Section 106 – Rangeland Improvement Account distribution.

• (1) The department shall distribute restricted account money as provided in this section.
  • (a) The department shall:
    • (i) distribute pro rata to each school district the money received by the state under Subsection 4-20-105(1)(b)(i) from the sale or lease of public lands based upon the amount of revenue generated from the sale or lease of public lands within the district; and
    • (ii) ensure that all money generated from the sale or lease of public lands within a school district is credited and deposited to the general school fund of that school district.
  • (b)
    • (i) After the commissioner approves a request from a regional board, the department shall distribute pro rata to each regional board money received by the state under Subsection 4-20-105(1)(b)(i) from fees based upon the amount of revenue generated from the imposition of fees within that grazing district.
    • (ii) The regional board shall expend money received in accordance with Subsection (2).
  • (c)
    • (i) The department shall distribute or expend money received by the state under Subsections 4-20-105(1)(b)(ii) and (iii) for the purposes outlined in Subsection (2).
    • (ii) The department may require entities seeking funding from sources outlined in Subsections 4-20-105(1)(b)(ii) and (iii) to provide matching funds.

• (2) The department shall ensure that restricted account distributions or expenditures under Subsections (1)(b) and (c) are used for:
  • (a) range improvement and maintenance;
  • (b) the control of predatory and depredating animals;
  • (c) the control, management, or extermination of invading species, range damaging organisms, and poisonous or noxious weeds;
  • (d) the purchase or lease of lands or a conservation easement for the benefit of a grazing district;
  • (e) watershed protection, development, distribution, and improvement;
  • (f) the general welfare of livestock grazing within a grazing district; and
  • (g) subject to Subsection (3), costs to monitor rangeland improvement projects.

• (3) Annual account distributions or expenditures for the monitoring costs described in Subsection (2)(g) may not exceed 10% of the annual receipts of the fund.

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 345, 2017 General Session