House Bill No. [insert number] establishes a framework for habitat conversion fees associated with large-scale solar development in Louisiana. The bill authorizes the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to impose fees on solar power generation facilities that cover ten acres or more, aimed at mitigating the loss of important habitats and species. The department is tasked with creating rules to develop a method for charging a per-acre fee, which will consider various factors such as geographic location, market value, habitat rarity, and the presence of at-risk species.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that the fees collected must not exceed the costs incurred by the department during the review process and for mitigating habitat loss. These fees will be deposited into the Conservation Fund and can only be used for costs related to protecting, replacing, or mitigating the loss of habitat due to solar development. The effectiveness of this bill is contingent upon the passage of another related bill, HB 615, during the same legislative session.