67th Legislature HB 6.01
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 6
2 INTRODUCED BY M. HOPKINS
3 BY REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION, OFFICE OF
4 BUDGET AND PROGRAM PLANNING
5
6 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RENEWABLE RESOURCE GRANT AND
7 LOAN PROGRAM; APPROPRIATING MONEY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND
8 CONSERVATION FOR GRANTS UNDER THE RENEWABLE RESOURCE GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM;
9 PRIORITIZING PROJECT GRANTS AND AMOUNTS; ESTABLISHING CONDITIONS FOR GRANTS; AND
10 PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.”
11
12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
13
14 NEW SECTION. Section 1. Appropriations for renewable resource grants. (1) For the biennium
15 beginning July 1, 2021, there is appropriated to the department of natural resources and conservation from the
16 natural resources projects state special revenue account established in 15-38-302 up to:
17 (a) $100,000 for emergency projects grants to be awarded by the department over the course of the
18 biennium;
19 (b) $1,000,000 for planning grants to be awarded by the department over the course of the biennium;
20 (c) $300,000 for irrigation development grants to be awarded by the department over the course of the
21 biennium;
22 (d) $300,000 for watershed grants to be awarded by the department over the course of the biennium;
23 and
24 (e) $100,000 for private grants to be awarded by the department over the course of the biennium.
25 (2) The amount of $4,500,000 is appropriated to the department of natural resources and conservation
26 from the natural resources projects state special revenue account established in 15-38-302 for the biennium
27 beginning July 1, 2021. The funds referred to in this subsection must be awarded by the department to the
28 named entities for the described purposes and in the grant amounts listed in subsection (4), subject to the
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67th Legislature HB 6.01
1 conditions set forth in [sections 2 and 3] and the contingencies described in the renewable resource grant and
2 loan program January 2021 report to the 67th legislature titled: Governor’s Executive Budget Fiscal Years
3 2021-2023 Volume 6.
4 (3) Funds must be awarded up to the amounts approved in subsection (4) in the following listed order
5 of priority until available funds are expended. Funds not accepted or used by higher-ranked projects must be
6 provided for projects farther down the priority list that would not otherwise receive funding. If at any time a grant
7 sponsor determines that a project will not begin before June 30, 2023, the sponsor shall notify the department
8 of natural resources and conservation. After all eligible projects are funded, remaining funds may be used for
9 any renewable resource project authorized under this section.
10 (4) The following are the prioritized grant projects:
11 RENEWABLE RESOURCE GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM
12 Applicant/Project Amount
13 Milk River Joint Board of Control
14 (St. Mary Diversion Dam and Headworks Design Completion) $125,000
15 Gardiner Park County Water and Sewer District
16 (Wastewater System Improvements) $125,000
17 Greenfields Irrigation District
18 (Arnold Coulee Hydroelectric Project) $125,000
19 Cooke City Water and Sewer District
20 (Wastewater Collection and Treatment System Project) $125,000
21 Fort Smith Water and Sewer District
22 (Wastewater System Improvements) $125,000
23 Montana Department of Corrections
24 (Powell Dam Rehabilitation) $125,000
25 Lewis and Clark Conservation District
26 (Beaver Creek Restoration, Phase 2) $125,000
27 Lockwood Water and Sewer District
28 (CS3-1 Collection System Improvements, Phase 3) $125,000
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67th Legislature HB 6.01
1 Manhattan, Town of
2 (Water Reclamation Facility Improvements, Phase 1) $125,000
3 Helena Valley Irrigation District
4 (Terminal Wasteway and Lateral Automation and Measurement) $125,000
5 Thompson Falls, City of
6 (Wastewater System Improvements, Phase 3) $125,000
7 Butte-Silver Bow Government
8 (Basin Creek Dam #1 Rehabilitation) $125,000
9 Deer Lodge, City of
10 (Wastewater Collection System Improvement) $125,000
11 Pondera County Conservation District
12 (Dupuyer Creek Diversion Automation) $125,000
13 Teton Conservation District
14 (Eureka Dam Safety Improvements) $125,000
15 Darby, Town of
16 (Wastewater System Improvements) $125,000
17 Libby, City of
18 (Wastewater System Improvements) $125,000
19 Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation – Water Resources Division
20 (Ackley Lake Outlet Canal Rehabilitation) $125,000
21 Greenfields Irrigation District
22 (SRS-71 Headworks and SRS Re-Regulation) $125,000
23 Valier, Town of
24 (Wastewater System Improvements, Phase 3) $125,000
25 Greenfields Irrigation District
26 (Spring Coulee Headworks Replacement) $125,000
27 Helena Valley Irrigation District
28 (Lateral 11.9 Canal Conversion and Gate Rehabilitation) $125,000
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67th Legislature HB 6.01
1 Big Mountain County Sewer District
2 (Wastewater Collection System Improvements) $125,000
3 Lower Musselshell County Conservation District
4 (DMWUA Main Canal Diversion Gate Automation) $125,000
5 Bitterroot Conservation District
6 (Bitterroot River Irrigation Management Study) $125,000
7 Wolf Point, City of
8 (Wastewater Collection System Improvements) $125,000
9 Havre, City of
10 (Clear Creek Court-Sanitary Sewer System Improvements) $125,000
11 Missoula, City of
12 (Rattlesnake Creek Wilderness Dams Project) $125,000
13 Missoula County
14 (Buena Vista Wastewater System Improvements, Phase 2) $125,000
15 Fort Belknap Indian Community
16 (Milk River Diversion Gate Automation) $125,000
17 Shelby, City of
18 (Water Infrastructure System Improvements) $125,000
19 Fort Peck Tribes
20 (Frazer and Wiota Pump Automation and Monitoring) $125,000
21 Lower Willow Creek Irrigation District
22 (Lower Willow Creek Reservoir Toe Drain Repair) $125,000
23 Hill County
24 (Beaver Creek Dam Improvements) $125,000
25 East Helena, City of
26 (Wastewater System Improvements) $125,000
27 Bitter Root Irrigation District
28 (Water Efficiency, Modernization and Planning Study) $125,000
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67th Legislature HB 6.01
1 Beaverhead Conservation District
2 (Irrigation Efficiency and Water Measurement) $125,000
3 Stillwater Conservation District
4 (Mendenhall Ditch Intake and Drop Structure Rehabilitation) $125,000
5 Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation – Water Resources Division
6 (Deadman’s Supply Canal Rehabilitation, Phase 2) $125,000
7 Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project
8 (Later V Check Structure and Lateral W Headgate Rehabilitation) $125,000
9 Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation – Water Resources Division
10 (Two Dot Canal Rehabilitation) $125,000
11 Circle, Town of
12 (Water System Improvements, Phase 3) $125,000
13 Roundup, City of
14 (Water Main Improvements, Phase 6) $125,000
15 Clinton Irrigation District
16 (Schoolhouse Lateral Pipeline Conversion) $125,000
17 Tenmile Creek Estates/Pleasant Valley Water and Sewer District
18 (Wastewater System Improvements) $125,000
19 Carbon County Conservation District
20 (Mutual Ditch Siphon Replacement) $125,000
21 Ekalaka, Town of
22 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
23 Glen Lake Irrigation District
24 (Rolling Hills Canal Rehabilitation) $125,000
25 Buffalo Rapids Irrigation Project District 1
26 (BRIPD1 Irrigation System Automation) $125,000
27 Flaxville, Town of
28 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
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67th Legislature HB 6.01
1 North Valley County Water and Sewer District
2 (Water System Improvements, Phase 1) $125,000
3 Buffalo Rapids Irrigation Project District 2
4 (BRIPD2 Lateral 1.6 Pipeline Conversion, Phase 2) $125,000
5 Petroleum County Conservation District
6 (Petrolia Dam Outlet Works Headgate Replacement) $105,742
7 Harlowton, City of
8 (Water System Improvements, Phase 5) $125,000
9 Alfalfa Valley Irrigation District
10 (East Flynn Canal Rehabilitation, Phase 2) $125,000
11 Malta Irrigation District
12 (Main Canal Lining – Wagner Ranch) $125,000
13 Glasgow Irrigation District
14 (Spaniard Check Structure) $125,000
15 Lewistown, City of
16 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
17 Glen Lake Irrigation District
18 (Infrastructure Modernization Study) $125,000
19 Big Timber, City of
20 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
21 Alberton, Town of
22 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
23 Hysham Irrigation District
24 (Intake Improvements) $125,000
25 Three Forks, City of
26 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
27 Choteau, City of
28 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
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67th Legislature HB 6.01
1 Fairfield, Town of
2 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
3 Huntley Project Irrigation District
4 (Yellowstone River Bank Stabilization) $125,000
5 Sweet Grass County Conservation District
6 (Post-Kellogg Ditch Headworks Improvement) $125,000
7 Lewistown, City of
8 (Ditch Rehabilitation) $125,000
9 Joliet, Town of
10 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
11 Richey, Town of
12 (Water System Improvements, Phase 1) $125,000
13 Fort Benton, City of
14 (Water System Improvements) $125,000
15 Big Sandy, Town of
16 (Stormwater System Improvements) $125,000
17 Belgrade School District
18 (Ridge View Elementary Solar Project) $115,046
19 Paradise Valley Irrigation District
20 (Milk Riverbank Stabilization) $125,000
21
22 NEW SECTION. Section 2. Coordination of fund sources for grants to political subdivisions
23 and local governments. A project sponsor listed under [section 1(4)] may not receive funds from both the
24 reclamation and development grants program and the renewable resource grant and loan program for the same
25 project during the same biennium.
26
27 NEW SECTION. Section 3. Condition of grants. Disbursement of funds under [section 1] is subject
28 to the following conditions that must be met by the project sponsor:
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67th Legislature HB 6.01
1 (1) A scope of work and budget for the project must be approved by the department of natural
2 resources and conservation. Any changes in scope of work or budget subsequent to legislative approval may
3 not change project goals and objectives. Changes in activities that would reduce the public or natural resource
4 benefits as presented in department of natural resources and conservation reports and applicant testimony to
5 the 67th legislature may result in a proportional reduction in the grant amount.
6 (2) The project sponsor shall show satisfactory completion of conditions described in the
7 recommendation section of the project narrative of the program report to the legislature for the biennium ending
8 June 30, 2023, or, in the case of planning grants issued under [section 1(1)], completion of conditions specified
9 at the time of written notification of approved grant authority.
10 (3) The project sponsor must have a fully executed grant agreement with the department.
11 (4) Any other specific requirements considered necessary by the department must be met to
12 accomplish the purpose of the grant as evidenced from the application to the department or from the proposal
13 as presented to the legislature.
14
15 NEW SECTION. Section 4. Appropriations established. There is appropriated to any entity of state
16 government that receives a grant under [section 1] the amount of the grant upon award of the grant by the
17 department of natural resources and conservation. Grants to entities from prior bienniums are reauthorized for
18 completion of contract work.
19
20 NEW SECTION. Section 5. Approval of grants -- completion of biennial appropriation. The
21 legislature, pursuant to 85-1-605, approves the renewable resource programs grants listed in [section 1]. The
22 authorization of these grants constitutes a biennial appropriation from the natural resources projects state
23 special revenue account established in 15-38-302.
24
25 NEW SECTION. Section 6. Notification to tribal governments. The secretary of state shall send a
26 copy of [this act] to each federally recognized tribal government in Montana.
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28