The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking informal comments on administrative rules for the Agricultural Lease Program (Chapter 21), Barge Fleeting Regulations (Chapter 17), Rental Fee Schedule for State-owned Property, Riverbed, Lakebed, and Waterfront Lands (Chapter 18), and Sand and Gravel Permits (Chapter 19).
Executive Order 10 (EO10), signed by Governor Reynolds on Jan. 10, 2023, requires all state agencies to identify which administrative rule chapters will be retained or rescinded. The EO10 process includes public engagement with the opportunity for meaningful input.
The Iowa DNR has reviewed the above-mentioned rule chapters. Chapter 21 has been revised to eliminate redundancies and improve efficiency. Chapters 17, 18, and 19 are proposed to be combined into Chapter 17 to eliminate redundancies, outdated language, and improve efficiency and consistency across the three programs.
The public are invited to provide informal comments on the proposed rule changes. DNR will accept written comments through July 21, 2023. Written comments or questions regarding the proposed rules should be submitted to: Nathan.schmitz@dnr.iowa.gov. Comments should be made to specific portions of the rules.
After receiving and reviewing informal comments, the DNR will create a draft Regulatory Analysis and draft Notice of Intended Action. The DNR will host a formal public comment period for these drafts, followed by a public hearing, in September 2023.
Versions of the rules, including a “clean” copy and a version showing revisions, can be found on the DNR webpage: https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/About-DNR/Administrative-Rules.