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SF0018

Wyoming Law on Misuse of State Lands

Last scannedOct 19, 2026, 2:19 AM

In one sentence

This law sets criminal penalties and fines for damaging state lands, removing timber without permission, or using vehicles and fires in prohibited areas.

What it does

  • Makes it a crime to remove forest products from state lands without a valid contract or small sale permit.
  • Sets a fine of up to $750 and up to six months in jail for knowingly or with reckless disregard damaging state lands.
  • Prohibits using motor vehicles on state lands off established roads or on roads closed by the board.
  • Bans charging people for recreational access to state lands unless the state issues a lease or temporary use permit.
  • Restricts building fires, grilling, or camping overnight to areas specifically established by the board.
  • Allows the state to seek damages up to three times the value of removed forest products.

Who it affects

  • People who use state lands for hunting, fishing, or recreation.
  • Individuals or groups who remove timber or forest products from state lands.
  • Peace officers and game and fish department law enforcement personnel.
  • The Wyoming State Land and Investment Board.

Limits and unknowns

  • The law does not define what constitutes 'casual recreation' versus other uses.
  • The specific rules for establishing roads or camping areas are set by the board, not this law.
  • The law does not specify how the state will calculate 'actual restoration and administrative costs'.

Plain language

Terms to know

State lands
Land owned by the state of Wyoming.
Misdemeanor
A minor crime that can result in a fine or short jail time.
Board
The state land and investment board that manages state lands.
Fiduciary duties
Legal responsibilities to manage property in the best interest of the owner.

Official record

Sources

Source checked
Official bill pageIntroduced textOfficial digestOfficial summaryCurrent bill text
Read the official summary

SF0018 Bill Summary Bill No.: SF0018 Drafter: MRW LSO No.: 06LSO-0030 Effective Date: 7/1/2006 Enrolled Act No.: SEA0064 Chapter No.: 95 Prime Sponsor: Joint Agriculture, Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee Catch Title: Misuse of state lands. Subject: Providing for enforcement for misuse of state lands. Summary/Major Elements: Provides enforcement for violations on state lands by providing criminal penalties for removing forest products from state lands without proper authorization, for damaging state lands, for using a motor vehicle off an established road, charging others to recreate on state lands unless authorized under a lease with the state, building fires, grilling or camping on state lands except in areas established by the state land and investment board. In addition, provides for treble damages for removing forest products from state lands without proper authorization. Provides enforcement authority to specified law enforcement agencies to enforce penalties for misuse of state lands.

Public statements

Why lawmakers voted

Last checked Sep 12, 11:05 AM

Voted Yes

Why they voted this way

The lawmaker explains that the bill is necessary to address individuals destroying state lands by establishing a misdemeanor charge with fines or jail time.

Public statementFloor statement at 51:39 Watch the statement

Wyoming roll calls

Recorded votes

8 roll calls

H Adopted JCC01 54-1-5-0-02006-03-10 · House54 yes 1 no
Yes
54
No
1
Absent
0
Excused
5
Conflict
0

Yes 54

Alan C JonesH25Becket HinckleyH41Bill ThompsonH60Bruce BarnardH49Colin SimpsonH24David R EdwardsH06David R MillerH55Debbie HammonsH27Deborah AldenH03Del McOmieH54Douglas OsbornH40Doug SamuelsonH07Edward BuchananH04Elaine HarveyH26Erin E Mrs. MercerH53EsquibelFrank PhilpH34Gerald GayH36Jack D Landon Jr.H30James C HagemanH05Jane WarrenH13Jeff WasserburgerH32Jerry IekelH29Jim SlaterH46John HastertH39Kathleen DavisonH20Keith M GingeryH23Kermit C BrownH14Kevin A WhiteH45Kurt BucholzH47Larry MeuliH08Lorraine K QuarbergH28Mark SemlekH01Marty A MartinH48Mary GilmoreH59Mick PowersH18Monte OlsenH22Owen PetersenH19Pat ChildersH50Pete JorgensenH16Peter S IllowayH42Randall B LuthiH21Robert A BrechtelH38Rodney "Pete" AndersonH10Rosie M BergerH51Ross DiercksH02Roy CoheeH35Thomas A LockhartH57Tom Lubnau IIH31Tom WalshH56Wayne ReeseH11W. Patrick P GogglesH33Zwonitzer, DK.Zwonitzer, DL.

No 1

George BagbyH15

Excused 5

Ann RobinsonH58Burke JacksonH52Layton D MorganH12Stephen D WattH17Steve HarshmanR · H37
S Adopted JCC01 19-11-0-0-02006-03-10 · Senate19 yes 11 no
Yes
19
No
11
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 19

Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bill Mr. VaseyS11Cale CaseR · S25Chuck TownsendS01E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05John J HinesS23Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Phil A NicholasS10Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06

No 11

Bruce Burns Jr.S21Charles ScottR · S30Curtis MeierS03Grant C LarsonS17Kathryn L SessionsS07Kenneth J DecariaS15Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Rae L JobS12Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13
S Did Not Concur 0-30-0-0-02006-03-08 · Senate0 yes 30 no
Yes
0
No
30
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

No 30

Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bill Mr. VaseyS11Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01Curtis MeierS03E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05John J HinesS23Kathryn L SessionsS07Kenneth J DecariaS15Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06
H Passed 3rd Reading 51-7-2-0-02006-03-07 · House51 yes 7 no
Yes
51
No
7
Absent
0
Excused
2
Conflict
0

Yes 51

Alan C JonesH25Ann RobinsonH58Becket HinckleyH41Bill ThompsonH60Bruce BarnardH49Colin SimpsonH24David R EdwardsH06David R MillerH55Debbie HammonsH27Deborah AldenH03Del McOmieH54Douglas OsbornH40Doug SamuelsonH07Edward BuchananH04Elaine HarveyH26Erin E Mrs. MercerH53EsquibelFrank PhilpH34Jack D Landon Jr.H30James C HagemanH05Jane WarrenH13Jeff WasserburgerH32Jerry IekelH29Jim SlaterH46John HastertH39Kathleen DavisonH20Keith M GingeryH23Kermit C BrownH14Larry MeuliH08Layton D MorganH12Lorraine K QuarbergH28Mark SemlekH01Marty A MartinH48Mary GilmoreH59Mick PowersH18Monte OlsenH22Owen PetersenH19Pat ChildersH50Pete JorgensenH16Peter S IllowayH42Randall B LuthiH21Rodney "Pete" AndersonH10Rosie M BergerH51Roy CoheeH35Stephen D WattH17Steve HarshmanR · H37Thomas A LockhartH57Tom Lubnau IIH31Wayne ReeseH11Zwonitzer, DK.Zwonitzer, DL.

No 7

George BagbyH15Gerald GayH36Kevin A WhiteH45Robert A BrechtelH38Ross DiercksH02Tom WalshH56W. Patrick P GogglesH33

Excused 2

Burke JacksonH52Kurt BucholzH47
H05 Recommended Amend and Do Pass 7-2-0-0-02006-02-28 · House7 yes 2 no
Yes
7
No
2
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 7

Burke JacksonH52Doug SamuelsonH07James C HagemanH05Kathleen DavisonH20Kermit C BrownH14Layton D MorganH12Mark SemlekH01

No 2

Mick PowersH18Ross DiercksH02
S Passed 3rd Reading 30-0-0-0-02006-02-20 · Senate30 yes 0 no
Yes
30
No
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 30

Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bill Mr. VaseyS11Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01Curtis MeierS03E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05John J HinesS23Kathryn L SessionsS07Kenneth J DecariaS15Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06
S05 Recommended Do Pass 5-0-0-0-02006-02-15 · Senate5 yes 0 no
Yes
5
No
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 5

Bill Mr. VaseyS11Curtis MeierS03Gerald E GeisS20Ray R PetersonS19Wayne H JohnsonS06
S Introduced and Referred to S05 29-1-0-0-02006-02-13 · Senate29 yes 1 no
Yes
29
No
1
Absent
0
Excused
0
Conflict
0

Yes 29

Austin "Kit" JenningsS28Bill HawksS29Bill Mr. VaseyS11Bruce Burns Jr.S21Cale CaseR · S25Charles ScottR · S30Chuck TownsendS01E. Jayne MocklerS08Gerald E GeisS20Grant C LarsonS17Henry R CoeS18Jim AndersonS02John BarrassoS27John C SchifferS22John G HanesS05John J HinesS23Kathryn L SessionsS07Kenneth J DecariaS15Michael J Mr. Von FlaternS24Mike MassieS09Patricia L AullmanS16Phil A NicholasS10Rae L JobS12Ray R PetersonS19Robert A PeckS26Stan CooperS14Tex BoggsS13Tony RossS04Wayne H JohnsonS06

No 1

Curtis MeierS03

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Governor Signed SEA No. 0064Governor
  2. Assigned Chapter Number - 95LSO
  3. H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0064House
  4. S President Signed SEA No. 0064Senate
  5. Assigned Number SEA0064LSO
  6. H Adopted SF0018JC01House
  7. S Adopted SF0018JC01Senate
  8. H Appointed JCC01 MembersHouse
  9. S Appointed JCC01 MembersSenate
  10. S Did Not ConcurSenate
  11. H Passed 3rd ReadingHouse
  12. H Passed 2nd ReadingHouse
  13. Amendment FailedHouse
  14. H Passed CoWHouse
  15. H Amendments AdoptedHouse
  16. Amendment AdoptedHouse
  17. H Placed on General FileHouse
  18. H05 Recommended Amend and Do PassHouse
  19. H Introduced and Referred to H05House
  20. H Received for IntroductionHouse

Changes

Amendments

6 stored

SF0018H2001

Failed 2nd reading by BRECHTEL

SF0018HS001

Adopted Standing Committee by H05

SF0018S2001

Adopted 2nd reading by NICHOLAS

SF0018S2002

Failed 2nd reading by NICHOLAS

SF0018S3001

Adopted 3rd reading by SCOTT

SF0018S3002

Adopted, Corrected 3rd reading by SCHIFFER