H.B. 66 Soil Health Program Amendments: transcript

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, good to be with you. Uh, this is just a, uh, interim committee bill that extends the Sunset on the Soil Health Program for 10 years from July 1 26. 2026 to 2036. That's the, that's, that's the bill. Okay. So, um, clarifying then, you are wanting to extend the, the Sunset? That's Correct. Okay. Um, okay. That's, um, that's your presentation.

Wait. Garrett, vice President, Utah Farm Bureau. Um, we support this, um, by the good representative. Um, been a great program for our members and we appreciate him bringing it forward and all the other great work he does and all of you for agriculture. So thank you.

Yep. My name is Jim Boet. I am the Director of Conservation at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. And we are here to speak in favor of this bill as well. Uh, the, the benefits of soil health include everything from the preservation of top soil to increased agricultural production, improved water quality, improved water conservation, improved, uh, uh, uh, carbon sequestration. I could go on and on. And it seems like the state of Utah has always been a little bit behind the curve when it comes to the implementation of soil health practices. Uh, since this program was put in place, we've been able to leverage an additional $6.3 million of funding to, uh, continue with, uh, research as well as, uh, um, outreach and education for the agricultural producers. And we're seeing more and more people implement soil health practices around the state. I feel like we've just barely got the momentum up to, to speed here a little bit, and I'd love to keep that going. So, uh, we are definitely in support of this bill at the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Mr. Chairman, before the witness leaves, would I,

So, uh, would this be like fall under no-till drilling?

Yep. So, so no, no-till drilling, uh, cover crops, reduced tillage, all of those would be considered, uh, uh, soil help practice. So not only carb, not only sequesters carbon, but it also evades a lot of, uh, fuel costs, which is carbon products. It's, uh, yep, it saves a lot of issues with that. And it also

Very good. And, and it also, uh, reduces cost for the landowner as well, because they have less passes with their, that's a lot of

Tillage equipment, a lot of their costs to, yep. So it makes the food supply cheaper and everything else. So thanks for what you guys do as Department of Ag. Thank you.

Thank you Chair. If I may, I, I would like to invite the two witnesses if your permission to just give a specific example of, of how this is impacted. I, you know, this, this bill is a pretty straightforward piece of legislation. We heard it in interim, but I think it'd be helpful to, to, uh, illuminate a little bit on, on the, we've talked, I appreciated the second witness talking about things been done, but do they have a specific case example either from the farm bureau, either one or both that they'd like to share? I, they don't, that's fine too. If you're ready for a motion. I'll make a motion

We should hear more about the effectiveness of this. And, uh, just testified it just got up to speed. So, Mr. Boke, if you could expand more on what this program does.

Yep, you bet. Um, so soil health has always been a, a topic that's been around for quite some time. I remember when I was going to college, there was, uh, uh, a lot of debate about if, uh, uh, no-till practices or some of these cover crops are gonna be beneficial or not. And what we're seeing from a lot of these agricultural producers that are implementing soil health, and I've seen it all the way from northern Utah down to southern Utah, is an improved growing season. They're seeing increased, uh, uh, infiltration rates, which is huge when we talk about water conservation. The water that hits the ground is percolating down into the soil. It's held in the soil, and so they don't have to irrigate nearly as much as they have to as well. And, and it's, uh, been brought up as we've talked about the Great Salt Lake and practices that we could implement there as well. Uh, you talked to a lot of producers out there that they were sitting on the fence, you know, about this. And if they were gonna do it, some of them called it instead of no-till farming. They call it no skill farming. But what you're seeing is you've got a field over here that's implemented a lot of these soil help practices and one that's on the other side of the road. And you take a, a a a a rod and you push it down in the soil. And that soil that has implemented those soil help practices that, uh, penetrometer that they call it, will go right down into the soil. You go across the road, same soil, same everything that hasn't implemented those soil health practices. And you could sit and jump on that like a pogo stick. And so you're seeing the benefits all around the state. And, and, and the other thing that's really good about this is, is you ask, well, why didn't they do this sooner? And, and the answer is because they always did it that way. Back in the day, that was the way their grandpa did it. That was the way, and, and sometimes it can look a little bit messier, you know, when you see that residue on the, on the top of the soil. And some of them worry about what their, uh, their neighbors are gonna think about it. Sometimes those cover crops look like their weeds growing up in the fields. But in all reality, uh, it's huge. And, and the farmers that have tried it are gonna be some of the best advocates that you'll find in the state of Utah. And that's what we've got the Soil Health in the West Conference here the 1st of February. And those are the people that we have speaking at that conference, is the ones that have implemented those practices and seen those benefits. So that's what I would say.

No, I'm ready to make a motion if you'd like. Uh, I'm open to that.

Thank you. I I would move House Bill 66. Soil Health Program amendments favorable recommendation.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When I presented this bill on the floor of the house, uh, one of our newer members asked me the question and said, why do we need government involved in soil health? And the answer that came to my mind was, when the, when the Good Lord created the Earth, he put about a foot of top topsoil on it. We need to take care of that topsoil. It's our food supply.

Well, I think my summation would include the, what the witness said, but I would just say that, uh, this, this very interesting, uh, I must admit that I just did, uh, planted 75 acres no-till using, using that system that I was first made aware of the comment that good Senator Hinkins Ferron made it about the no-till. So I, I think this is a great opportunity for us to promote good practices and look forward to, uh, the, the work of this, this, uh, program for the next 10 years.

Since there is no opposition, I was wondering if the sponsor would like to, uh, have it put on consent. That great, Mr. Chairman?

Make that motion. The motion is that we place House Bill 66 on Senate consent calendar.

It was an iye vote On both.

Madam Reading Clerk House Bill 66, soil Health Program Amendments by Representative Berg.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, HB 66 Soil Health Program Amendments was a committee bill coming out of natural resources. All it does is extend the, uh, repeal date to 10 years from 26 to July 1st, 2036. That's it, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield to a question? Representative Albrecht, will you yield yield to a question?

Yes. Yes. Representative Hansen.

Um, is there a reason we need to extend the Sunset?

Can't hear. Oh yeah. When the good Lord created the Earth, he put about a foot of topsoil on everything so we could grow crops. We need to tend that, that soil and make it healthy and, and continue to have crops for the future to feed us. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Mr. President. The reason we have our our Soil health program is, is to focus on good aggregation as, as well as cultural practices across the state. To maintain the health and, uh, strength of our soils. Helps not only for water, but uh, uh, carbon sequestration and lots of across the board benefits. This, this bill simply moves the program Sunset date from July 1st, 2026. July 1st, 2036. Thank you. I need a motion to pass.

Motion is we pass HB 66 with favorable recommendation. Thank You. And the, the question is, shall house bill 66? Pass a roll call vote.

Senator Ipson Baldy Aye. Lein Aye. Brammer bus a comore Escamilla Aye. Fillmore Aye. Grover Aye. Harper Aye. Hankins Aye. Ipson Johnson k Juab McKay Mikel Aye. Milner muss Musselman Owens pitcher Plum rebe sandal Aye. Stevenson Stratton Aye. Vickers Weiler Aye. Wilson. Aye. Winterton President Adams Aye. House