as are required to preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree . . ." This bill was tabled in the committee of Energy and Natural Resources on Feb. 10. This means that if a motion to untable this bill is not made at the next meeting, then i the bill would have to receive 2 3 of the Houses' vote to have this bill ' considered again. I feel that this is i. unlikely to be heard again by the y committee. I . H.B. 22 sought to revoke the power ; of eminent domain or "com- demnation" from the Division of Wildlife Resource and the Division of Parks and Recreation. This would ', have provided specified restrictions as to how these divisions could acquire property. I felt that this bill would have protected the private 1 property owner, but unfortunately this bill failed its third reading in the ,;. Senate. Thus, these divisions of the 1 ' state government still . have the ! power to exercise eminent domain. H.B. 82 seeks to set limitations on the state's acquisition of private property. It provides exceptions to the state and to local governments as to how they can acquire property I' , for necessary projects and if they ! acquire property from the federal L i, government. Since only about 23 percent of Utah's geographical area is owried by the private sector, this bill would protect it from being chipped away by the State in acquisitions or through condemnation, this bill Is in the Senate's Rules committee now after passing from the House with a favorable report. I hope that you will become involved in your state's affairs and contact me by letter or by phone on those issues which you are concerned about. My phone number Is 533-4811 at the State Capitol. You can reach me at this number during the weekdays. |