Yellowstone and Grand Teton wildlife conservation fees.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL
House
ENGROSSED
JOINT RESOLUTION
.
HJ0005

ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 2,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2018 Budget Session

A JOINT RESOLUTION to the United States Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service relating to the collection of wildlife conservation fees at Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

WHEREAS, Yellowstone National Park
and Grand Teton National Park are
rich in wildlife that attracts millions of visitors each year to the park
s
; and

WHEREAS, the wildlife in Yellowstone National Park
and Grand Teton National Park
migrate throughout the year within and outside the wide boundaries of the park
s and
across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho; and

WHEREAS, a significant portion of the winter and transitional habitats of these wildlife, and in particular the habitats of big game animals, are provided by federal, state and private lands adjacent to
Yellowstone National Park
s
and Grand Teton National Park
; and

WHEREAS, these states are financially responsible for managing their wildlife, protecting wildlife migration corridors and wildlife habitats and mitigating impacts of diseases by wildlife that migrate to and from Yellowstone National Park
and Grand Teton National Park
; and

WHEREAS, these states are also financially responsible for improving human safety, reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and resolving conflicts with big game animals and large carnivores that migrate to and from Yellowstone National Park
and Grand Teton National Park
; and

WHEREAS, states have traditionally addressed these responsibilities and managed wildlife through consumptive uses of wildlife; and

WHEREAS, states request the assistance of all Yellowstone National Park
and Grand Teton National Park
visitors to pay a fee
to be transferred back to the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
to protect and mitigate impacts to wildlife and the public outside the boundaries of the park
s
; and

WHEREAS, the
collection
of
a

wildlife conservation fee is
important to the benefits and services provided to visitors and would provide an opportunity for these states to address these responsibilities and manage wildlife through
nonconsumptive
uses of wildlife; and

WHEREAS, the wildlife conservation fee
s
will be prioritized to address the responsibilities described above but will allow the states to utilize a portion of these dollars for general wildlife management in their states.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.

That the Wyoming Legislature
requests

the
United States
S
ecretary of the
I
nterior and the
D
irector of the
N
ational
P
ark
S
ervice to enter into an agreement with the
State of Wyoming to
collect
a wildlife conservation fee at Grand Teton National Park and the
S
tates of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho to
collect
a wildlife conservation fee at Yellowstone National Park
. The agreement
s
shall provide that

revenue collected from the fee be
transferred back to these
s
tates for wildlife conservation efforts.

Section 2.

That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the Wyoming Congressional Delegation
,
to the United States Secretary of the Interior, to the Director of the National Park Service, to the Governors of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and to the
d
irectors
of the Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
game and fish agencies
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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