Gray wolf management.

WORKING DRAFT
2009
STATE OF
WYOMING
09LSO-0221

HOUSE BILL

NO.
HB0032

Gray wolf management.

Sponsored by:
Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to
game and fish; providing for management of gray wolves in the state; providing for regulation of lethal take permits; providing for the killing of gray wolves doing damage to livestock or domestic animals;
and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.
W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
304(a), (m), (n) and
by creating
new subsection
s
(q)
and (r)
and 23
‑
3
‑
115(c) are amended to read:

23
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1
‑
304.

Classification of gray wolves.

(a)

The commission shall
by rule and regulation establish areas within the state where gray wolves are classified as trophy game animals and set seasons and bag limits within those areas. The areas designated, seasons and bag limits shall be set annually in a manner the commission determines, through rule and regulation, only as necessary to reasonably ensure

there are
at least

seven (7) breeding pairs of gray wolves are located in this state and primarily outside of Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway at the end of the current calendar year

fifteen (15) breeding pairs of gray wolves in the state

and to ensure genetic diversity and connectivity with adjoining populations
.

(m)

The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations
requiring

permitting and regulating
lethal control of wolves harassing, injuring, maiming or killing livestock or other domesticated animals and for wolves occupying geographic areas where chronic wolf predation occurs. The rules and regulations shall provide that nonlethal control actions will be used if lethal control could cause relisting of wolves under the endangered species act or if requested by the livestock or domesticated animal owner or agent.

(n)

The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for issuance of annual permits to landowners or livestock owners for removing wolves which are harassing, injuring, maiming or killing livestock or other domesticated animals and for wolves occupying geographic areas where chronic wolf predation occurs. The permits
shall

may
be issued as long as there are
seven (7)
fifteen (15)

breeding pairs within the state
.

and outside of
Yellowstone

National Park
,
Grand Teton

National Park
and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
.
The rules shall provide for

nonissuance,
suspending or cancelling permits if further lethal control could cause relisting of wolves under the endangered species act.

(q)

The commission may, to the extent practical, manage gray wolves under this section to ensure
that
genetic diversity and connectivity issues
do not
threaten the gray wolf population.

(r)

For purposes of this section, "areas where chronic wolf predation occurs" means a geographic area limited to a specific area within the area described in subsection (a) of this section where gray wolves have twice or more within the immediately preceding two (2) month period harassed, injured, maimed or killed livestock or domesticated animals.

23
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3
‑
115.

Taking black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf, bobcat, weasel, badger, squirrels or muskrat for damaging property.

(c)

The provisions of subsection (a) of this section relating to the taking of animals doing damage to private property shall apply to gray wolves
F
rom and after the date gray wolves are removed from the list of experimental nonessential population, endangered species or threatened species in Wyoming as provided by W.S. 23
‑
1
‑
108

any gray wolf actually biting, wounding, grasping or killing livestock or domesticated animals or chasing, molesting or harassing livestock or domesticated animals in such a way that would indicate to a reasonable person that biting, wounding, grasping or killing of the livestock or domesticated animals is likely to occur at any minute, may be immediately taken and killed by
any person authorized by
the owner of the property, employee of the owner or lessee of the property
.

The
owner, employee or lessee

person
acting under authority of this section shall notify the department of the killing of a gray wolf within an area of the state in which the gray wolf is classified as a trophy game animal. The notification shall be made within ten (10) days of the kill unless the gray wolf was taken in an area where wolves have been classified as trophy game animals pursuant to W.S.
23
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1
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304(a)
in which case the notification shall be made within seventy-two (72) hours.

Section 2.
2003 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 115, Section 4(c) is amended to read:

Section 4.

(c)

In order to accomplish the purposes of this act, the game and fish commission
shall

may
enter into a memorandum of understanding with appropriate federal agencies under which the commission and federal agencies shall endeavor to manage the prey base for gray wolves in a manner to maintain a sufficient prey base
in Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
within the
state
,
including

Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
,
for at least
eight (8) packs

fifteen (15) breeding pairs
of wolves.

The game and fish commission shall endeavor to manage big game populations providing a prey base for seven (7) packs of gray wolves in all other areas of the state in such a manner as to mitigate to the greatest extent possible, adverse effects on opportunities for licensed hunters to take big game.

Section
3
.
2007 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 168, Section 4 is repealed.

Section
4
.
This act 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)

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HB0032