Grizzly bear season.

WORKING DRAFT
2011
STATE OF
WYOMING
11LSO-0576

SENATE FILE
NO.
SF0151

Grizzly bear season.

Sponsored by:
Senator(s) Barnard, Bebout and Hicks and Representative(s) Burkhart, Davison and Jaggi

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to
game and fish;

providing for a grizzly bear hunting season as specified; providing legislative findings;
and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

(a)

The legislature finds that:

(i)

The resurgence of the grizzly bear in
Wyoming
has been a result of
successful
conservation;

(ii)

With more than six hundred (600) grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, the quality grizzly habitat
in
Wyoming

is full;

(iii)

As a result of the recovered population of grizzly bears, classification of the grizzly bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 is restricting the ability of
Wyoming
to properly manage the grizzly bear population;

(iv
)

While t
hirteen (13) grizzly bears were managed in Wyoming through euthanization or relocation to a
zoo,
more than forty (40) additional grizzly bears were killed in Wyoming through human causes; and

(
v)

Proper
management
in order to
successfully

maintain the grizzly bear population in
Wyoming
may include hunting managed by the
Wyoming
game and fish department.

(b)

Notwithstanding the fact that
after delisting of the grizzly bear
a federal district court has determined that the grizzly bear is
again
considered to be threatened as defined in the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and in accordance with the legislative findings under subsection (a) of this section, the Wyoming game and fish department shall open a grizzly bear hunting season as specified in subsection (c) of this section.

(c)

The
grizzly
bear hunting season under subsection (b) of this section shall:

(i)

Provide for the taking of
a number of grizzly bears as determined by the department in order to properly manage the population provided that the season shall not allow the taking of
more than forty (40) grizzly bears
;

(ii)

Otherwise be conducted in accordance with
state law and
the rules and regulations of the
game and fish commission including the application and draw process as implemented for hunting seasons of other trophy animals;

(iii)

Occur after the effective date of this act and not later than January 1, 2012.

Section 2.
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)

1
SF0151