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From YouTube: 3/18/2021 - Senate Committee on Natural Resources
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A
C
A
And
I
am
here:
let
the
record
reflect
that
senator
tribal
was
excused
she's
finishing
a
meeting
and
she'll
be
able
to
join
us
later
today.
So
thank
you.
A
As
you
know,
the
legislative
building
is
closed
to
the
public
right
now,
so
all
committee
meetings
will
be
held
virtually
meaning
that
committee
staff
members
and
everyone
else
will
have
to
participate
either
through
zoom
video
conference
or
by
telephone.
However,
there
are
various
ways
that
members
of
the
public
can
engage
with
us
and
participate
in
this
process.
A
As
in
previous
sessions,
all
committee-related
information
is
available
on
the
nevada
electronic
legislative
information
system
commonly
referred
to
as
nellis,
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led
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legislature's
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A
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A
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A
A
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feel
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listed
on
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agenda
today,
we're
going
to
be
going
out
of
order.
We
were
planning
to
start
with
the
work
session,
but
we're
going
to
go
ahead
and
move
on
to
the
hearing
on
sb
155.
A
At
this
time
I
will
go
ahead
and
open
the
hearing
on
sb
155.
This
measure
revises
provisions
relating
to
the
division
of
water
resources
of
the
state
department
of
conservation
and
natural
resources.
A
C
So
for
the
record,
I'm
heidi
swank
and
I
served
as
the
vice
chair
of
the
legislative
committee
on
public
lands.
Last
interim
and
I'm
here
to
present
senate
bill
155
for
your
consideration
the
bill.
The
idea
for
this
bill
was
recommended
to
the
public
lands
committee
by
the
state
department
of
conservation
and
natural
resources
last
summer,
and
the
measure
was
subsequently
approved
during
a
work
session
at
the
committee's
final
meeting
on
september
22nd
so
senate.
C
So,
according
to
the
information
and
testimony
provided,
dcnr
holding
a
professional
position,
sorry
holding
a
professional
engineering
license
known
as
a
pe
as
the
sole
requirement
to
serve
as
state
engineer
and
administrator
of
the
division
of
water
resources
has
become
outdated,
while
a
pe
is
still
a
key
professional
qualification
for
the
position.
Other
technical
expertise
is
now
equally
important
for
this
role.
C
Additionally,
the
nevada
division
of
water
resources
spends
a
majority
of
time
focused
on
how
best
to
manage
nevada's,
limited
water
resources
and
resolving
water
use
conflicts
through
the
regulatory
process
and
and
in
the
courts.
Therefore,
the
engineering
component
of
performing
as
the
nevada
division
of
water
resources
administrator
is
now
just
one
of
many
potential
professional
qualifications
that
are
needed
to
effectively
manage
nevada's
water
resources.
C
An
effective
division
of
water
resources
administrator
must
now
also
possess
such
admit,
abilities
as
management
and
policy.
C
The
deputy
administrator
of
professional
services
must
be
lice
a
licensed
professional
engineer,
so
it
may
not
be
the
the
head
administrator,
but
the
deputy
would
hold
that
license
so
senate
bill.
155
contains
a
similar
requirement
in
subsection
2
of
section
5,
which
requires
that
if
the
administrator
of
the
division
of
water
resources
is
not
a
licensed
engineer,
then
the
deputy
administrator
must
hold
a
professional
engineering
license.
Thus
making
sure
that
that
experience
that
we've
known
as
part
of
the
leadership
of
the
division
of
water
resources
is
retained
there.
C
So
that
concludes
my
remarks.
For
now,
I
would
like
to
have
bradley
crowell,
the
director
of
the
state
department
of
conservation,
natural
resources,
walk
you
through
the
bill
and
provide
additional
detail,
and
I
just
want
to
thank
the
committee
for
hearing
this
bill
and
for
giving
me
a
chance
to
participate
and
it's
good
to
see
some
friendly.
D
Faces
thank
you,
dr
swank,
and
thank
you
sheridan
update
for
holding
this
hearing
today.
I'm
assuming
you
can
hear
me
all
right
for
the
record.
My
name
is
bradley
krull,
I'm
the
director
of
the
nevada
department
of
conservation
and
natural
resources.
D
D
I'd
like
to
note
that
ms
swank's
successor
as
chair
of
the
assembly,
natural
resources
committee,
assemblyman
howard,
watts,
also
supported
this
bdr
concept.
As
a
member
of
the
interim
committee
with
that,
I
will
briefly
describe
the
content
of
sb
155
for
the
committee
and
share
some
quick
context
and
background
for
why
this
legislation
is
necessary.
D
Indeed,
when
the
legislature
created
the
department
in
1957
the
state
engineer
at
that
time,
hugh
schamberger
became
the
first
director
of
the
newly
established
department
since
since
this
time
the
division
of
water
resources
has
been
a
key
agency
within
the
department
of
conservation,
natural
resources.
While
the
role
and
responsibilities
of
the
state
engineer
has
become
increasingly
broad
and
more
complex,
sb
155
is
a
recognition
of
how
the
division
of
water
resources
has
evolved
over
time
as
nevada's
population
has
grown
and
our
economy
expanded.
D
Section
5
of
sb
155
contains
the
key
changes
to
existing
statute
by
enacting
the
following
one
revises
the
qualifications
for
the
executive
head
of
the
division
of
water
resources
to
require
the
admit
that
the
administrator
one
be
experienced.
Incompetent.
The
experience,
incompetent
water
resource
management
and
conservation
have
a
demonstrated
ability
to
administrate
and
minister
a
major
public
agency
and,
with
limited
exception,
be
a
licensed
professional
engineer
with
skill
and
experience
in
water-related
engineering.
D
Further
sb-155
provides
that
the
person
appointed
as
the
administrator
is
not
required
to
be
a
licensed
professional
engineer.
If,
and
only
if,
a
deputy
administrator
of
the
division
is
a
licensed
professional
engineer
with
skill
and
experience
in
water,
related
engineering
or
the
person
has
the
theoretical
knowledge,
practical
experience
and
technical
skill
for
the
position.
D
Nevada
is
fortunate
to
have
had
former
state
engineers,
like
jason
king
and
our
current
state
engineer
and
division
administrator,
adam
sullivan,
who
possess
the
unique
combination
of
skills,
in
addition
to
being
licensed
professional
engineers
necessary
to
run
this
critical
state
agency.
But
as
we
look
ahead,
finding
individuals
with
such
unique
skill
sets
will
become
ever
more
challenging.
D
D
A
Thank
you,
director,
crawl
and
dr
flank,
for
your
presentations.
I
know
there
are
some
questions
for
my
committee
members.
So
let's
go
ahead
and
begin
with
them
any
immediate
thoughts
or
questions.
E
E
Is
I
failed
to
see
the
advantage?
We
know
we've
got
at
least
a
dozen
engineers
serving
you
know
under
the
state
engineer
today.
So
it's
not
hard
for
an
administrator
to
meet
the
qualifications
of
having
a
deputy.
Who
is
is
an
engineer,
a
professional
engineer.
E
I
guess
I'm
just
concerned
why
we
would
make
the
change
now,
given
the
problems
in
front
of
us
and
I've,
you
know
I've
known
a
lot
of
state
engineers
in
my
career,
all
very
good
people,
and
I
haven't,
I
guess,
I'm
afraid
to
admit
to
myself
then
that
there
isn't
there
are
no
longer
hugh
richie's
and
roland
westerguard's
and
mike
turnip
seeds
available
out
there.
D
Well,
senator
george,
thank
you
for
the
question
again.
Brad
kroll,
director
of
dc
art,
for
the
record.
I
think
the
challenges
we
face
today
is
are
exactly
the
reason
we
need
to
make
these
changes,
and
you
know
that,
as
as
ms
swank
highlighted,
the
main
duties
of
the
division,
administrator
state
of
engineer
are
not
engineering.
These
days,
they
were
back
in
the
day
when
those
technical
challenges
were
the
most
pressing
and
important
skills
to
have
in
the
division,
but
today
it's
much
more
about
water
planning.
D
Unfortunately,
it's
also
much
more
about
managing
and
responding
to
litigation,
and
so
the
breadth
of
ex
management
challenges.
The
administrator
has
is
well
beyond
just
the
field
of
engineering,
and
I
wish
I
could
say
that
we
have
a
bunch
of
uniquely
highly
skilled
engineers
that
are
not
just
good
engineers
but
good
at
all.
D
These
other
fields
clamoring
to
be
the
state
engineer,
but
it's
simply
not
the
case,
and
this
bill
just
slightly
opens
the
qualifications
up
a
little
bit
to
provide
for
other
technical
expertise
without
any
slippery
slope
and
there's
no
goal
to
make
it
a
slippery
slope.
As
I
mentioned
in
the
interim
committee.
D
It
would
be
a
shame
if
a
qualified
head
of
a
division
of
water
resources
from
another
state
we're
willing
to
come
to
nevada
and
and
and
serve
as
our
state
engineer,
but
will
be
disqualified
because
they're,
not
a
professional
engineer.
So
we're
just
looking
to
open
that
up
a
little
bit
and
provide
some
flexibility.
So
we
can
have
the
best
person
in
there
managing
what
is
arguably
nevada's
most
precious
resource.
A
Thank
you,
senator
gokuchiya,
senator
brooks
or
senator
hanson.
Do
you
guys
have
any
questions.
A
I
have
a
just
a
quick
question
for
director
carl:
can
you
talk
to
me
more
about
recruitment
for
this
position
and
some
of
the
difficulties
that
you've
had
with
filling
the
role?
Perhaps
maybe
you
can
talk
about,
maybe
some
of
the
some
of
the
confronted
challenges
with
compensation.
I
know
I
know
it's
not
going
to
be
addressing
this
bill,
but
maybe
the
challenges
with
compensation
compared
to
other
states
and
industries.
D
Chattanooga,
I
appreciate
the
question
again
red
cross
after
the
record,
the
historically
without
exception,
the
state
engineer
and
the
head
of
the
division
has
come
up
through
the
ranks
within
the
division,
discovered
the
division
head
and
that
has
worked
very
well
over
the
years,
but
is
has
become
more
challenging
and
will
become
more
challenging
going
forward
for
a
variety
of
reasons.
D
One
is
what
you
mentioned
about
salary
adequacy,
the
I
could.
D
I
can
make
a
argument
that
the
state
engineer
is
one
of
the
one
of,
if
not
the
hardest
jobs
in
state
government,
but
its
pay
is
not
nearly
commensurate
with
what
public
employees
in
city
or
county
governments
get
paid,
and
it's
certainly
not
even
close
to
what
one
would
get
paid
in
the
engineering
field
working
on
the
outside
in
the
private
sector,
and
it
would
be
a
challenge
to
find
someone
who
was
willing
to
come
in
and
serve
in
this
position
at
that
salary.
D
That
is
doing
it,
for
that
has
all
the
right
skills
and
is
doing
it
for
all
the
right
reasons,
and
and
and
that's
what
I
worry
about
the
most
is
finding
someone
who's
going
to
be
neutral
and
balanced
with
the
right
skills
to
do
this
job
we've
been
fortunate
for
a
long
time,
but
that's
not
necessarily
going
to
hold
true
going
forward,
and
I
don't
want
to
artificially
constrain
ourselves
or
have
one
hand
tied
behind
our
back.
A
Thank
you,
sir,
and
do
you
have
any
timeline
perspective
on
when
I
know
we
have
an
acting
state
engineer
right
now?
Do
you
have
a
timeline
perspective
as
to
when
that
will
be
filled.
A
Thank
you,
sir.
Any
questions
before
we
move
to
senator.
E
Gokuchi,
thank
you
for
the
second
time
charging
director
crowl.
E
I
guess
I'm
just
concerned
mostly
because
again
clearly,
they
don't
have
to
be
an
engineer
given
the
makeup
of
the
of
the
department
today
and-
and
I'm
just
concerned
that,
if
you
end
up
with
say
an
attorney
or
even
an
accountant,
that's
actually
named
the
administrator
they'll
tend
to
move
more
towards
their
forte
and
in
most
cases,
if
you're,
an
attorney,
then
you're
going
to
start
looking
at
holes
in
it
and
looking
for
the
litigation
the
same
thing
with,
if
you
were
an
accountant,
you're,
more
tend
to
be
looking
at
at
fees
funding
and
along
those
lines.
E
The
state
engineers
office
is
about
one
thing:
water
and
it's
your
job
as
a
director
to
cover
some
of
those
other
venues
again.
I
I'm
really
concerned,
as
I
look
at
some
of
the
language
in
the
bill
and
when
the
administrator
and
the
administrator
of
the
division-
that's
not
good
water
science.
Thank.
D
Kacia
you,
I
appreciate
the
the
question
and
the
expression
of
concern
right
troll
for
the
record.
I
do
not
believe,
as
this
bill
was
written,
that
a
lawyer
would
qualify
to
serve
in
this
position.
D
It
is
more
geared
towards
say
a
hydrologist
or
a
geologist
that
doesn't
have
a
pe
professional
engineering
license
to
be
eligible
and
qualified.
If,
if
there's
a
interest
in
tightening
up
the
language
to
ensure
that
I'd
be
happy
to
consider
it,
because
it's
not
what
we're
trying
to
accomplish
here.
Nor
are
we
trying
to
create
some
unintentional
slippery
slope
in
that
direction.
E
Well,
thank
you,
and
you
know
I
I
know
I'm
not
the
only
one
that
shares
those
concerns
director
towel
that
maybe
this
is
going
to
be
too
big
an
expansion.
Maybe
if
we
did
have
it
narrowed
down
to
where,
if
you
again,
if
you're
tall
keep
talking
a
hydrologist
versus
you
know,
a
professional.
E
D
Senator
I
think
we
share
the
same
goal.
So
I'd
be
happy
to
work
with
you
on
tightening
up
the
language
to
achieve
that
and
make
sure
that
there's
good
sideboards
on
making
sure
that
the
prospective
administrator
has
the
right
skill
set
and
not
one
that
would
be
perverse
so
to
speak
in
the
administration
of
our
water
law.
E
A
Director
crawl,
I
have
another
quick
question:
if
you
can
help
me
address
this,
can
you
give
us
more
on
the
insight
from
some
of
the
day-to-day
responsibilities?
A
That
a
stated
engineer
would
have,
for
instance,
like
is
the
state
engineer
like
the
final
decision
maker
for
like
really
robust
engineering
projects,
and
they
should
have
like
a
contextual
knowledge
on
as
to
what's
happening,
or
would
we
probably
say
that
a
lot
of
their
responsibilities
are
more
on
the
administrative
side
where
their
craft,
where
they're
doing
more,
like
the
hiring
the
strategic
process
of
what's
going
to
move
forward
like?
Can
you
give
us
more
insight
on
how
that
looks
for
the
state
engineers
office.
D
Thank
you,
chair,
donate
for
the
record.
This
is
brad
kroll.
Yes,
the
primary
responsibilities
of
the
division
administrator
is
to
do
exactly
that,
administer
the
division
more
so
than
perform
as
a
as
engineering
duties.
There's
a
wealth
of
knowledge
and
engineering
expertise
within
the
division
that
supports
the
the
head
of
the
division.
D
Now
the
administrator
should
be
conversant
in
engineering
terms
and
technology
and
things
of
that
nature,
but
they're
not
doing
the
hard
core
in-depth
engineering
work
on
a
daily
basis.
What
they're
doing
is
managing
staff
managing
budgets
working
through
complex
dynamics
in
terms
of
administering
the
law,
responding
to
courts,
managing
adjudications
and
hearings
on
water
rights,
and
so
you
really
need
a
experienced
manager.
First
and
foremost,
it's
the
same
reason
why
the
division
of
environmental
protection?
You
know
the
biggest
division
within
the
department.
D
You
know,
there's
a
lot
of
engineering
context
to
environmental
management,
but
it
is
not
required
that
position
is
not
required
to
be
an
engineer.
Similarly,
the
department
is
a
whole
at
one
point.
The
position
as
department
director
was
required
to
be
an
engineer
and
that
was
removed
in
1977.
A
Thank
you,
dr
kong.
So
would
it
be
fair
to
say
that,
for
instance,
if
a
water
rights
lawyer
would
were
to
step
into
this
state
engineer
role-
and
there
was
a
very
like
concrete
engineering
problem-
water
engineer-
problem
that
wasn't
really
within
their
past
expertise
that
they
would
fall
like
they
would
use
the
guidance
from
one
of
their
deputy
administrators
to
help
craft.
What
the
response
would
be.
Would
that
be
like
a
fair
assessment
situation
that
could
possibly
happen.
D
It
is,
it
is
conceivable
again
the
language
related
to
the
skill
set
and
requirements
for
serving
as
the
administrator
of
the
division.
It's
supposed
to.
The
language
is
intended
to
just
broaden
it
for
other
technical
areas
of
expertise,
not
to
open
it
up
to
say
a
lawyer,
and
if
the
administrator
has
a
you
know
a
phd
in
geology
but
they're,
not
a
professional
engineer,
then
it
would
be
required
that
one
of
their
deputies
is
a
professional
engineer.
D
So
it's
a
little
bit
of
a
belt
and
suspenders
there
within
the
technical
expertise
needed
it's
not
intended
to
provide
an
opening
for
a
lawyer
to
serve
as
the
division
administrator.
A
Thank
you
director,
carl.
That's
the
clarification
that
I
needed
any
other
questions
senator
brooks.
Do
you
have
anything.
A
Thank
you
standard
brooks
yeah,
thank
you,
chair
tonight
and,
and.
H
Wanted
to
say
hello
to
former
assemblywoman
swank
and
thank
you
for
presenting
this
bill
and
and
all
the
way
from
from
the
other.
A
Thank
you
so
much
okay.
I
think
I
don't
see
any
questions
unless
of
a
vice
chair
tribal
joins
us
later,
and
maybe
we
can
address
our
questions
as
well
or
we
can
try
doing
it
offline,
but
let's
go
ahead
and
at
this
point
in
time
seeing
that
there
are
no
more
questions
from
the
committee
members,
let's
go
ahead
and
proceed
with
testimony.
So
as
a
reminder,
we
will
be
limiting
all
testifiers
to
two
minutes.
Each
testifiers
are
encouraged
to
summarize
their
positions
and
submit
more
comprehensive
testimony
in
writing.
A
Just
as
a
reminder,
I
will
limit
each
section:
support
opposition
and
neutral
to
30
minutes,
and
I
will
do
my
best
to
monitor
the
time.
So
please
keep
it
to
two
minutes
each
just
for
fairness
and
transparency
for
everyone.
So
bps
is
there.
Anyone
on
the
line
wishing
to
provide
support
testimony
for
sb155.
I
I
A
Thank
you,
bps.
Let's
go
ahead
and
move
with
testimony
in
opposition.
I
I
H
Good
afternoon,
for
the
record,
my
name
is
reed
cousins,
that
is
spelled
r-e-e-d,
c-o-z
ens
once
again,
reed
cousins
for
the
record.
Thank
you,
chair,
donate
my
name's
reid
cousins,
I'm
a
professional
engineer
and
licensed
nevada
water
right
surveyor
here
in
carson
city,
and
I
am
opposed
to
sb
155
and
believe
it.
It's
tremendously
important
to
keep
our
states
the
most
precious
resource
under
a
professional
engineer's
guidance.
H
Water
is
uniquely
challenging
to
regulate.
It,
takes
many
specialties
working
together
to
make
our
systems
work.
Hydrologists
and
hydrogeologists
provide
scientific
insight
into
complex
water
systems,
attorneys
litigate
disputes,
but
it
is
the
professional
engineer
that
is
called
upon
to
work
within
these
ever-evolving
frameworks,
while
simultaneously
balance
balancing
the
unique
operational
needs
of
cities,
counties,
improvement,
districts,
developers,
public
utilities,
mining
companies,
individuals,
ranchers
farmers
and
all
other
water
users.
H
The
head
steward
of
our
state's
most
precious
resource
through
a
combination
of
education,
accreditation
and
expertise,
should
be
able
to
perform
the
following
measure.
The
flow
of
water
through
open
channels
and
enclose
pipes
provide
comprehensive
water
use
and
water
level
analysis
and
reporting
estimate
the
capacity
of
reservoirs
have
a
practical
knowledge
of
irrigation
crop
water
requirements,
be
able
to
interpret
aerial,
photography
and
imagery,
understand
land,
parceling
and
water
distribution
infrastructure
and
have
applied
knowledge
of
nevada's
water
law
and
well-drilling
regulations.
H
Professional
engineers
are
the
only
profession
that
continuously
are
trained
to
satisfy
these
criteria
by
their
very
nature.
Engineers
are
problem
solvers,
and
this
type
of
leadership
is
critical
for
nevada
and
its
future.
I
implore
this
committee
to
keep
the
nevada
state
engineer,
requirements
intact
and
vote
no
on
sb
155.
Thank.
I
J
My
name
is
wade
polson,
I
am
the
general
manager
of
lincoln
county
water
district.
My
name
is
spelled
w
a
d
e
p,
o.
U
l
s
e
n!
I
would
like
to
thank
the
chair
in
this
committee
for
allowing
us
to
provide
comments
in
opposition
to
sb
155
lincoln
county
water
district
can
appreciate
the
effort
of
this
bill
to
attempt
to
gather
in
the
best
and
the
brightest
people
into
the
state
engineers
position.
J
We
oppose
the
part
of
this
bill
that
does
not
require
the
state
nevada
state
engineer
to
be
a
professional
engineer.
Technical
and
scientific
review
is
important
in
the
processing
in
the
process
of
administrating
water
rights,
lincoln
county
water
district
believes
in
allowing
science
to
be
our
guide
when
dealing
with
water
resources
across
this
state.
Lincoln
county
water
district
recognizes
that
there
are
people
who
could
be
placed
into
this
position
and
could
do
the
job
effectively.
J
However,
given
how
politicized
water
can
become
in
this
state,
science
tends
to
take
a
back
seat
to
the
politics
of
the
day.
We
are
concerned
that,
by
taking
away
the
professional
engineering
requirement
from
the
nevada
state
engineer
position
that
politics
will
completely
take
over
the
nevada
state,
engineer,
position
and
good,
solid
and
sound
science
will
be
lost
or
pushed
into
the
background
as
time
goes
by
having
a
person
with
a
professional
engineer.
J
Work
under
the
nevada
state
engineer
does
not
necessarily
mean
that
the
science
will
stay
at
the
forefront
of
the
decision-making
process
when
appropriating
water
and
application
reviews,
as
well
as
orders
and
rulings
for.
Ultimately,
it
is
the
nevada
state
engineer
that
will
give
direction
and
set
agendas
for
the
office
lincoln
county
water
district
would
like
to
see
the
nevada
state
engineer,
become
more
science
driven
and
less
politically
driven,
and
we
believe
that
this
bill,
if
passed,
will
do
the
opposite.
J
I
A
Sorry
bps
just
for
clarification,
vice
chair
scheibel,
has
gone
ahead
and
joined
this
hearing,
so
let's
go
ahead
and
proceed
with
opposition
testimony.
Thank
you.
Bps.
I
B
My
name
is
jay
dixon
j-a-y-d-I-x-o-n,
I'm
a
chief
hydrologist
for
ken
ross
gold,
a
senior
mining
company
operating
the
round
mountain
in
bald
mountain
mines
in
nevada.
I'm
also
the
chair
of
the
water
working
group
with
the
nevada
mining
association,
I'm
a
registered
professional
engineer
and
I'm
testifying
against
sb
155
on
behalf
of
ken
ross
and
the
mining
association
state
engineer,
as
chief
administrator
of
dwr,
plays
a
significant
role
in
mining
industry
in
nevada,
as
it
pertains
to
the
beneficial
use
of
water
in
support
of
our
ability
to
extract
and
process
minerals.
B
As
such,
it
is
imperative
that
the
state
engineer
continues
to
have
the
necessary
tools
and
qualifications
to
make
extremely
important
and
oftentimes
highly
technical
and
complex
water
resource
decisions
based
on
the
best
available
science.
This
has
been
true
since
the
office
was
created
nearly
120
years
ago.
The
pe
licensure
is
an
important
step
toward
ensuring
the
necessary
technical
background
and
compliance
with
certain
ethical
rules
that
are
incumbent
upon
all
regulated
pes
in
nevada.
Removing
the
pe
requirement
would
potentially
open
the
position
up
to
political
agenda-driven.
B
Water
policy
decisions
need
to
be
based
on
science
and
sound
engineering
in
order
to
protect
the
public
interest,
not
promote
political
agendas
in
the
private
sector,
when
a
company
is
struggling
to
fill
and
maintain
positions
that
are
considered
critical
to
the
business,
the
most
effective
mitigation
tool
is
to
improve
compensation
in
nevada.
It
is
well
documented
that
the
state
engineers
position
is
not
well
aligned
with
the
private
sector,
as
it
pertains
to
compensation
for
pes.
B
B
I
K
This
is
kyle
rorink
k-y-l-e-r-o-e-r-I-n-k,
I'm
the
executive
director
of
the
great
basin
water
network,
chairman
dunatan
members
of
the
committee.
We
ask
you
to
oppose
sb
155.
The
great
basin
water
network
has
long
worked
within
the
regulatory
realm
of
the
division
of
water
resources.
Never
once
have
we
found
a
state
engineer
to
be
unfit
for
office.
K
Currently
we
have
a
very
high
standard
as
it
relates
to
what
it
takes
to
become
the
state's
top
water
official
section,
5
and
sb
155
vitiates
that
standard,
because
the
bill
has
open-ended
terms
and
no
real
sideboards
is
currently
written.
We
are
going
from
a
strong
criteria
to
literally
the
weakest
in
the
west,
as
sb
155
is
written
right
now.
It
is
a
guarantee
that
the
top
person
in
the
division
has
a
foundational
basis
for
technically
evaluating
data
and
that's
based
on
their
their
training
and
their
testing.
That's
required
to
become
a
professional
engineer.
K
Lawyers
and
hydrologists.
Don't
necessarily
have
that
background
for
evaluation,
as
it
relates
to
the
testing
and
training
the
language
in
section,
5
potentially
puts
deputy
state
engineers
and
administrators
and
a
precarious,
uncomfortable
power
dynamic.
We
are
uncertain
about
potential
legal
or
ethical
liabilities
that
this
could
create,
but
that
has
come
up
in
some
discussions.
K
Please
see
my
exhibit
to
further
examine
what
our
sister
states
are
doing,
but
briefly,
I
will
say
this:
wyoming
new
mexico
and
colorado
require
engineers
to
be
the
state's
top
water.
Official
utah's
language
requires
five
years
experience.
As
a
practical
engineer,
the
theoretical
knowledge,
practical
experience
and
skills
necessary
for
the
position
idaho
allows
for
engineers,
geologists
or
hydrologists,
with
strict
sideboards
that
are
required.
Arizona
requires
an
administrator
to
be
confirmed
by
a
state
senate
use
utah
also
requires
senate
confirmation.
K
I
B
Thank
you
and
thank
you
chair
for
allowing
me
the
opportunity
to
speak.
This
is
robert
cote
c-o-a-c-h-e,
I'm
a
registered
professional
engineer
with
the
state
of
nevada.
I've
got
over
40
years
of
experience
in
nevada,
water
rights
with
30
years
at
the
state
engineers
office
and
I've
worked
there.
As
an
engineer
hydrologist,
and
I
was
the
first
deputy
engineer
assigned
to
las
vegas
deputy
state
engineer
assigned
to
the
las
vegas
office.
B
Additionally,
you
run
into
an
ethical
conundrum,
with
a
deputy
state
engineer
being
the
registered
pe
when
the
state
engineer
is
an
actual
russia
professional
engineer,
the
buck
stops
with
him
and
as
a
deputy,
whenever
I
was
assigned
to
do
something.
Ultimately,
the
state
engineer
was
still
the
responsible
party.
B
Here
you
have
an
issue
with
the
pe
or
the
deputy
state
engineer
being
the
responsible
part
party
for
documents
that
could
be
signed
or
and
other
documents
that
he
prepared
on
his
behalf,
with
four
decades
of
experience
with
the
state
engineers
office
and
in
the
private
sector.
I
do
not
share
the
director's
belief
that
the
requirement
of
the
state
engineer
being
a
professional
engineer,
has
become
outdated.
B
In
fact,
it's
my
belief
that
the
multi-disciplinary
and
problem
solving
education
necessary
to
obtain
licensing
as
a
professional
engineer,
coupled
with
the
ethics
requirements
of
a
professional
engineer,
has
become
even
more
relevant
today
in
performing
the
duties
of
the
nevada
state
engineer
when
the
state
engineers
office
was
created
in
1903,
the
legislature
titled
the
position
that
created
the
state
engineer
for
a
reason,
117
years
later,
that
reason
remains
valid
today.
Thank
you,
chair
for
the
opportunity
to
speak,
and
I
just
want
to
be
on
the
record
that
I
adequately
oppose
sb
155.
Thank
you.
I
F
F
Through
the
legislation
introduced
this
session
pcnr
appears
to
be
taking
measures
to
reduce
public
oversight
and
involvement
and
upend
state
water
law.
Now
they
seek
to
redefine
the
leadership
structure
of
the
division
of
water
resources,
putting
extraordinary
powers
into
the
hands
of
an
individual
who
may
or
may
not
be
adequate
to
the
task.
F
Science
should
guide
water
decision
making,
not
politics,
there's
a
reason.
This
position
is
called
the
nevada
state
engineer,
there's
not
a
compelling
reason
to
support
this
bill,
but
there
are
many
reasons
not
to
if
we
want
to
fix
water
in
nevada.
We
can
start
by
properly
funding
dwr
and
ensuring
that
dwr
decision
makers,
such
as
the
state
engineer,
strictly
adhere
to
the
law.
A
bill
like
this
will
only
increase
the
likelihood
that
politics,
rather
than
science,
will
guide
water
decision
making.
F
I
would
also
just
say:
take
a
look
at
the
opposition
to
this
bill.
We've
heard
from
rural
counties,
the
mining
industry,
water
advocates,
former
state
engineers
and
environmentalists,
and
the
decent
rule
of
thumb
is
that
when
dcnr
is
putting
forward
legislation
that
literally
everyone
affected
by
the
legislation
opposes
it's
probably
a
bad
bill.
I
L
Sorry
about
that
again
warren,
mr
chairman,
member
of
the
committee
warren
hardy
w-a-r-r-e-n,
last
name,
hardy
h-a-r-g-y,
representing
today,
the
virgin
valley,
water
district
and
the
mohawk
valley
water
district.
I
want
to
thank
director
crowell
for
chatting
with
me
about
this
bill
earlier.
L
We
do
have
concerns
with
the
section
that's
been
referenced
with
regard
to
removing
the
requirement
to
be
an
engineer,
but
I
I
pleased
to
have
the
conversation
with
director
crown
and
I
look
forward
to
continuing
that
conversation
to
see
if
we
can
come
up
with
some
language
that
is
satisfactory.
So
thank
you,
mr
chair
and
members
of
committee.
I
B
Good
afternoon
committee
members
and
chair
this
is
my
name-
is
john
hatter.
Last
name
is
spelled
h-a-d-d-e-r
and
executive
director
of
great
basin
resource
watch,
nonprofit
organization
here
in
nevada
that
monitors
and
advocates
for
mining
reform
working
with
communities
to
protect
themselves
from
the
adverse
effects
of
mining.
Certainly,
water
is
a
primary
aspect
of
mining
and
there's
a
lot
of
very
important
technical
aspects.
B
Not
simple
issues
to
resolve,
and
in
particular
mining's
use
of
water
is
also
has
unique
qualities
to
it,
and
I
think
that
we
do
not
see
any
reason
for
the
change
in
the
statutes
as
as
it
stands.
So
we
stand
with
other
organizations
great
base
and
water
network
center
for
biological
diversity.
Many
of
the
engineers
that
have
spoken
already
in
opposition
to
155.
B
We
see
no
reason
for
this
change
and
it's
important
to
have
a
skilled
and
experienced
and
technically
qualified
person
in
this
in
this
position
to
evaluate
the
technical
issues
and
aspects
that
come
up
in
water
management.
We
thank
you
very
much
for
your
time
and
again
we
stay
in
opposition
to
this
bill.
I
A
Thank
you
dps
and
last
but
not
least,
let's
go
ahead
and
hear
if
there's
any
one
wishing
to
testify
in
neutral
on
the
bill.
A
Great,
thank
you.
I
know
that
by
search
I
will
join
this
late.
Do
you
have
any
questions
anything
before
we
go
to
closing
remarks.
B
G
With
the
presenters,
if
I
do
thank
you.
A
Thank
you
vice
chair
scheible,
dr
swang,
director
carl.
Do
you
have
any
last-minute
remarks
before
we
close
this
hearing.
C
Thank
you.
Thank
you,
chair
danate.
I
just
have
a
few
comments
and
then
I
will
pass
it
off
to
director
kroll.
One
of
the
things
I
wanted
to
address
was
a
couple
of
the
folks
who
spoke
in
opposition
mentioned,
increasing
the
compensation
for
the
state
engineer
as
the
fix
for
being
able
to
attract
more
candidates.
We
all
know
that
that
this
is
set.
The
salary
is
set
in
the
unclassified
pay
bill.
C
It
is
not
something
that
is
at
the
discretion
of
director
kroll
and
also
in
this
time,
when
nevada,
like
every
other
state
of
the
country,
is
going
through
a
lot
of
economic
turmoil.
As
we
come
out
of
this
covid19
pandemic,
it's
not
really
a
time
when
we
can,
when
we
can
raise
those
salaries,
and
we
have
another.
Two
years
before
we
come
back
to
the
legislature
and
those
two
years
are
really
important
for
nevada
to
be
able
to
manage
our
water
resources.
C
Well,
so
that
does
not
seem
like
a
a
helpful
critique
going
forward
as
far
as
just
you
know,
throw
the
money
throw
money
at
it.
That's
that's
really
not
not
going
to
get
us
where
we
need
to
go,
so
I
think
I'll
pass
things
off
to
director
kroll,
but
we're
more
than
happy
to
work
with
members
of
the
committee
on
any
anything
that
you
would
like
to
see
in
the
bill
and
again.
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
time.
D
Dr
swank,
thank
you
for
your
comments
and
for
your
willingness
to
be,
if
you're
hearing
today
and
provide
comments
day
out,
break
parole
for
the
record.
I
do
appreciate
the
commenters
who
called
in
and
and
provided
their
feedback.
D
I
I'm
a
little
dismayed
that
there
was
more
red
herrings
and
conspiracy
theories
thrown
out
there
than
constructed
feedback
about
how
to
reach
a
common
goal
or
engage
in
a
constructive
dialogue.
Mr
hardy,
I
do
appreciate
your
call
today
and
your
willingness
to
engage,
and
we
are
obviously
more
than
willing
to
do
that.
A
few
quick
comments
in
response.
D
D
Additionally,
I
would
ask
any
of
the
commenters
who
are
opposed
to
this
bill,
who
also
are
pes
whether
they
would
be
willing
to
step
out
of
whatever
job
they're
in
now
and
serve
as
the
state
engineer,
given
the
responsibilities,
the
pay
and
the
other
requirements.
I
presume
the
answer
is
no,
but
I
would
still
welcome
their
engagement
on
a
constructive
solution
and
I
believe,
strongly
in
science
being
the
guiding
light
for
the
policies
we
implement.
D
But
those
who
argue
for
the
status
quo
overlook
the
fact
that
we
didn't
get
to
the
place
in
nevada,
where
we
are
now
where
we're
egregiously
over
appropriated
and
over
pumped
in
many
of
our
water
basins
through
good
science.
So
I
don't
think
that
doing
it.
D
The
way
we've
always
done
it
is
the
answer
for
how
we
should
do
it
going
forward
if
we
want
to
take
a
responsible
approach
with
that
being
said,
I
welcome
all
interested
parties
on
either
side
to
engage
in
finding
a
path
forward
that
meets
the
the
limited
goals
of
this
legislation
to
provide
an
opportunity
for
more
technical
expertise
as
a
qualification
free
for
the
for
the
administrator
of
the
division
of
water
resources.
D
A
Thank
you
so
much
dr
swinken
director
carl
for
that
presentation.
I
don't
know
if
there's
a
record
for
how
fast
water
bills
can
be
done
for
a
hearing,
but
we
made
it
under
the
hour.
So
thank
you
again
for
your
time
and
your
service.
At
this
time,
I
will
go
ahead
and
close
the
hearing
on
sb155
again.
The
committee
will
not
be
taking
any
action
today,
but
it
might
bring
it
back
for
a
future
work
session.
A
Let's
move
back
in
order
up
to
our
work
session,
I
would
like
to
remind
everyone
that
we
will
not
be
taking
testimony
at
the
work
session.
However,
I
would
like
I
may
call
on
someone
as
necessary
to
answer
any
of
your
questions
from
the
committee
members.
We
will
begin
with
sb
63,
which
revises
provisions
relating
to
hemp.
Our
policy
analyst
jennifer
rudy
will
be
walking
us
through
the
work
session.
Ms
rudy,
please
proceed
when
you
are
ready.
G
G
It
requires
that
an
application
for
registration
as
a
grower
or
handler
of
hemp
or
producer
of
agricultural
hemp
seed
be
submitted
to
the
state
department
of
agriculture
on
or
before
july
1
of
any
year.
The
department
must
collect
a
sample
of
each
crop
of
hemp
for
testing
before
it
is
harvested
after
the
department
collects
such
a
sample.
The
grower
or
producer
must
harvest
a
crop
within
the
period
of
time
prescribed
in
certain
federal
regulations.
G
The
grower
or
producer
who
does
not
harvest
a
crop
within
that
period
of
time
must
not
harvest
the
crop.
Before
the
department
has
collected
a
new
sample
of
the
crop.
If
a
grower
or
producer
harvests
a
crop
before
a
sample
has
been
collected
by
the
department,
then
the
crop
is
deemed
to
have
failed.
The
required
testing
and
the
department
is
prohibited
from
renewing
the
grower
or
producers
registration.
G
Further,
the
department
may
refuse
to
issue
a
registration
as
a
grower
handler
or
producer
to
a
person
who
has
previously
had
such
a
registration
refused
or
revoked
for
certain
specified
reasons.
This
bill
was
heard
on
february
25th
and
if
you
flip
past
the
first
page
in
your
work
session
document
about
senate
bill
63,
the
next
page
is
an
amendment
chris
rusby
representing
battleborn
biologics
and
western
states.
Hemp
verbally
provided
an
amendment
at
the
hearing
on
february
25th
and
he
subsequent
to
the
hearing
provided
that
attached
amendment.
G
The
state
department
of
agriculture
noted
it
is
to
be
considered
a
friendly
amendment.
The
proposed
amendment
provides
that
a
grower
shall
submit
a
plan
for
the
effective
disposal
or
remediation
of
the
crop
before
the
department
may
detain,
seize
or
embargo
the
crop.
Such
plans
for
remediation
must
comply
with
certain
requirements.
If
the
grower
fails
to
submit
such
a
plan,
then
the
department
is
authorized
to
detain,
seize
or
embargo
the
crop,
and
there
were
no
fiscal
notes
on
this
bill.
Thank
you,
chair.
A
Thank
you,
ms
rudy,
and
just
for
the
committee
members.
If
you
do
have
any
questions
that
mr
rudy
can't
answer,
we
do
have
ashley
jepson,
who
is
an
administrator
plant
industry
division
at
the
state
department
of
agriculture?
Who
can
also
ask
answer
any
questions?
Senator
gorkuchi.
Did
you
have
a
question.
E
Yes,
I
just
the
clarification
on
the
bill
and
you
know,
because
we've
got
new
text
and
old
text,
but
as
I
read
the
bill,
it
sounds
like
you
can
have
a
cannabis,
independent
testing
laboratory.
E
G
A
E
The
answer,
then,
is
today
is
no.
A
Okay,
I
don't
see
anyone
else
at
this
time.
Seeing
no
questions.
I
will
go
ahead
and
entertain
a
motion
to
amend
and
do
past
sb63.
A
Thank
you
vice
chair
scheible.
Do
I
have
a
second
okay
and
a
second
from
senator
brooks?
Is
there
a
discussion
on
the
motion?
G
E
A
And
I
am
a
yes
great.
Thank
you.
The
motion
carries.
Are
there
any
volunteers
that
would
like
to
handle
the
floor
statement.
D
A
There
you
go.
Thank
you,
sir
appreciate
your
help.
Miss
rudy.
Let's
go
ahead
and
proceed.
Please
proceed
with
sb65,
which
revises
provisions
relating
to
the
state
department
of
agriculture.
G
Thank
you,
chair
donate.
This
is
jennifer
rudy
committee
policy,
analyst
senate
bill
65
revises
provisions
relating
to
the
composition
and
administration
of
the
state
department
of
agriculture.
The
measure
creates
four
divisions
within
the
state
department
of
agriculture
as
follows:
the
division
of
administrative
services,
division
of
animal
industry,
division
of
food
and
nutrition
and
division
of
plant
health
and
compliance,
the
measure
renames
the
division
of
consumer
equitability
as
the
division
of
measurement
standards.
G
The
measure
requires
the
director
of
the
department
to
appoint
an
administrator
of
each
of
the
five
divisions
who
is
in
the
unclassified
service
of
the
state
and
serves
at
the
pleasure
of
the
director.
The
director
retains
the
authority
to
alter
the
organization
of
the
department
and
reassign
responsibilities
and
duties
as
the
director
deems
appropriate.
G
The
measure
requires
the
director
to
appoint
a
state
veterinarian,
who
is
an
unclassified
service
of
the
state
and
serves
at
the
pleasure
of
the
director.
One
of
the
two
minimum
qualifications
for
the
state
veterinarian
is
revised
to
reduce
the
minimum
number
of
years
of
experience
from
five
to
three
years
experience
in
regulating
and
controlling
diseases
in
livestock.
There
are
no
proposed
amendments
for
senate
bill
65
and
while
there
were
three
fiscal
notes
on
this
bill,
all
three
of
them
showed
zero
fiscal
impact.
Thank
you.
A
Thank
you,
miss
rudy,
for
the
presentation
and
we
also
have
director
jennifer
ott
from
the
state
department
of
agriculture
to
answer
any
questions.
Do
any
committee
members
at
this
time
have
questions
senator
gregory.
E
Yes,
thank
you,
mr
chair,
and
more
of
a
comment
and
a
question,
although
I
am
a
little
concerned
about
clearly
the
animal
health
piece
of
it
and
and
the
enforcement
that
administrator
of
that
of
the
animal
industry-
and
you
know,
and
some
of
the
requirements
that
we're
looking
at
there
clearly
because
we've
got
some
other
bills
pending
that
could
impact
how
that
how
that
particular
division
is
going
to
run,
but
I
am
going
to
support
the
bill
because
I
understand
the
ag
board
did
in
fact
vote
to
support
both
these
bills.
A
Okay,
at
this
time,
seeing
no
more
questions,
I
will
go
ahead
and
entertain
a
motion
to
do
past
sb65.
A
Did
you
pass?
I
have
a
motion
from
senator
brooks.
Do
I
have
a
second
second
senator?
I
got
a
second
from
senator
glicka
chia.
Is
there
any
discussion
on
the
motion
seeing
none,
let's
go
ahead
and
will
the
secretary
please
proceed
to
call
the
roll
call
vote.
G
E
B
A
And
I
am
a
yes,
the
motion
carries.
I
can
go
ahead
and
volunteer
to
do
the
floor
statement
on
this
one.
Thank
you
to
my
committee
members
and
director
and
all
the
presenters
for
today
before
we
close
out.
Let's
go
ahead
and
move
on
to
public
comment.
I
will
not
call
for
public
comment.
Please
remember
to
limit
your
comments
to
two
minutes.
Bpstop
is
there
anyone
wishing
to
provide
public
comment.
I
A
Let's
give
it
15
seconds
just
to
make
sure
anyone
wants
to
jump
in.
I
A
I
don't
see
anything
else
so
again.
Thank
you
for
your
quick
response
and
collaboration
throughout
this
process.
A
water
bill
and
two
work
session
builds.
So
it's
a
good
time.
So
our
next
meeting
is
tuesday
march
23rd
at
3
30
pm.
This
meeting
is
now
adjourned.
Thank
you.