Arizona Administrative Register Governor's Executive Orders/Proclamations
EXECUTIVE ORDER 2000-7 Establishing a Governor's Water Management Commission WHEREAS, the assurance of a stable water supply is essential to the economic vitality of the State of Arizona and continued quality of life for its citizens; and WHEREAS, the expanding economy and population growth in the State of Arizona places increasing demands on our natural resources; and WHEREAS, the development of an effective water management structure requires balancing a variety of interests; and WHEREAS, the Groundwater Code has guided water management within the Arizona Active Management Areas since 1980 and our State has experienced significant economic, social and demographic changes since that time; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jane Dee Hull, Governor of the State of Arizona, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor by the Arizona Constitution and the laws of this State, do hereby establish the Governor's Water Management Commission, a private state body, to serve the purpose of evaluating water management regulations and activities within Arizona's Active Management Areas and making recommendations regarding changes to laws, rules or polices that would facilitate achievement of a long-term, reliable water supply. 1. The Members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Governor and will serve at the pleasure of the Governor. a. The Governor shall appoint three co-chairs, one of whom shall be the Director of the Department of Water Resources. The Commission shall consist of no fewer than 20 at-large members representing both the public and private sectors, including agricultural interests, municipalities, the development community, environmental interests, local governments, state agencies, and other community members and representatives from the regulated community interested in the enhancement of Arizona's water management system. b. The Arizona Department of Water Resources shall serve as staff to the Commission. The Commission shall consider future water needs in Arizona's Active Management Areas and evaluate water management statutes, rules, and policies within the Active Management Areas to assure that our water management programs are consistent with an effective state plan of water management. The Commission shall: a. Evaluate progress towards meeting the goals of the 1980 Groundwater Management Act and the management goals of each of the five active Management Areas to assure that the goals are appropriate and achievable. b. Evaluate mechanisms to reduce the use of mined groundwater, increase the utilization of renewable water supplies and most efficiently meet the water needs in Active Management Areas. c. Evaluate whether changes are needed in statutes, rules or policies to improve the effectiveness of water management in the Active Management Areas at the state and local levels of government. To assure that the Governor's Water Management Commission will have access to information from a broad-based constituency, a Technical Advisory Committee, appointed by the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, shall provide technical assistance to the Commission. The Technical Advisory Committee shall evaluate the recommendations developed by local Active Management Area Task Forces and make recommendations to the Commission regarding changes to laws, rules or policies at the state and local levels of government. These recommendations will help to assure that the State of Arizona will have a reliable and sustainable water supply to meet its current and future needs. The Commission shall submit an interim report on or before June 1, 2001, and a final report to the Governor on or before December 1, 2001. Both reports shall contain the findings and recommendations of the Commission. The reports shall be made available to Arizona's congressional delegation, the members of the Arizona Legislature, state, county and local political subdivisions, the State's universities and members of the private sector.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Arizona.
Jane Dee Hull
Governor DONE at the Capitol in Phoenix on the Second day of May in the Year Two Thousand and of the Independence of the United States of America the Two Hundred and Twenty-fourth. ATTEST:
Betsey Bayless
Secretary of State Volume 6, Issue #22 Page 1946 May 26, 2000
