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SF0152 • 2025

Wildfire management-amendments.

AN ACT

Agriculture Budget Energy Labor

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Senator Barlow
Last action: 2025-03-11
Official status: enrolled
Effective date: 3/11/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The bill includes provisions that were vetoed, which limits certain aspects of the original proposal.

Amendments for Wildfire Management

This act amends wildfire management duties, provides funding for wildfire suppression and restoration, and allows borrowing from a reserve account to fight wildfires.

What This Bill Does

Changes the State Forester's job to include managing wildland fire control programs.
Gives money to restore funds used by the state in fighting wildfires that happened in 2024.
Lets the Governor borrow up to $30 million from a reserve account if needed to fight wildfires when other funds are gone.
Appropriates two million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($2,750,000.00) for contract and direct fire response positions at the Office of State Lands and Investments.
Provides grants to restore vegetation on lands damaged by wildfires.

Who It Names or Affects

The State Forester
Governor
Office of State Lands and Investments

Terms To Know

State Forester: A person appointed by the state board to manage forestry activities.
Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account: An account used for financial stability and emergencies in Wyoming.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how borrowed funds will be repaid.
It is unclear if the grants provided will cover all restoration needs after wildfires.

Amendments

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

SF0152H3001

3rd reading • Representative Bear

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes specific sections related to a task force and state forester, renumbers remaining sections, and deletes certain lines from the bill.

Removes references to 'task force' and 'state forester' in the title and text of the bill.
Deletes pages 5 through 8 entirely.
Reorganizes section numbering by deleting or replacing old section numbers with new ones.

The exact content removed from deleted sections is not specified, making it unclear what specific changes were made to the bill's substance.

SF0152H3002

3rd reading • Representative Bear

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment authorizes the state to make loans from a reserve account for wildfire and disaster recovery, sets limits on loan amounts and timing, and adjusts how funds revert to the budget reserve account.

Authorizes the State Loan and Investment Board to provide loans up to $152,229,564 for wildfire and disaster mitigation and restoration projects until June 30, 2027.
Specifies that loan applications must be reviewed by the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Fund Board before final approval by the State Loan and Investment Board.
Repeals certain sections of previous laws related to energy matching funds and fund reversion dates.

The amendment text does not provide detailed information on how loan applications will be processed or approved beyond initial review requirements.

SF0152H3003

3rd reading • Representative Haroldson

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how wildfire management funds are allocated and adds new provisions for grants and employee positions.

Adds a grant program to provide $2,750,000 from the general fund to the Office of State Lands and Investments for fire response employees.
Reduces the amount of money available for wildfire management from $152,229,564.00 to $100,000,000.00.
Appropriates $49,479,564 from the general fund to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Income Account for wildfire restoration grants.

The amendment text is complex and includes multiple changes that may be difficult to summarize in a single sentence.
Some parts of the amendment are technical and might require further explanation or context not provided here.

SF0152HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Davis

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes the wording in two places from 'He' to 'The state forester'.

Replaces 'He' with 'The state forester' on page 2, line 7.
Replaces 'He' with 'The state forester' on page 2, line 8.

SF0152HS001

Standing Committee • House Appropriations Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of committee members and reduces funding from $40 million to $30 million.

Changes 'Two (2) members' to 'One (1) member' in multiple places, reducing the number of committee members.
Replaces references to 'one (1) of the members' with 'the member'.
Reduces funding from forty million dollars ($40,000,000.00) to thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00).

The exact impact of reducing the number of committee members is not detailed in the amendment text.

SF0152S2001

2nd reading • Senator Barlow

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment reduces certain appropriations in the bill by one dollar for every dollar appropriated from specific sources for wildfire management purposes.

Reduces the appropriation for the special contingency division of the governor's office by $1 for each dollar allocated from Senate File 0001 or House Bill 0001.
Decreases funding for the disaster contingency unit within the homeland security division by $1 for every dollar appropriated from Senate File 0001 or House Bill 0001.
Cuts the emergency fire suppression account within the office of state lands and investments by $1 for each dollar allocated from House Bill 0001 or Senate File 0001.

The amendment does not specify how much funding will be reduced, as it depends on appropriations from other bills.
Details about the exact amounts and purposes of the appropriations in Section 3(a) are needed to fully understand the impact.

SF0152SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural R

Divided

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of representatives and senators involved in wildfire management, updates their regional representation requirements, alters committee composition, and increases financial thresholds.

Increases the number of representatives from two to four, with each representing a different region of the state.
Increases the number of senate members from two to four, also requiring them to represent different regions of the state.
Changes the date for certain actions from October 1st to November 15th.
Raises financial thresholds: changes $25,000 to $40,000 and $30 million to $40 million.

The amendment text does not provide full context for all changes, such as the specific roles or responsibilities of these representatives and senators.
It is unclear how these changes will affect wildfire management operations beyond the specified numerical and financial adjustments.

SF0152SS001.01

Standing Committee • Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural R

Corrected, Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the date for a certain action to November 15th and increases funding from $30 million to $40 million.

Changes the deadline for an unspecified action from October 1st to November 15th.
Increases the funding amount from thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00) to forty million dollars ($40,000,000.00).

The amendment removes references to 'wildland fire subject matter expertise' and replaces it with 'of the forest product industry', but does not provide context for what this change means.
It is unclear from the provided text exactly which action or process has its deadline changed.

SF0152SS001.02

Standing Committee • Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural R

Corrected, Failed

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of representatives and senators involved in wildfire management from two to four each, specifies that these individuals must represent different regions of the state, and increases a funding amount from $25,000 to $40,000.

Increases the number of representatives involved in wildfire management from two to four, with each representing a different region of the state.
Increases the number of senators involved in wildfire management from two to four, with each representing a different region of the state.
Raises the funding amount for wildfire management from $25,000 to $40,000.

The amendment text does not provide details on how the regions are defined or selected.

Bill History

2025-03-11 LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 129
2025-03-11 Governor
Governor Signed SEA No. 0062
2025-03-03 House
H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0062
2025-02-28 Senate
S President Signed SEA No. 0062
2025-02-28 LSO
Assigned Number SEA No. 0062
2025-02-28 Senate
S Concur:Passed 26-5-0-0-0
2025-02-27 Senate
S Received for Concurrence
2025-02-26 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 46-14-2-0-0
2025-02-25 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2025-02-24 House
H COW:Passed
2025-02-20 House
H Placed on General File
2025-02-20 House
H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0
2025-02-10 House
H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations
2025-02-06 House
H Received for Introduction
2025-02-06 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 24-6-1-0-0
2025-02-05 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Laid Back
2025-02-04 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2025-02-03 Senate
S COW:Passed
2025-01-30 Senate
S Placed on General File
2025-01-30 Senate
S02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2025-01-28 Senate
:Rerefer to S02 - Appropriations
2025-01-28 Senate
S06 - Travel:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2025-01-23 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S06 - Travel
2025-01-22 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2025-01-22 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0663

Bill No.:

SF0152

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

25LSO-0663

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0062

Chapter No.:

129

Prime Sponsor:

Barlow

Catch Title:

Wildfire management-amendments.

Has Report:

Yes

Subject:

Wildfire management.

Summary/Major Elements:

Amends the duties of the State Forester to include maintaining wildland and forestry fire control programs.

Provides appropriations to restore funds expended by the state to suppress wildfires that occurred in 2024.

Authorizes the Governor to borrow up to thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00) from the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account as necessary to meet funding requirements to fight wildfires in the event the reserves have been exhausted.

Appropriates two million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($2,750,000.00) to and authorizes one (1) full-time and four (4) part-time positions for, the Office of State Lands and Investments for contract and direct fire response.

Appropriates forty‑nine million four hundred seventy‑nine thousand five hundred sixty‑four dollars ($49,479,564.00) to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Income Account to provide grants to various special districts and the Game and Fish Commission for restoring grass, hay and other vegetation, prevent invasive vegetation and restore habitats on state and private lands destroyed by wildfires.

Comments:

Requires the Governor to report to the Joint Appropriations Committee, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives upon borrowing from the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account as authorized to fight wildfires.

The Governor exercised line‑item vetoes in this act.

Originally, the enrolled act:

Authorized the State Loan and Investment Board to make loans totaling up to one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000.00) from the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account for wildfire mitigation and restoration.
Reverted funds related to providing energy related matching funds.
Repealed language that but for the line‑item veto would have been redundant borrowing authority.
Required the Office of State Lands and Investments to report on revenues and expenditures in relation to loans authorized for wildfire restoration not later than October 15 of each year the loan program is in operation to the Joint Appropriations Committee and the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee.

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

25LSO-0663

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0152

ENROLLED ACT NO. 62,

SENATE

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 General Session

AN ACT relating to state lands; amending the duties of the state forester; providing appropriations; providing for the transfer of funds; authorizing borrowing; authorizing grants; repealing prior borrowing authorizations;
[
authorizing loans; reverting funds; repealing prior appropriations;
]
and providing for effective dates

[BRACKETED LANGUAGE SHOWN IN BOLD AND AS STRICKEN WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR MARCH 11, 2025.]

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 36
‑
2
‑
108(a), (b)(viii) and by creating new paragraphs (ix) through (xi) is amended to read:

36
‑
2
‑
108.

Appointment of state forester; qualifications; duties.

(a)

The state board of land commissioners shall appoint a state forester who shall be the administrative head of the Wyoming state forestry division of the office of state lands and investments.
He
The state forester
shall serve at the pleasure of the board.
He
The state forester
shall have a bachelor's degree in forestry with not less than four (4) years experience in professional forestry work. The state forester shall, under the general supervision of the board, have direction of all forest interest and all matters pertaining to forestry within the jurisdiction of the state of Wyoming
.
; and may, with approval of the board, appoint such assistants and employees as are necessary in executing the duties of his office.

(b)

The state forester shall:

(viii)

Cooperate with federal agencies
and all political subdivisions of the state
to fulfill the intent of this section
;
.

(ix)

Adopt rules as necessary to fulfill the duties described in this article;

(x)

Appoint assistants and employees as are necessary in executing the duties of the division;

(xi)

Maintain wildland and forestry fire control programs including, but not limited to:

(A)

Fire management, coordination and reimbursement for all lands owned and managed by the state of Wyoming and its agencies;

(B)

Fire management assistance within the state of Wyoming;

(C)

Pre
‑
position suppression equipment, personnel and other resources during periods of high wildfire risk;

(D)

Support for local fire jurisdiction training programs;

(E)

Establishing standards and regulations for privately contracted private wildland fire resources operating in Wyoming. As used in this subparagraph, "privately contracted private fire resources" includes services retained by insurers for prevention and suppression activities on insured properties.

Section 2.

(a)

There is appropriated from the general fund for the purpose of restoring funds expended by the state of Wyoming to suppress wildfires that occurred in calendar year 2024 the following amounts for the following programs or purposes:

(i)

One million dollars ($1,000,000.00) for the special contingency division of the office of the governor, unit 0601;

(ii)

One million two hundred sixty
‑
three thousand nine hundred sixty
‑
six dollars ($1,263,966.00) for the disaster contingency unit within the homeland security division of the office of the governor, unit 1106;

(iii)

Twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00) to the emergency fire suppression account within the office of state lands and investments.

(b)

There is appropriated from the general fund up to twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00), or as much thereof as is necessary, to be deposited by the state auditor in the legislative stabilization reserve account for repayment of funds borrowed on or before June 30, 2025 from the legislative stabilization reserve account under 2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 301(b).

(c)

Funds appropriated in this section shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose.

Notwithstanding W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1008, 9
‑
2
‑
1012(e) and 9
‑
4
‑
207, funds appropriated in this section shall not lapse at the end of any fiscal period. Any unexpended, unobligated funds at the end of any fiscal period shall remain in the account to which the funds were appropriated and be expended for the purposes specified by this section, except as otherwise provided by further legislative authorization.

Section 3
.

For the period beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026, the governor is authorized to borrow from the legislative stabilization reserve account up to thirty million dollars ($30,000,000.00) as necessary to meet funding requirements to fight wildfires in the event the reserves in the office of state lands and investments' forestry division have been exhausted.

The governor shall report to the joint appropriations committee, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives immediately upon exercise of this authority.

[
Section 4.

(a)

The state loan and investment board is authorized to make loans under this section from the legislative stabilization reserve account for the purpose of mitigation and restoration projects needed as a result of wildfire and specified disasters that occur within the state of Wyoming. The aggregate sum of all loans made under this section shall not exceed one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000.00). No new loans under this section shall be made after June 30, 2027.

(b)

The office of state lands and investments, under the direction of the state loan and investment board, shall establish and administer loans under this section to qualified persons, including political subdivisions, for any of the following purposes:

(i)

Restoring grass, hay and vegetation destroyed by wildfire or other natural disasters on state and private lands;

(ii)

Preventing the establishment of nonnative invasive terrestrial vegetation on private or state lands affected by wildfire or other natural disasters;

(iii)

Replacing private fences destroyed or partially destroyed by wildfire or other natural disasters;

(iv)

Replacing and restoring the habitat and the resources provided by that habitat destroyed by wildfire or other natural disasters on state and private land;

(v)

Repairing or replacing irrigation facilities destroyed by wildfire or other natural disasters on state and private land;

(vi)

Repairing or replacing private structures destroyed by wildfire or other natural disasters;

(vii)

Providing funding for any private cost share required of federal or state funding that would otherwise qualify under this section;

(viii)

Providing monetary assistance to farmers and ranchers whose real property or assets are damaged by catastrophic events. As used in this paragraph, "catastrophic event" means a fire, earthquake, breached dam or other natural or man-made event to a farming or ranching operation or to state land that causes monetary damage of at least one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00).

(c)

All loan applications under this section shall be provided to the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust fund board for a recommendation to the state loan and investment board. All loans shall be subject to final approval by the state loan and investment board.

(d)

The loan program established and administered by the office of state lands and investments under this section shall be subject to all of the following:

(i)

All applicants for loans shall reasonably demonstrate that they have applied for insurance payments for which they are eligible and all reasonably identifiable and applicable federal and state funding or were not eligible for other reasonably identifiable and applicable federal or state funding;

(ii)

Loans shall be secured by collateral from each applicant, which may include land, structures, equipment and livestock. Collateral required under this paragraph may be accepted in a subordinate lien position;

(iii)

The office shall develop the application forms, requirements and conditions needed to ensure timely repayment of loans;

(iv)

The office shall impose any other necessary loan terms;

(v)

The maximum term of loans shall not exceed twenty (20) years;

(vi)

The interest rate on all loans shall be two percent (2%).

(e)

Interest payments received from loans under this section shall be deposited to the general fund, except that up to one-half (1/2) of all interest payments may be retained by the office of state lands and investments and are continuously appropriated for administration of the loan program. All principal payments shall be deposited to the legislative stabilization reserve account.

(f)

The office of state lands and investments shall maintain any records and accounts of revenues and expenditures in relation to loans under this section as required by the director of the state department of audit. Not later than October 15 of each year in which the loan program is operational, the office shall report to the joint appropriations committee and the joint agriculture, state and public lands and water resources interim committee on the purposes and amount of loans approved under this section.

Section 5.

2022 Wyoming session laws, chapter 51, as amended by 2023 Wyoming session laws, chapter 94, and 2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 321(f) is amended to read:

[ENERGY MATCHING FUNDS]

Section 321.

(f)

Notwithstanding W.S. 9-2-1008, 9
‑
2
‑
1012(e) and 9-4-207
:
,

(i)

An amount such that the sum of the reverted funds under this subsection combined with any deappropriated funds under the repeal of 2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 323, equals one hundred fifty-two million two hundred twenty-nine thousand five hundred sixty-four dollars ($152,229,564.00), or as much thereof as is available, shall revert to the budget reserve account on or before April 1, 2025; and

(ii)

A
ny unexpended, unobligated funds from the appropriation in subsection (a) of this section
remaining after the reversion of funds in paragraph (i) of this subsection
shall not revert until June 30, 2027.
]

[BRACKETED LANGUAGE SHOWN IN BOLD AND AS STRICKEN WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR MARCH 11, 2025.]

Section 6.

There is appropriated two million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($2,750,000.00) from the general fund to the office of state lands and investments and there is authorized one (1) full-time employee position and four (4) part-time employee positions for contract and direct fire response. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation be doubled and included in the office of state lands and investments' standard budget for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 7.

There is appropriated forty-nine million four hundred seventy-nine thousand five hundred sixty-four dollars ($49,479,564.00) from the general fund to the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account.

These funds are continuously appropriated from the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account to the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board to provide grants to Wyoming conservation districts, weed and pest districts and the game and fish commission for purposes of restoring grass, hay and other vegetation destroyed by wildfires on private and state lands, preventing the establishment of nonnative, invasive terrestrial vegetation on private and state lands affected by wildfires and replacing and restoring habitats on private and state lands destroyed by wildfires. This appropriation shall be expended only for the purposes specified in this footnote. This appropriation shall not be subject to the requirements of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation not be included in the standard budget of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose.

[
Section 8.

(a)

The appropriations in section 2(a) of this act shall be reduced in accordance with the following:

(i)

The appropriation in section 2(a)(i) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in 2025 Senate File 0001 or 2025 House Bill 0001 for the special contingency division of the office of the governor, unit 0601, for the purposes specified in section 2(a) of this act;

(ii)

The appropriation in section 2(a)(ii) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in 2025 Senate File 0001 or 2025 House Bill 0001 for the disaster contingency unit within the homeland security division of the office of the governor, unit 1106, for the purposes specified in section 2(a) of this act;

(iii)

The appropriation in section 2(a)(iii) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in 2025 Senate File 0001 or 2025 House Bill 0001 to the emergency fire suppression account within the office of state lands and investments for the purposes specified in section 2(a) of this act.

(b)

The appropriation in section 2(b) of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) appropriated in 2025 Senate File 0001 or 2025 House Bill 0001 to the legislative stabilization reserve account for the repayment of funds borrowed on or before June 30, 2025 from the account under 2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 301(b).

(c)

The borrowing authorization provided in section 3 of this act shall be reduced by one dollar ($1.00) for every one dollar ($1.00) of borrowing authorization provided in section 301(b) of 2025 Senate File 0001 or section 301(b) of 2025 House Bill 0001.]

[BRACKETED LANGUAGE SHOWN IN BOLD AND AS STRICKEN WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR MARCH 11, 2025.]

Section 9.

[
(a)
]

2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 301(b) is repealed.
[BRACKETED LANGUAGE SHOWN IN BOLD AND AS STRICKEN WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR MARCH 11, 2025.]

[
(b)

2024 Wyoming session laws, chapter 118, section 323 is repealed.
] [BRACKETED LANGUAGE SHOWN IN BOLD AND AS STRICKEN WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR MARCH 11, 2025.]

Section 10
.

[
(a)

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section,
]
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.
[BRACKETED LANGUAGE SHOWN IN BOLD AND AS STRICKEN WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR MARCH 11, 2025.]

[
(b)

Sections 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9(b) of this act shall not be effective if either 2025 Senate File 0001 or 2025 House Bill 0001 are enacted into law.
]

[BRACKETED LANGUAGE SHOWN IN BOLD AND AS STRICKEN WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR MARCH 11, 2025.]

(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

1