Environment

This bill updates Iowa's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) air quality reporting requirements. It changes the annual greenhouse gas emissions report to cover emissions from two prior calendar years (aligning with EPA's schedule) and allows the EPA's annual inventory to fulfill this state requirement. The bill also removes outdated references to administrative rules and repeals provisions requiring the DNR to create a voluntary greenhouse gas registry and certify solid waste incinerator operators. These changes primarily affect the DNR's reporting duties and regulated facilities subject to emission fees.

HF 302 amends Iowa law to remove language requiring consideration of reducing petroleum dependency or atmospheric contamination from agricultural energy policies. It specifically prohibits the Iowa Utilities Commission from factoring climate change into decisions about granting hazardous liquid pipeline permits. The bill changes two statutory sections: one eliminates references to reducing fossil fuel combustion impacts in agricultural energy support, and the other explicitly bans climate change as a consideration for pipeline permits. This directly affects the commission's permitting process for pipeline projects and the state's statutory framework for energy policy.

SF 654 updates wildlife regulations, impacting hunters, property owners, and fur dealers. It requires deer hunting tree stands on public land to display a department-issued identification number, with a $30 fine for non-compliance, and protects stand owners from liability for others' use. The bill permits property owners or drainage districts to alter beaver dams to protect their property without prior permission. Additionally, it allows traps and snares to be labeled with a department ID number and caps annual fur dealer license fees at $50 for both residents and nonresidents.

This bill restricts how Iowa's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) can purchase land. It prohibits the DNR from buying property at public auctions (including online or sealed-bid sales) and requires all land acquisitions to come only from willing donors or sellers who aren't pressured by the DNR. Additionally, the DNR cannot pay more than the property's appraised value when purchasing land from a nonprofit that previously bought it at auction. The bill applies directly to the DNR's land acquisition practices.

HF 847 modifies the duties of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) related to air quality. It adjusts the state's annual greenhouse gas emissions reporting by aligning the timeframe with federal EPA inventories and allowing the federal report to satisfy state requirements. The bill also updates administrative code references for air emission and operating permit fees to reflect current regulations. Additionally, it repeals state mandates for the DNR to create a separate greenhouse gas inventory and a voluntary registry, and removes a provision for solid waste incinerator operator certification rules.