Assembly Bill No. 177–Committee on Natural Resources,
Agriculture, and Mining

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to the Lake Tahoe Basin; authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds to carry out the Environmental Improvement Program; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

   Whereas, In October 1997, Governor Bob Miller, on behalf of the State of Nevada, signed a Memorandum of Agreement between the Federal Interagency Partnership on the Lake Tahoe Ecosystem, the States of Nevada and California, the Washoe Tribe, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and interested local governments, in which the parties affirmed their commitment to the Tahoe Regional Planning Compact, to the sound management and protection of the resources within the Lake Tahoe Basin and the support of a healthy, sustainable economy and to achieve environmental thresholds for Lake Tahoe, and agreed to cooperate to carry out, including, without limitation, providing financial support for, the Environmental Improvement Program; and

   Whereas, The costs of carrying out the Environmental Improvement Program have been apportioned among the Federal Government, the States of Nevada and California, local governments and owners of private property within both states; and

   Whereas, The cost of carrying out the Environmental Improvement Program that is apportioned to the State of Nevada and its political subdivisions is $82,000,000 for the 10-year period that ends in fiscal year 2006-07; and

   Whereas, The State of Nevada and its political subdivisions have already provided $28,800,000 to meet their apportioned commitment, which includes:

   1.  General obligation bonds issued in the face amount of $20,000,000 pursuant to chapter 361, Statutes of Nevada 1995, at page 907, and approved by the voters of this state at the general election held in 1996, to carry out projects for the control of erosion and the restoration of natural watercourses in the Lake Tahoe Basin; and

   2.  General obligation bonds issued in the face amount of $3,200,000 pursuant to chapter 514, Statutes of Nevada 1999, at page 2626; and

   Whereas, Chapter 514, Statutes of Nevada 1999, created the fund to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin in the state general fund, directed the Administrator of the Division of State Lands of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to administer that fund and directed the Administrator, in cooperation with other state agencies, to coordinate the development and carrying out of a program of environmental improvement projects, for the Lake Tahoe Basin; and

   Whereas, Chapter 514, Statutes of Nevada 1999, provided that money in an amount not to exceed $53,200,000 would be made available to carry out the program of environmental improvement projects during the period between the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2001, and the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2007, by the issuance of general obligation bonds and legislative appropriation; and

   Whereas, The general obligation bonds authorized by chapter 514, Statutes of Nevada 1999, may only be issued with the prior approval of the

Legislature or the Interim Finance Committee and pursuant to a schedule established by the Administrator of the Division of State Lands; now, therefore,

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

   Section 1.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the issuance of securities and the incurrence of indebtedness pursuant to this act:

   1.  Are necessary for the protection and preservation of the natural resources of this state and for the purpose of obtaining the benefits thereof; and

   2.  Constitute an exercise of the authority conferred by the second paragraph of section 3 of article 9 of the Constitution of the State of Nevada.

   Sec. 2.  Money to carry out the program of environmental

 improvement projects for the Lake Tahoe Basin established pursuant to

 section 1 of chapter 514, Statutes of Nevada 1999, at page 2627, in an

 amount not to exceed $16,200,000 must be provided for the period

 between the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2001, and the fiscal year

 ending on June 30, 2003, by the issuance by the State Board of Finance of

 general obligation bonds of the State of Nevada in a total face amount of

 not more than $16,200,000 pursuant to NRS 349.150 to 349.364,

 inclusive. The proceeds of the bonds issued pursuant to this section must

 be deposited in the fund to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin created pursuant

 to section 2 of chapter 514, Statutes of Nevada 1999, at page 2628, and,

 except as otherwise provided in this section, must be used as follows:

   1.  Projects of the Environmental Improvement Program to be carried

 out by the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources:

   (a) Forest Restoration Phase II   $1,450,000

   (b) East Shore Access Erosion Control   150,000

   (c) Riparian Wildlife Habitat Enhancement  168,000

   (d) Water Diversion Survey to Maintain Stream Flows25,000

   (e) East Shore Fur Bearer Study40,000

   (f) Van Sickle State Park Phase I   400,000

   (g) Sand Harbor BMP Retrofit   80,000

   (h) Spooner Lake Visitor Center (Planning/Design)   200,000

(i) Shorezone/Stream Restoration Project500,000

   (j) Land Coverage Restoration   2,000,000

   2.  Water Quality, Erosion Control and Stream

 Restoration/Enhancement Projects of the Environmental

 Improvement Program to be carried out pursuant to grants and

 project agreements   $9,300,000

   3.  Contingency money to carry out projects set forth in

 subsections 1 and 2   $1,887,000

If an amount authorized pursuant to this section is insufficient to allow the

 completion of the project for which it is authorized, including, without

 limitation, any monitoring necessary to ensure the continued effectiveness

 of the project, the Interim Finance Committee, upon the request of the

 Division of State Lands of the State Department of Conservation and

Natural Resources, may increase the amount authorized for the project and

offset the increase by reducing the amount authorized for another project or

 projects pursuant to this section by the amount of the increase. The

 Division of State Lands may use money authorized pursuant to this section

 for a project other than a project listed in this section if the Interim

 Finance Committee approves such a use in writing before the Division of

 State Lands engages in the project. The Division of State Lands may

 allocate the money for project contingencies pursuant to subsection 3

 without the prior approval of the Interim Finance Committee.

   Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

 

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