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HB0066 • 2021

2021 large project funding.

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act; providing for funding of large projects; specifying large projects approved for funding in 2021; authorizing appropriations from the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account for approved large projects; providing for the reversion of funds; and providing for an effective date.

Budget
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Nat Res Fund
Last action
2021-02-08
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
2/8/2021

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not specify exact conditions on how funds are used or when they must be spent.

2021 Large Project Funding Act

This act provides funding from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Income Account for three large wildlife projects in 2021.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires that all projects with a grant of over $200,000 from the Wildlife and Natural Resource Act must be approved by the Legislature.
  • Includes the state as a third party beneficiary in conservation easements under the act and gives it enforcement rights.
  • Approves funding for three large wildlife projects: Dry Piney Mule Deer Crossings, Kaycee-Buffalo Mule Deer Crossings, and Sheridan Walk-In Areas Invasive Grasses II.
  • Sets conditions on how funds are used and when they must be spent.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Wyoming Department of Transportation
  • The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
  • The Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Account Board

Terms To Know

Conservation Easement
A legal agreement that limits the use of land to protect natural resources.
Income Account
The Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Income Account from which funds are drawn for approved projects.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Funds not used by June 30, 2025 will revert to the income account.
  • Does not specify how future large project funding decisions will be made.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0066HS001

Standing Committee • House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Re

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment increases the funding amounts for certain large projects from $349,500 to $699,000 and changes another project's funding from $885,000 to $1,020,000.

  • Increases the funding amount for some large projects from $349,500 to $699,000.
  • Changes the funding amount for another project from $885,000 to $1,020,000.
  • The amendment only specifies changes to specific dollar amounts and does not provide details about which projects are being funded or how the funds will be used.

Bill History

  1. 2021-02-08 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 13

  2. 2021-02-08 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0011

  3. 2021-02-05 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0011

  4. 2021-02-05 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0011

  5. 2021-02-04 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0011

  6. 2021-02-04 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 29-1-0-0-0

  7. 2021-02-03 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2021-02-02 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  9. 2021-02-02 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  10. 2021-02-02 Senate

    S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  11. 2021-02-02 Senate

    :Rerefer to S02 - Appropriations

  12. 2021-02-02 Senate

    S06 - Travel:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  13. 2021-01-29 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S06 - Travel

  14. 2021-01-29 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  15. 2021-01-29 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 46-14-0-0-0

  16. 2021-01-28 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2021-01-27 House

    H COW:Passed

  18. 2021-01-27 House

    H Placed on General File

  19. 2021-01-27 House

    H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0

  20. 2021-01-27 House

    H06 - Travel:Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations

  21. 2021-01-27 House

    H06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  22. 2021-01-12 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H06 - Travel

  23. 2021-01-12 House

    H Received for Introduction

  24. 2021-01-11 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 21LSO-0314
Bill No.:

HB0066

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

21LSO-0314

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0011

Chapter No.:

13

Prime Sponsor:

Select Natural Resource Funding Committee

Catch Title:

2021 large project funding.

Subject:

Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act amends the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act.
The act provides that all projects with a cumulative total grant from the Wildlife and Natural Resource Act in excess of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00) must be approved by the Legislature.
The act requires that the state of Wyoming be included as a third party beneficiary in any conservation easement entered pursuant to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Funding Act. The act also requires that the state be given the right to enforce the terms of the conservation easements and recoup the state's pro-rata share of funds provided for the creation of the easements.
The act approves three (3) projects for funding under the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act.
The new projects approved for funding are:
Dry Piney Mule Deer Crossings
Kaycee-Buffalo Mule Deer Crossings
Sheridan Walk-In Areas Invasive Grasses II.
The act also repeals previously completed projects.

Comments:

The act appropriates a total of one million eight hundred sixty-nine thousand dollars ($1,869,000.00) from the income account to the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board for the three (3) projects listed. There is an appropriation from the general fund, however the act does appropriate money previously appropriated in 2020 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 80, Section 2, Section 039, footnote 3.
This act is commonly known as the "Large Projects Funding Bill."
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
21LSO-0314

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0066

ENROLLED ACT NO. 11,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2021 General Session

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act; providing for funding of large projects; specifying large projects approved for funding in 2021; authorizing appropriations from the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account for approved large projects; providing for the reversion of funds; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

(a)

As used in this section:

(i)

"Board" means the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board created by W.S. 9
‑
15
‑
104;

(ii)

"Income account" means the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account created by W.S. 9-15-103(b).

(b)

Pursuant to the authority granted under W.S. 9
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15
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104(k) and subject to each recipient’s certification under W.S. 9-15-103(r), authorization is granted for funding of the large projects specified in subsections (c) through (e) of this section.

(c)

Dry Piney Mule Deer Crossings:

(i)

Project sponsor: Wyoming Department of Transportation;

(ii)

Project purpose: Fence construction, roadway replacement and underpass construction on approximately nineteen (19) miles of United States Highway
189 between the towns of Big Piney and La Barge in Sublette county in order to:

(A)

Improve and maintain existing migration routes for an iconic herd of mule deer;

(B)

Reduce and eliminate the potential for catastrophic collisions that impact human life, wildlife and create property damage.

(iii)

Project description: Highway crossing construction;

(iv)

Total project budget: Twenty million nine hundred forty-two thousand three hundred seventy-three dollars ($20,942,373.00);

(v)

Project grant: The board is authorized to grant to the sponsor six hundred ninety-nine thousand dollars ($699,000.00) for the purposes specified in this subsection;

(vi)

Appropriation: There is appropriated from the income account to the board six hundred ninety-nine thousand dollars ($699,000.00) or as much thereof as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection. Expenditure of this appropriation is conditioned upon compliance with 2020 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 80, Section 2, Section 039, footnote 3.

(d)

Kaycee-Buffalo Mule Deer Crossings:

(i)

Project sponsor: Wyoming Department of Transportation;

(ii)

Project purpose: Fence construction, roadway replacement and underpass construction on approximately nineteen (19) miles of Interstate 25 between the towns of Buffalo and Kaycee in Johnson county in order to:

(A)

Improve and maintain existing migration routes for an important herd of mule deer;

(B)

Reduce and eliminate the potential for catastrophic collisions that impact human life, wildlife and create property damage.

(iii)

Project description: Highway crossing construction;

(iv)

Total project budget: four million six hundred thousand dollars ($4,600,000.00);

(v)

Project grant: The board is authorized to grant to the sponsor one million twenty thousand dollars ($1,020,000.00) for the purposes specified in this subsection;

(vi)

Appropriation: There is appropriated from the income account to the board one million twenty thousand dollars ($1,020,000.00) or as much thereof as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection. Expenditure of this appropriation is conditioned upon compliance with 2020 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 80, Section 2, Section 039, footnote 3.

(e)

Sheridan Walk-In Areas Invasive Grasses II:

(i)

Project sponsor: Wyoming Game and Fish Commission;

(ii)

Project purpose: Chemical, mechanical and other treatments of noxious medusahead and ventenata species on approximately fifty thousand (50,000) acres in Sheridan county in order to:

(A)

Improve habitats for native wildlife species;

(B)

Reduce and eliminate the potential for catastrophic wildfires;

(C)

Reduce or eliminate the potential spread of highly invasive grass species;

(D)

Enhance rangelands for livestock use.

(iii)

Project description: Invasive species elimination;

(iv)

Total project budget: Seven hundred forty-nine thousand eight hundred fifty-six dollars ($749,856.00);

(v)

Project grant: The board is authorized to grant three hundred thirty thousand dollars ($330,000.00) to the sponsor for the purposes specified in this subsection;

(vi)

Appropriation: There is appropriated from the income account to the board one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000.00) or as much thereof as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.

(f)

Any unexpended and unobligated funds appropriated under this section shall revert to the income account on June 30, 2025.

Section 2
.

W.S. 9-15-906, 9-15-908, 9-15-910, 9
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15
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911, 9-15-1002, 9-15-1005, 9-15-1101 through 9-15-1104 are repealed.

Section 3.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution
.

(END)

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