Section 63L-8-402 - Grazing fees - Feasibility study - Contents - Submission of report - Annual distribution and use of range betterment funds - Nature of distributions(1) As used in this section: (a) "Animal unit" means one mature 1,000 pound cow and the cow's suckling calf.(b) "Animal unit month" means the amount of forage needed by an animal unit grazing for one month.(c) "Forage" means the food and water necessary to sustain a cow, according to the cow's metabolic weight.(2) The Legislature finds that, as of 2016, a substantial amount of the rangelands on the public land is deteriorating in quality due to federal mismanagement, and that installation of additional range improvements could arrest much of the continuing deterioration and lead to substantial betterment of forage conditions with resulting benefits to wildlife, watershed protection, and livestock production.(3) The director, in consultation with the commissioner, shall establish a fee, in accordance with Section 63J-1-504, to be charged for domestic livestock grazing on public land that is equitable to the: (a) state and the state's citizens; and(b) holders of grazing permits and leases on rangeland.(4) Subject to Subsection (5), the fee described in Subsection (3) shall be: (a) determined using the following indices: (i) the rental charge of pasturing cattle on private rangeland, or the forage value index (FVI);(ii) the average annual sales price of beef cattle, or the beef cattle price index (BCPI); and(iii) the cost of livestock production, or the prices paid index (PPI); and(b) calculated as follows: ((FVI + BCPI - PPI)/100).(5)(a) The minimum grazing fee shall be $1.35 per animal unit month.(b) The annual fee adjustment may not exceed 25% of the grazing fee from the previous fiscal year.(6)(a) Fifty percent of all money received by the state as fees for grazing domestic livestock on public land shall be deposited into the Grazing Land Fund created in Section 63L-8-310.(b) Fifty percent of money received by the state as fees for grazing domestic livestock on the public land shall be deposited into the Public Land Management Fund created in Section 63L-8-308. Amended by Chapter 451, 2017 General Session ,§ 9, eff. 5/9/2017.Added by Chapter 317, 2016 General Session ,§ 23, eff. 5/10/2016.