Public lands-constitutional amendment.

2017
STATE OF WYOMING
17LSO-0179
Introduced
1.4

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

NO.

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Public lands-constitutional amendment.

Sponsored by:
Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee

A BILL

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION proposing to amend the Wyoming Constitution to provide for the management of and public access to lands granted by the federal government to the state after January 1, 2019.

BE
IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING,

two-thirds of all the members of the two houses, voting separately, concurring therein:
Section
1
.

The following proposal to amend Wyoming Constitution, Article 18 by creating a new Section 7 is
proposed for submission to the electors of the State of Wyoming at the next general election for approval or rejection to become valid as a part of the Constitution if ratified by a majority of the electors at the election:

Article 18, Section 7.

Public lands management and access
.

(a)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitutio
n and when in accordance with the purposes of a grant of land to the
s
tate of Wyoming from the United States, lands granted to the state after January 1, 2019 shall be managed for public access and for multiple use and sustained yield.

(b)

The legislature may provide for the exchange of state lands acquired pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The legislature shall ensure that any exchanges of lands acquired pursuant to subsection (a) of this section collectively cause no more than a de
minimis
loss or gain in value of the state lands within any county. Other than the powers expressly granted within this subsection, the state shall have no power to dispose or sell the lands acquired pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, except for exigent circumstances associated with public health and welfare or to public entities for public purposes.

(c)

Any lands acquired pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or pursuant to any exchange pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be managed to maintain or increase public access to those lands.

(d)

This section shall not apply to
any land within the boundaries of a designated national park, designated national monument or wilderness area designated under the national wilderness preservation system
.

(e)

As used in this section:

(
i
)

"Multiple use" means the management of the land in a combination of balanced and diverse resource uses that takes into account the long-term needs for renewable and nonrenewable resources, including but not limited to recreation, range, timber, minerals, watershed, wildlife and fish, natural, scenic, scientific and historical values, and the coordinated management of the resources without permanent impairment of the productivity of the land or the quality of the environment;

(ii)

"Sustained yield" means the maintenance of a high-level annual or regular periodic output of the various renewable resources of the state lands consistent with multiple
use
.

Section 2.

That the Secretary of State shall endorse the following statement on the proposed amendment:

The adoption of this amendment would
require lands granted to the state from the federal government after January 1, 2019 to be managed to maintain or increase public access and for multiple use and sustained yield.

The lands may be exchanged, however, no net loss or net gain in value of the lands within any county would be allowed. The lands may not be sold, except for public purposes.

(END)

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