The bill establishes that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and county conservation boards have the same rights and obligations as private landowners regarding the erection and maintenance of partition fences. This includes the authority to manage costs associated with these fences under Iowa's existing fence law. Specifically, the bill introduces new sections that clarify the responsibilities of these entities when it comes to erecting, maintaining, rebuilding, or repairing partition fences, ensuring they are treated equally to private landowners in these matters.

Additionally, the bill amends existing law to require that both the complaining landowner and the DNR or county conservation board deposit sufficient funds with fence viewers to cover their respective portions of the costs and fees associated with the fence work. The DNR is mandated to finance its contributions from the open spaces account of the Iowa resources enhancement and protection fund, while county conservation boards will use funds from their respective county conservation accounts. This legislative change aims to streamline the process of managing partition fences and ensure that public entities can effectively participate in these responsibilities.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 359A.4, 455A.19, 359A.3