(1) There is created within the General Fund a restricted account known as the Species Protection Account.

(2) The account shall consist of: (a) revenue generated by the brine shrimp tax provided for in Title 59, Chapter 23, Brine Shrimp Royalty Act; and (b) interest earned on money in the account.

(a) revenue generated by the brine shrimp tax provided for in Title 59, Chapter 23, Brine Shrimp Royalty Act; and

(b) interest earned on money in the account.

(3) Money in the account may be appropriated by the Legislature to: (a) develop and implement species status assessments and species protection measures; (b) obtain biological opinions of proposed species protection measures; (c) conduct studies, investigations, and research into the effects of proposed species protection measures; (d) verify species protection proposals that are not based on valid biological data; (e) implement Great Salt Lake wetlands mitigation projects in connection with the western transportation corridor; (f) pay for the state's voluntary contributions to the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Account under the Central Utah Project Completion Act, Pub. L. No. 102-575, Titles II-VI, 106 Stat. 4605-4655; and (g) pay for expenses of the State Tax Commission under Title 59, Chapter 23, Brine Shrimp Royalty Act.

(a) develop and implement species status assessments and species protection measures;

(b) obtain biological opinions of proposed species protection measures;

(c) conduct studies, investigations, and research into the effects of proposed species protection measures;

(d) verify species protection proposals that are not based on valid biological data;

(e) implement Great Salt Lake wetlands mitigation projects in connection with the western transportation corridor;

(f) pay for the state's voluntary contributions to the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Account under the Central Utah Project Completion Act, Pub. L. No. 102-575, Titles II-VI, 106 Stat. 4605-4655; and

(g) pay for expenses of the State Tax Commission under Title 59, Chapter 23, Brine Shrimp Royalty Act.

(4) The purposes specified in Subsections (3)(a) through (3)(d) may be accomplished by the state or, in an appropriation act, the Legislature may authorize the department to award grants to political subdivisions of the state to accomplish those purposes.

(5) Money in the account may not be used to develop or implement a habitat conservation plan required under federal law unless the federal government pays for at least 1/3 of the habitat conservation plan costs.