ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
northeastern Arizona
environmental projects; appropriations
Appropriates $250,000 in FY 2001-2002 and FY 2002-2003 from the state general fund to the State Land Department for the planning and implementation of specific environmental programs impacting economic development in eastern Arizona counties.
Background
The Eastern Arizona Counties Organization (EACO) consists of Apache, Gila, Graham, Greenlee and Navajo counties. EACO’s goals are forest restoration, catastrophic fire hazard reduction and rural economic revitalization. In December 1998, the EACO board of directors voted to form the Environmental Economic Communities Organization (EECO). EECO is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to achieve a balance between environmental concerns, the multiple uses of public land and local and social considerations. Since its creation, EECO has been involved in various projects including the Arizona/New Mexico Summit on Communities and Forests at Risk, which resulted in a ten year proposal for forest restoration and community wildfire hazard reduction across the Southwest, an environmental education project to improve endangered species habitat, restore riparian areas in Mineral Creek and increase forage for livestock and wildlife, and a demonstration project that aims to reduce the fire hazard in Pinetop-Lakeside.
EECO is designed to be eligible for public and private funds, and to collect, commission and disseminate verifiable scientific research and offer education opportunities, publications and forums that address social, economic, policy and natural science aspects of the multiple uses of public lands. Goals of EECO include producing verifiable, independent scientific data, promoting responsible natural resource stewardship through education, developing short and long-term information dissemination and education strategies, raising funds to maintain a viable organization and building a strong organizational core in Arizona.
Legislation enacted in 1999 appropriated $250,000 from the state general fund in fiscal years 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 to the State Land Department for planning and implementation of specific environmental programs in EACO counties (Laws 1999, Chapter 3). As a result of the 1999 legislation, the counties executed an environmental program assistance agreement that outlines the process to distribute the funds.
The legislation contains a negative fiscal impact of $250,000 to the state general fund each of fiscal year 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $250,000 in FY 2001-2002 and FY 2002-2003 from the state general fund to the State Land Department for equal distribution to Greenlee, Graham, Gila, Navajo and Apache counties for planning and implementation of specific environmental programs impacting economic development in those counties.
2. Requires the counties to prepare and submit proposed plans to the State Land Department for approval.
3. Restricts monies distributed to the counties to fund only those environmental programs the State Land Department has approved.
4. Exempts the appropriations from lapsing.
5. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments
Adopted by Committee
1. Makes the annual $350,000 appropriation a two-year appropriation for FY 2001-2002 and FY 2002-2003.
Amendments
Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Reduces the annual appropriation to $250,000 for each of FY 2001-2002 and FY 2003-2003.
House Action Senate Action
NRA 1/24/01 DPA 9-1-0-0 NRAE 3/29/01 DPA 6-1-1-0
APPROP 2/26/01 DP 8-4-3-1 APPROP 4/18/01 DP 9-0-3-0
3rd Read 3/12/01 31-21-8-0 3rd Read 4/27/01 21-8-1-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
April 27, 2001