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HB0101 • 2025

Forest health grant program-3.

AN ACT relating to state forestry; creating the forest health grant program; providing duties to the state forester; creating an account; requiring the attorney general to approve grants; requiring reports; providing a sunset date; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Agriculture Budget Technology
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Water
Last action
2025-02-10
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the impact on wildlife and livestock beyond the context of improving habitat conditions through funded projects.

Forest Health Grant Program

The bill creates a grant program to fund projects aimed at improving forest health in Wyoming.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the Forest Health Grant Program to fund projects that enhance water quality, reduce wildfire risk, increase forest product production, and improve wildlife habitat.
  • Requires the state forester to manage the application process for grants.
  • Limits grant funding to no more than 75% of a project's total cost, with matching funds required from other sources.
  • Establishes an account to hold and distribute funds for the program.
  • Requires the attorney general to approve all grants before they are awarded.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The state forester who will manage the grant program.
  • Landowners, local governments, and private entities that can apply for grants.

Terms To Know

Sunset Date
The date after which the grant program will no longer be active unless renewed by law, set for July 1, 2029.
Matching Funds
Additional funds required from applicants to cover a portion of project costs not covered by grants.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not considered for further action.
  • Projects must be approved by the attorney general before receiving funding.
  • Funding will end in 2029 unless renewed.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-10 House

    H COW:H Did not consider for COW

  2. 2025-02-05 House

    H Placed on General File

  3. 2025-02-05 House

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

  4. 2025-01-31 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations

  5. 2025-01-06 House

    H Received for Introduction

  6. 2025-01-02 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
25LSO-0401
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0401
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0101

Forest health grant program-3.

Sponsored by: Select Water Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to state forestry; creating the forest health grant program; providing duties to the state forester; creating an account; requiring the attorney general to approve grants; requiring reports; providing a sunset date; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 36
‑
1
‑
601 is created to read:

ARTICLE 6
FOREST HEALTH GRANT PROGRAM

36
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1
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601.

Forest health grant program; duties of state forester; account created; attorney general approval.

(a)

There is created the forest health grant program. The grant program shall be administered by the state forester, who shall establish the application process and any other requirements of the grant program not otherwise provided by this section.

(b)

Grants under the forest health grant program shall pay for not more than seventy
‑
five percent (75%) of the cost of a forest health project. Any other source of funds, cash or in
‑
kind contributions may be used as matching funds to cover the remainder of a project's

costs and the state forester may require that matching funds be obligated to pay for a portion of any project. Forest health projects eligible for grant funding under this section shall be conducted on state, local government or private land and shall be designed to accomplish one (1) or more of the following:

(i)

Enhancement of water yield or quality;

(ii)

Reduction of the risk of catastrophic wildfire damage;

(iii)

Increase production of forest products;

(iv)

Improvement of habitat conditions for wildlife and livestock;

(v)

Any other project that is beneficial to forest health, that is substantially beneficial to the interest of the state and that has a public purpose as determined by the state forester.

(c)

No forest health grant shall be made without the written opinion of the attorney general certifying the legality of the grant and all documents connected with the grant and project.

(d)

There is created the forest health grant program account. The account shall consist of those funds designated to the account by law. Funds in the account shall be used for grants authorized to be made under this article. Individuals and other entities may also grant, give, transfer, bequest or donate funds to the account. Any funds remaining in this account at the end of any fiscal year shall not lapse or revert as provided by W.S. 9
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4
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207 but shall remain in the account and be used to implement the purposes of this article. Accrued interest and other earnings on unexpended funds within the forest health grant program account shall be credited to the account.

(e)

The state forester shall annually report to the joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee not later than September 1 on all grants awarded under this section including the amounts of the grants and the projects the grants were authorized to fund.

(f)

No forest grants under this section shall be approved after July 1, 2029 and any unobligated funds remaining in the forest health grant program account on July 1, 2029 shall:

(i)

If the source of the funds were not state funds, be returned to the individual or other entity that granted, gave, transferred, bequeathed or donated the funds pursuant to subsection (d) of this section; or

(ii)

If the source of the funds were state funds, revert to the general fund or other state fund from which the funds were initially appropriated.

Section 2.

There is appropriated three million dollars ($3,000,000.00) from the general fund to the forest health grant program account for purposes of implementing this act and making grants authorized by this act. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose without further legislative authorization. Notwithstanding W.S. 9
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2
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1008, 9
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2
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1012(e) and 9
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4
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207, this appropriation shall remain in effect and not lapse or revert at the end of any fiscal period except upon further legislative action. It is the intent of the legislature that additional funding for this purpose be included in the state forester
'
s next budget request submitted under W.S. 9
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2
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1013.

Section 3.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

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HB0101