We are currently watching 24 bills that have been logged so far including bills on public lands management, wildlife management, hunting seasons and tags, conservation easements, and habitat projects.
We are seeing several bills that could be problematic for public lands, including HB0118-Limitations on net land gains for the federal government, SF0105-An act to preserve state territorial sovereignty, and SJ0002-Resolution to demand equal footing.
Other bills that the Federation will be opposing include:
SF0118-Landowner hunting tag-amendments which would allow landowners to sell or transfer their landowner hunting tags
HB0186-Bear coupons which would attach a bear license to every purchased elk license resulting in the Game and Fish Department losing between $150,000-$225,000 per year in revenue without a benefit to elk or mule deer
HB0220-Conservation easements-amendments which dictates what a private landowner can do with their land and places unnecessary time limitations on the terms of conservation easements
HB0221-Bighorn and domestic sheep relocation-effective date repeal which repeals a bill passed last year that provided protections in the event of a bighorn sheep reintroduction in the Sweetwater Rocks
Bills that the Federation is supporting include:
HB0005- Fishing outfitters and guides-registration of fishing boats which addresses an important issue; there may be additional work to be done, but this bill moves in the right direction.
HB0045-Removing otters as protected animals which would reclassify otters from a protected species to a nongame species, allowing the Game and Fish Department flexibility to trap and relocate or remove otters from conflict situations while maintaining protections for the species. As a nongame species, otters would not be eligible for a public hunting or trapping season, but the Department would have more management tools available than their current status allows.
SF0088-2025 large project funding which authorizes projects funded by the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust fund that will cost over $400,000 including highway crossings near Kemmerer, habitat improvements in central Wyoming, and invasive annual grass control across Wyoming
SF0099-Game and Fish property tax exemptions which exempts the Game and Fish Department from paying property taxes on facilities, in line with other state agencies, resulting in a savings of over $500,000 per year to the Department
SF0140-Trapping education requirements which requires that trapper’s safety education for persons born on or after January 1, 2000
Interested in learning more about the legislative process and getting involved at the state capitol? Make sure to join us for Camo at the Capitol on February 13th!