HB0220 • 2025

Conservation easements-amendments.

AN ACT relating to property, conveyances and security transactions; limiting the duration of conservation easements to thirty (30) years; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.

Land

Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor: Representative Ottman
Last action: 2025-02-03
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes claims about the bill's content that are not supported by the provided official source material.

Limiting Conservation Easements

The bill limits the duration of new conservation easements to thirty years and sets rules for their creation and renewal.

What This Bill Does

Limits new conservation easements created on or after July 1, 2025, to a maximum of thirty years in length.
Requires that any new conservation easement must allow for possible renewal upon expiration of the initial term.
Prohibits the recording or transfer of conservation easements that do not meet the duration requirement starting from July 1, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

Landowners who want to create new conservation easements on their property after July 1, 2025.
Government agencies involved in managing land use and natural resources.

Terms To Know

Conservation Easement: A legal agreement that limits the use of land for conservation purposes, often to protect natural habitats or open spaces.
Duration Requirement: The rule stating that new conservation easements cannot last longer than thirty years unless they allow for renewal upon expiration.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill does not affect existing conservation easements created before July 1, 2025.
It is unclear how many landowners will be impacted by the new duration requirement.
The bill did not pass in its current session.

Bill History

2025-02-03 House
H Did not Consider for Introduction
2025-01-17 House
H Received for Introduction
2025-01-16 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

25LSO-0551
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0551
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0220

Conservation easements-amendments.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Ottman, Eklund, Hoeft, McCann and Winter and Senator(s) Hutchings, Laursen, D and Steinmetz

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to property, conveyances and security transactions; limiting the duration of conservation easements to thirty (30) years; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 9
‑
15
‑
103 by creating a new subsection (s) and 34
‑
1
‑
202(c) are amended to read:

9
‑
15
‑
103.

Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account created; income account created; expenditures; purposes.

(s)

No funds shall be disbursed under this act for the purchase of any conservation easement that is not in compliance with the duration requirements of W.S. 34
‑
1
‑
202(c).

34
‑
1
‑
202.

Creation; conveyance; acceptance and duration.

(c)

Except as provided by W.S. 34
‑
1
‑
203(b), a conservation easement is unlimited in duration unless the instrument creating the easement provides otherwise.

Beginning July 1, 2025, no conservation easement shall be created with a duration greater than thirty (30) years but may allow an opportunity for renewal of the conservation easement upon expiration of the specified duration. No conservation easement that violates the durational requirement of this subsection shall be conveyed, recorded or assigned.

Section 2
.

(a)

This act applies to all conservation easements created on and after July 1, 2025.

(b)

Nothing in this act shall be construed to alter, amend or impair any contract or agreement entered into before July 1, 2025.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2025.

(END)

1
HB0220