House of Representatives

HB 2360

state forester; wildfire emergency enhancement

Sponsors: Representatives Flake, Cooley,

Gleason, Senator Guenther et al

X	Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture
	Committee on Appropriations
	Caucus and COW
	As Passed the House

HB 2360 addresses issues relating to administration of funds used to fight wild fires.

History

Current law designates the Arizona State Land Commissioner as the State Forester. The State Forester is responsible for preventing and suppressing wildfires on state and private lands located outside city limits and may enter into cooperative fire agreements to furnish wildfire suppression services on other lands in Arizona, other states, Mexico or Canada. Statute authorizes the State Forester to request the governor to declare a wild land fire emergency and incur liabilities for responding to that emergency. A report to the Department of Administration (DOA) outlining any general fund expenditures made as a result of suppression of the emergency is required within 90 days of the emergency declaration.

Unplanned all risk activities include fire, flood, earthquake, wind and hazardous material responses.

Provisions

· Allows the Governor to authorize the State Forester to incur liabilities to suppress wild land fires and respond to other unplanned all risk activities. Eliminates the requirement for the Governor to first declare a wild land fire emergency.

· Eliminates the 90-day time frame currently required to report emergency expenditures and requires that information to be reported according to DOA rule.

· Changes the amount of the liabilities incurred from an aggregate $2 million to a total of $2 million of state general fund monies per fiscal year.

· Allows the State Forester to spend an additional $1 million to prepare for periods of extreme fire danger. Current law allows use of these monies only to preposition equipment for initial attack on wild land fires.

· Establishes the Fire Suppression Fund as a revolving fund and changes the timing of revertment of unobligated balances that exceed $600,000 from the end of the fiscal year to the end of the calendar year.

· Allows the State Forester to require reimbursement from other governmental entities for pre-suppression activities and responses to other emergencies. Currently, he may only obtain reimbursement for costs related to fighting fires.

· Allows the State Forester to request reimbursement from individuals or businesses for costs incurred for unplanned all risk activities caused by negligence or criminal acts. Current law covers reimbursement only for wild land fires.

· Provides that monies in the Cooperative Forestry Fund are not subject to legislative appropriation. Requires that deposits to the fund shall be made in accordance with statute outlining budgetary and fiscal provisions for state agencies.

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· 45th Legislature

· First Regular Session 2 January 22, 2001

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