Utah Legislature’s Impact on Sustainable Utah Growers STERLING BROWN VICE PRESIDENT – PUBLIC POLICY UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
WHAT IS OF GREATER CONCERN? POPULATION INCREASES
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? Management of Public Lands Transportation Regulations Waters of the United States Energy Dependence TRADE Endangered Species List Animal I.D. Management of Public Lands Proprietary Data Public Access Funding/Debt
Utah Population Growth? Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census 2012 Projections
According to the 2012 Census fo Agriculture… UTAH COUNTY - $229 MILLION TOTAL CASH RECEIPTS Salt Lake County - $23 million total cash receipts Washington County - $12 million total cash receipts Davis County - $39 million total cash receipts Weber County - $39 million total cash receipts
Which provides greater opportunity? How does each impact your sustainability?
Other Issues All Utah sales – tax exemptions Agriculture Protection Areas Proactively teaching agriculture’s usage and conservation of water Maintaining access to public roads and limiting access to private roads Securing adequate funding for water development Increased agriculture nuisance complaints Air Quality – increased challenges for agriculture …? Urban Greenbelt laws and expansions Sales of raw milk vs. pasteurized milk GMO’s, animal identification and Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) Food Freedom Act Agriculture and Ports of Entry Beekeepers registration