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 similarly to private landowners in these matters.

Additionally, the bill amends existing legal language to specify that both the DNR and county conservation boards must deposit funds with fence viewers to cover their assigned portions of costs and fees related to fence maintenance. It also allows these entities to finance their contributions using unencumbered funds from the Iowa Resources Enhancement and Protection Fund (REAP), specifically from the open spaces account for the DNR and the county conservation account for county boards. This legislative change aims to streamline the process of managing partition fences and ensure that public entities can effectively contribute to their upkeep.

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