§ 4-18-303 — Creates Utah Soil Health Program -- Program and purposes.

(1) Under the commission there is created the Utah Soil Health Program.
(2) The program shall:

(2)(a) encourage widespread adoption of soil health practices by producers;
(2)(b) promote environmental benefits;
(2)(c) advance the understanding of the environmental and economic benefits of soil health practices by producers, policymakers, consumers, and the general public; and
(2)(d) support scientific research.
(3) The program may obtain the objectives described in Subsection (2) by:

(3)(a) providing incentives to implement soil health practices;
(3)(b) increasing the understanding of the benefit of soil health practices through education and outreach programs;
(3)(c) advancing scientific understanding of soil health as it relates to:
(3)(c)(i) the existing conditions of Utah's agricultural soils, including current carbon storage and carbon storage potential;
(3)(c)(ii) the on- and off-farm or ranch environmental benefits of soil health practices; and
(3)(c)(iii) the on- and off-farm or ranch economic benefits of soil health practices;
(3)(d) evaluating currently available or developing new consistent soil health sampling and testing protocols appropriate for Utah's agricultural systems; and
(3)(e) facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration to advance the understanding of the science of soil health and the implementation of soil health practices, including amongst the federal government and the federal government's agencies, agencies and political subdivisions of the state, academic or research institutions, non-governmental organizations, private entities, nonprofits, producers, or other parties.
(4) The department shall provide support to the commission in implementing the program.

Legislative History

Enacted by Chapter 178, 2021 General Session