The House Environment Committee voted to turn the Safe Artificial Slope Construction Act (HB 782) into a study commission and sent the bill back to the Rules Committee, killing at least for now, additional government regulations on private land use when there is a slope located on that land.
The bill would have affected any area located on a mountain face or hillside with a 40 percent or greater slope, would regulate any slope disturbing activity that changes that slope in any way and would have applied to residential, industrial, educational, institutional or commercial development. The study commission will study “the need for and advisibility of establishing minimum statewide management requirements for safe artificial slope construction in mountainous areas of the State.” They are required to hold at least two public meetings in the western region of the state. I’m willing to bet property owners in the west will have plenty to tell the commission. The 8 member commission is required to present a report by May 2010, just in time to introduce legislation for the short session. The issue is delayed but certainly not dead.
