House bill NO. 821
INTRODUCED
BY M. Malone
By Request of the ****
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT APPROPRIATING MONEY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR GRANTS TO ASSIST YELLOWSTONE, MUSSELSHELL, AND STILLWATER COUNTIES TO COMBAT SALTCEDAR, RUSSIAN OLIVE, AND COMMON BUCKTHORN SPECIES; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Appropriation. (1) There is appropriated $250,000 from the general fund to the department of agriculture for one time only for the biennium beginning July 1, 2023, for the purpose of providing grants as outlined in subsection (2).
(2) By August 1, 2023, the department of agriculture shall provide grants to the appropriate local entities of Yellowstone, Musselshell, and Stillwater Counties for the purpose of managing and controlling existing infestations of saltcedar, Russian olive, and common buckthorn species within these three counties. An application for the grant must be submitted to the department and grants must be awarded to applicants with the best opportunity for successfully controlling the identified woody invasive species. The department shall use the same standards set forth in Title 4, chapter 5, subchapter 1, ARM, for these grants.
Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2023.