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Minutes for HB2623 - Committee on Agriculture
Short Title
Establishing requirements for claiming pollinator-friendly solar sites.
Minutes Content for Tue, Feb 18, 2020
The Chair opened the Hearing on HB2623 at 4:04pm.
Jessie Pringle, Assistant Revisor, Office of The Revisor of Statutes, provided an overview of HB2623 and the statutes that it affects. (Attachment 2) There is a Fiscal Note for HB2623.
PROPONENTS
Paul Snyder, Lobbyist, Natural Resources Defense Council, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2623. (Attachment 3) The Kansas Solar Pollinator Habitat Act helps bees and other pollinators by providing a voluntary incentive to solar operators to convert unused land into high quality habitat. Operators whose sites adhere to guidance published by Kansas University's Biological Survey would be allowed to advertise those sites as benefiting pollinators. This guidance would take the form of a "scorecard", with points assigned for both the quality and quantity of habitat planted, emphasizing the planting of native Kansas species. Sites meeting the required number of points may be advertised as "pollinator friendly", provided the operator makes the completed scorecard and accompanying vegetation management plan available to the state Biological Survey, any state nonprofit solar industry trade associations, and the public.
Mr Snyder stood for questions from the Committee.
Sara Baer, Director, Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2623. (Attachment 4) The Kansas Biological Survey, established in 1911 and operated by the University Kansas, is a designated research center dedicated to pursuing a deeper understanding of and appreciation for our biological resources through world-class research, education, and service. As such, the Kansas Biological Survey is the appropriate entity to develop pollinator friendly scorecards. In other states where similar legislation has passed, pollinator-friendly habitat scorecards have been developed through inter-agency pollinator-friendly initiatives. Scorecards contain checklists of the percent cover of flowering species, number of flowering species planted, number of flowering species observed, number of seasons with a particular number of flowering species, type of management practices used at the site, seed sources of species used, pesticide risk, and area of vegetation buffer.
Expenditures will be required from the State General Fund in FY2021 for the Kansas Biological Survey to begin an inter-agency, pollinator-friendly solar initiative to provide input on pollinator-friendly vegetation criteria and recommendations for management plans to establish and maintain pollinator habitat amidst solar panels by January 2021. Developing recommendations will be especially challenging for Kansas because there are at least six major eco-regions spanning a strong west-east climate gradient. A half-time position at the Kansas Biological Survey will be needed to develop the scorecards of recommended vegetation criteria and management plans by January 2021, respond to solar site owner questions about constructing and maintaining pollinator habitat throughout the duration of the program, register scorecards in an online database, and make scorecards publicly accessible through FY2021 and thereafter.
Ms Baer stood for questions from the Committee.
Zack Pistora, Lobbyist, Kansas Sierra Club, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2623. (Attachment 5) We consider pollinators to have great value to Kansas, to its natural heritage, ecosystems, and farmers. In fact, I often say that pollinators are "farmers best friend". Recent trends show that pollinators are unfortunately in decline, often to due habitat destruction and pesticide use. Allowing businesses, like solar developers, the incentive to get public credit for good, responsible land stewardship practices is good public policy. Kansas should encourage solar development for both its economic and environmental benefits, but in a responsible way to protect our lands and habitats. Solar farms present an incredible opportunity for Kansas to harness its clean, renewable resource. We also have an obligation to protect our wildlife and plant resources already there too. HB2623 does a good job at fulfilling both obligations.
Mr Pistora stood for questions from the Committee.
Josh Svaty, Senior Adviser, Advanced Power Alliance, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2623. (Attachment 6) While our members own and operate successful businesses, they are based on principles that seek to improve our environment and surroundings rather than negatively impact them. We understand the pressures being placed on pollinator species from a variety of directions. We also know that while the ideal pollinator habitat is native prairie, a utility-scale solar installation could, if the developer chooses, provide the opportunity for creating some pollinator-friendly habitats. HB2623 creates a scorecard which, in our estimation, would just give end customers more information about the source of some of their power. It may also incent developers to explore ways to potentially leverage USDA dollars encouraging the large-scale planting of more pollinator-friendly species.
Mr Svaty stood for questions from the Committee.
Written only testimony in support of HB2623 was received from:
- Dorothy Barnett, Climate and Energy Project (Attachment 7)
- Troy Schroeder, Albert KS (Attachment 8)
There were no Opponents or Neutral of HB2623.
The Chair closed the Hearing on HB2623 at 4:34pm.
