BuzzH
Well-known member
Been meaning to put this out there, the TRW committee is proposing a couple real gems for bills regarding Wyoming.
Raising nonrefundable NR application fees from $15 to $75 dollars and Resident application fees from $5 to $20.
To make matters worse a good portion of those fees going to the landowner damage compensation fund. We already fully fund the damage fund via license fees.
Hunting license application fees increase.Sponsored by: Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Interim CommitteeA BILLfor1 AN ACT relating to game and fish; authorizing the game and 2 fish commission to set application fees for hunting 3 licenses as specified; and providing for an effective date.45 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:67 Section 1. W.S. 23-2-101(e)is amended to read:89 23-2-101. Fees; restrictions; nonresident application fee; 10 nonresident licenses; verification of residency required; 11 donation of refunded application fees.122025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0057Working Draft0.62 [Bill Number]1 (e) Resident and nonresident license applicants shall 2 pay an application fee in an amount specified by this 3 subsection upon submission of an application for purchase 4 of any limited quota drawing for big or trophy game license 5 or wild bison license. The resident application fee6 Application fees shall be five dollars ($5.00) established 7 by rule and shall not exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) for 8 resident applications and the seventy-five dollars ($75.00) 9 for nonresident application fee shall be fifteen dollars 10 ($15.00)applications. The application fee is in addition to 11 the fees prescribed by subsections (f) and (j) of this 12 section and by W.S. 23-2-107 and shall be payable to the 13 department either directly or through an authorized selling 14 agent of the department. At the beginning of each month, 15 the commission shall set aside all of the fees collected 16 during calendar year 1980 and not to exceed twenty-five 17 percent (25%) of the fees collected thereafter pursuant to 18 this subsection to establish and maintain a working balance 19 of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00), to 20 compensate owners or lessees of property damaged by game 21 animals and game birds.
So, that brings me to the next step, which explains the GF wanted more funds diverted to the landowner damage claim fund.
That would be this little gem that the GF is using to end run legislation that failed last year.
(iii) Extraordinary damage to grass shall include damage to forage on privately owned or privately leased rangelands under the following conditions: (A) Where a big game animal herd is over objective as established by the Commission for three (3) or more consecutive years and damage by over objective big game animals exceeds fifteen percent (15%) of the estimated annual forage production which shall be based on the standard Animal Unit Month (AUM) of forage consumed equivalent to seven hundred fifty (750) pounds of dry forage. For purposes of this subsection, over objective big game animal herds means a population estimate that indicates a herd unit is greater than twenty percent (20%) above the numerical herd objective as set by the Commission; or, (B) Damage to rangelands by big game animals that exceeds thirty percent (30%) or more of the estimated annual forage production based on the standard AUM of forage consumed equivalent to seven hundred fifty (750) pounds of dry forage.
Under this proposed regulation change, the GF added the EXACT verbiage to regulation that I literally received phone calls from upper GF staff to oppose in last years legislation. The reason was because this will cost Sportsmen millions in revenue to compensate ranchers for elk eating their grass.
It's pretty special that the GF and commission as well as the legislature are acting in partnership to knife sportsmen and wildlife in the back. Its one thing to sort of know that may be going on, it's a totally different thing to make it this blatant.
I would strongly suggest that Residents in particular make contact immediately with the GF commission and ask them to oppose the Chapter 28 proposed regulation changes. I would also encourage you to contact the TRW committee and let them know you oppose the application fee increases to both R and NR applicants.
NR, feel free to contact as well if you're so inclined but realize you don't have the sway that residents do.
Raising nonrefundable NR application fees from $15 to $75 dollars and Resident application fees from $5 to $20.
To make matters worse a good portion of those fees going to the landowner damage compensation fund. We already fully fund the damage fund via license fees.
Hunting license application fees increase.Sponsored by: Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Interim CommitteeA BILLfor1 AN ACT relating to game and fish; authorizing the game and 2 fish commission to set application fees for hunting 3 licenses as specified; and providing for an effective date.45 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:67 Section 1. W.S. 23-2-101(e)is amended to read:89 23-2-101. Fees; restrictions; nonresident application fee; 10 nonresident licenses; verification of residency required; 11 donation of refunded application fees.122025 STATE OF WYOMING 25LSO-0057Working Draft0.62 [Bill Number]1 (e) Resident and nonresident license applicants shall 2 pay an application fee in an amount specified by this 3 subsection upon submission of an application for purchase 4 of any limited quota drawing for big or trophy game license 5 or wild bison license. The resident application fee6 Application fees shall be five dollars ($5.00) established 7 by rule and shall not exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) for 8 resident applications and the seventy-five dollars ($75.00) 9 for nonresident application fee shall be fifteen dollars 10 ($15.00)applications. The application fee is in addition to 11 the fees prescribed by subsections (f) and (j) of this 12 section and by W.S. 23-2-107 and shall be payable to the 13 department either directly or through an authorized selling 14 agent of the department. At the beginning of each month, 15 the commission shall set aside all of the fees collected 16 during calendar year 1980 and not to exceed twenty-five 17 percent (25%) of the fees collected thereafter pursuant to 18 this subsection to establish and maintain a working balance 19 of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00), to 20 compensate owners or lessees of property damaged by game 21 animals and game birds.
So, that brings me to the next step, which explains the GF wanted more funds diverted to the landowner damage claim fund.
That would be this little gem that the GF is using to end run legislation that failed last year.
(iii) Extraordinary damage to grass shall include damage to forage on privately owned or privately leased rangelands under the following conditions: (A) Where a big game animal herd is over objective as established by the Commission for three (3) or more consecutive years and damage by over objective big game animals exceeds fifteen percent (15%) of the estimated annual forage production which shall be based on the standard Animal Unit Month (AUM) of forage consumed equivalent to seven hundred fifty (750) pounds of dry forage. For purposes of this subsection, over objective big game animal herds means a population estimate that indicates a herd unit is greater than twenty percent (20%) above the numerical herd objective as set by the Commission; or, (B) Damage to rangelands by big game animals that exceeds thirty percent (30%) or more of the estimated annual forage production based on the standard AUM of forage consumed equivalent to seven hundred fifty (750) pounds of dry forage.
Under this proposed regulation change, the GF added the EXACT verbiage to regulation that I literally received phone calls from upper GF staff to oppose in last years legislation. The reason was because this will cost Sportsmen millions in revenue to compensate ranchers for elk eating their grass.
It's pretty special that the GF and commission as well as the legislature are acting in partnership to knife sportsmen and wildlife in the back. Its one thing to sort of know that may be going on, it's a totally different thing to make it this blatant.
I would strongly suggest that Residents in particular make contact immediately with the GF commission and ask them to oppose the Chapter 28 proposed regulation changes. I would also encourage you to contact the TRW committee and let them know you oppose the application fee increases to both R and NR applicants.
NR, feel free to contact as well if you're so inclined but realize you don't have the sway that residents do.
