Wyoming historic mine trail and byway system.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL SENATE

FILE

NO.
0162

ENROLLED ACT NO. 80, SENATE

FIFTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2005 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming historic mine trail and byway system; establishing the trail and byway system; creating a commission to develop the system; specifying commission duties and authorizing compensation; prescribing a process for system development and establishing advisory groups to assist with the process; imposing duties upon the tourism and travel division; providing an appropriation; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 36
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1401 through 36
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1403 are created to read:

ARTICLE 14
WYOMING HISTORIC MINE TRAIL AND BYWAY SYSTEM

36
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1401.

Historic mine trail and byway commission; created; membership; legislative advisory members; quorum; compensation.

(a)

The historic mine trail and byway commission is established and shall consist of the following seven (7) members:

(i)

A member of the Wyoming business council selected by the council;

(ii)

The director of the Wyoming division of travel and tourism or his designee;

(iii)

The director of the Wyoming department of transportation or his designee;

(iv)

The director of the Wyoming department of environmental quality or his designee;

(v)

The director of the Wyoming mining association or his designee;

(vi)

The director of the Wyoming geological survey or his designee;

(vii)

The director of the Wyoming department of state parks and cultural resources or his designee.

(b)

In addition to the members specified under subsection (a) of this section, the chairman of the Wyoming senate travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources committee or his designee, and the chairman of the Wyoming house travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources committee or his designee, shall serve on the commission in an advisory, nonvoting capacity.

(c)

The commission shall elect one (1) of its voting members to act as chairman, who shall ensure the commission meets at least once each year on or near July 10, and more frequently when necessary. Three (3) members shall constitute a quorum necessary to take official commission action.

(d)

Legislative advisory members of the commission shall receive salary, per diem and travel in the manner and amounts specified under W.S. 28
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101, for attending commission meetings. The commission member representing the business council shall be paid per diem in accordance with W.S. 9
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102(b) when conducting official commission business.

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1402.

Wyoming historic mine trail and byway system; creation; commission duties and processes for trail and byway development; advisory groups.

(a)

The Wyoming historic mine trail and byway system is created for purposes of designating and identifying historic mine locations and trails and byways linking historic mines within the state, and as such, shall:

(i)

Provide a precise history of mineral development in Wyoming;

(ii)

Interpret the role of mining and minerals in the development of Wyoming's economy;

(iii)

Identify and describe Wyoming's mining and mineral development heritage.

(b)

The Wyoming historic mine trail and byway system shall be established by the commission created under W.S. 36
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1401 through a process of nominations submitted from among various public and private sectors within Wyoming which are knowledgeable of historic mining activities, and in consultation and coordination with the affected boards of county commissioners and other local governing bodies and agencies. The system shall expand upon the first designated historic mine trail and byway as established by this subsection, which shall link the gold mines located in South Pass City, Miners' Delight and Atlantic City, Wyoming, to the iron mines located near Atlantic City, to the uranium mines in the Crooks Gap and Gas Hills mining districts located in Fremont County, Wyoming.

(c)

For purposes of subsection (b) of this section, the commission may organize advisory groups from among representatives of relevant historical societies operating in Wyoming, private and public museums operating in Wyoming, state, city and county libraries, private landowners and other state and federal agencies providing background, information and representation of mining activities on private and governmental lands within Wyoming. The advisory groups shall develop nominations for additional segments to the Wyoming historic mine trail and byway system for subsequent review and determination by the commission. Upon approval of the commission chairman, advisory members may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred for participation in official advisory group business in the manner and amounts provided for state employees under W.S. 9
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102 and 9
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103.

(d)

In addition to subsection (b) of this section, the commission shall:

(i)

Annually determine any additional segments to the historic mine trail and byway system through the nomination process established under this section;

(ii)

Consult and coordinate trail and byway system designation and development with private land owners upon whose land the proposed trails or byways proposed for designation lie;

(iii)

Consult and coordinate trail and byway development with the appropriate local governmental entities having jurisdiction over lands and roads involved in trail and byway designation;

(iv)

Through the travel and tourism division, develop promotional materials supporting the trail and byway system, including appropriate historical information describing the trail and byway system, its significance to Wyoming and links to information expanding upon the historic mining industry;

(v)

Encourage the Wyoming media industry to provide appropriate recognition of information on the mining areas of Wyoming, its historical significance, communities impacted by the industry, activities surrounding the historic mine trail and byway system and development of the trail and byway system;

(vi)

Develop the historic mine trail and byway system in conjunction with appropriate state and local land use and health and safety regulations and policies;

(vii)

Establish policies governing the trail and byway system development and nomination process and the expansion of trail and byway segments.

36
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1403.

Commission administrative support; annual report.

(a)

The department of state parks and cultural resources shall provide necessary staffing and administrative support to the commission in carrying out duties and responsibilities imposed under this article.

(b)

The commission shall annually report to the governor and legislature in the manner provided under W.S. 9
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1014 on the execution of delegated duties and historic mine trail and byway development and on the expenditures of funds appropriated to the commission.

Section 2.

Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) is appropriated from the general fund to the Wyoming department of state parks and cultural resources, to fund the expenses of the commission and other expenditures necessary to carry out section 1 of this act during the period commencing July 1, 2005, and ending June 30, 2006.

Section 3.

Members of the Wyoming historic mine trail and byway commission established under W.S. 36
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1401, as created under section 1 of this act, shall be determined in sufficient time to enable a meeting of the commission on or about July 10, 2005.

Section 4.

This act is effective July 1, 2005, except for section 3 of this act which is
effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

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