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22LSO-0333
ORIGINAL Senate
File No
.
SF0048
ENROLLED ACT NO. 24,
SENATE
SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2022 Budget Session
AN ACT relating to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act; providing for funding of large projects under that act; specifying large projects approved for funding in 2022; specifying conditions for large project funding; authorizing distributions from the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account for approved large projects; providing for the reversion of funds; repealing statutes previously authorizing large projects that are completed; 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
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15
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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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104(k) and subject to each recipient's certification under W.S. 9-15-103(r), authorization is granted for funding of the projects provided for in this section.
(c)
Northeast Forest Health:
(i)
Project sponsor: Crook County Conservation District;
(ii)
Project purpose: Removal of encroaching conifers and other species from forest understory, and chemical and mechanical treatment of invasive annual grasses on a portion of approximately three hundred fifty thousand (350,000) acres of native forest in Crook and Weston counties in order to:
(A)
Improve and maintain existing habitats for mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, turkey and neotropical migrant songbirds endemic to the Black Hills;
(B)
Improve and maintain the economic viability of ponderosa pine woodlands;
(C)
Reduce or eliminate the potential for catastrophic wildfire.
(iii)
Project description: Invasive species elimination;
(iv)
Total project budget: one million three hundred eight thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,308,800.00);
(v)
Project grant: The board is authorized to grant to the sponsor four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00) for the purposes specified in this subsection;
(vi)
Appropriation: There is appropriated from the income account to the board four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00) or as much thereof as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.
(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 fifteen (15) miles of Interstate 25 between the towns of Buffalo and Kaycee in Johnson county in order to:
(A)
Allow for safe deer movement across the interstate highway to increase connectivity and maintain populations for an important herd of mule deer;
(B)
Reduce and eliminate the potential for catastrophic collisions that impact human life, wildlife and property damage.
(iii)
Project description: Highway crossing construction;
(iv)
Total project budget: five million fifty thousand dollars ($5,050,000.00);
(v)
Project grant: The board is authorized to grant to the sponsor one million three hundred eighty-five thousand dollars ($1,385,000.00) for the purposes specified in this subsection;
(vi)
Appropriation: There is appropriated from the income account to the board five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) or as much thereof as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.
(e)
Killdeer Wetlands II:
(i)
Project Sponsor: Green River Greenbelt Task Force;
(ii)
Project purpose: Modification and retrofit of a stream channel and diversion structures on the Green River within the town of Green River in Sweetwater county in order to:
(A)
Maintain fish passage for native species;
(B)
Reduce the potential for catastrophic flooding;
(C)
Enhance the values from natural native wetland habitats.
(iii)
Project description: River restoration;
(iv)
Total project budget: one million one hundred eighty-three thousand dollars ($1,183,000.00);
(v)
Project grant: The board is authorized to grant three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000.00) to the sponsor for the purposes specified in this subsection;
(vi)
Appropriation: There is appropriated from the income account to the board two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00) or as much thereof as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.
(f)
South Pass Aspen III:
(i)
Project sponsor: Wyoming Game and Fish Commission;
(ii)
Project purpose: Restoration of aspen woodlands through removal of encroaching conifers by mechanical, chemical and prescribed fire treatment on approximately seventeen thousand five hundred (17,500) acres in Fremont county in order to:
(A)
Maintain habitats and seasonal movement opportunities for mule deer, elk, antelope and other species;
(B)
Reduce or eliminate the potential for catastrophic wildfire;
(C)
Increase the productivity of rangelands for wildlife and livestock.
(iii)
Project description: Aspen enhancement;
(iv)
Total project budget: two million five hundred fifty-nine thousand five hundred dollars ($2,559,500.00);
(v)
Project grant: The board is authorized to grant to the sponsor nine hundred ninety-five thousand dollars ($995,000.00) for the purposes specified in this subsection;
(vi)
Appropriation: There is appropriated from the income account to the board three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00) or as much thereof as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.
(g)
Henry's Fork Fish Passage:
(i)
Project sponsor: Trout Unlimited;
(ii)
Project purpose: modification and retrofit of stream channel and diversion structures on the Henry's Fork river in southern Wyoming in order to:
(A)
Maintain fish passage for native species;
(B)
Reduce the potential for catastrophic flooding;
(C)
Enhance the values from natural native wetland habitats;
(D)
Improve irrigation delivery and efficiency of water use.
(iii)
Project description: river restoration;
(iv)
Total project budget: seven hundred fifty-two thousand two hundred fifteen dollars ($752,215.00);
(v)
Project grant: The board is authorized to grant two hundred ninety-six thousand dollars ($296,000.00) to the sponsor for the purposes specified in this subsection;
(vi)
Appropriation: There is appropriated from the income account to the board two hundred ninety-six thousand dollars ($296,000.00) or as much thereof as is necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.
(h)
Unexpended and unobligated funds appropriated under this section shall revert to the income account on June 30, 2026.
Section 2.
W.S. 9-15-907 is 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)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk
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