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HB0190 • 2026

Sale of lands to the department of state parks.

AN ACT relating to state lands; requiring the board of land commissioners to transfer lands to the department of state parks and cultural resources as specified; authorizing the board of land commissioners to resolve mineral leases as specified; specifying the time that the board of land commissioners shall initiate the transfer of lands; requiring the department of state parks and cultural resources to complete a site criteria process as specified; requiring a report; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representative Harshman
Last action
2026-02-13
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify the exact impact on residents of Natrona County, so this claim was removed.

Sale of Lands to State Parks

This act requires the board of land commissioners to transfer certain lands in Natrona County to the department of state parks and cultural resources for development as a state park, with conditions on mineral leases and funding.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the board of land commissioners to transfer specific parcels of land in Natrona County to the department of state parks and cultural resources.
  • Authorizes the board of land commissioners to resolve any mineral leases affecting these lands before transferring them.
  • Specifies that the transfer must happen by July 1, 2027.
  • Requires the department of state parks and cultural resources to complete a site criteria process within one year after receiving the land.
  • Provides $6.5 million from the general fund for the procurement of these lands.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The board of land commissioners
  • The department of state parks and cultural resources

Terms To Know

site criteria process
A process to evaluate the suitability of a site for development as a state park.
mineral leases
Legal agreements that allow companies to extract minerals from land owned by others, in this case, the state.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not considered for introduction.
  • Details about how mineral leases will be resolved are not fully explained.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-13 House

    H Did not Consider for Introduction

  2. 2026-02-11 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2026-02-11 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
26LSO-0407
2026
STATE OF WYOMING
26LSO-0407
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0190

Sale of lands to the department of state parks.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Harshman, Allemand, Campbell, E, Campbell, K, Jarvis, Riggins and Washut and Senator(s) Anderson, Boner, Landen and Scott

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to state lands; requiring the board of land commissioners to transfer lands to the department of state parks and cultural resources as specified; authorizing the board of land commissioners to resolve mineral leases as specified; specifying the time that the board of land commissioners shall initiate the transfer of lands; requiring the department of state parks and cultural resources to complete a site criteria process as specified; requiring a report; 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
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8
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1205 is created to read:

36
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8
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1205.

Transfer of land to the department of state parks and cultural resources.

The board of land commissioners is authorized and directed to convey its right, title and interest in the following described parcels of land to the department of state parks and cultural resources for development as a state park following the completion of the site criteria process pursuant to W.S. 36
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4
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106 and 36
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4
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108: in Natrona county, that part of Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, E2W2:NE:N2SE:SWSE of Section 31, Township 33 North, Range 79 West containing six hundred (600) acres; Section 36, Township 33 North, Range 80 West containing six hundred forty (640.00) acres; that part of E2 of section 30, Township 33 North, Range 79 West containing three hundred twenty (320.00) acres; that part of SW:W2SE:SESE:W2NESE:SENESE of Section 35, Township 33 North, Range 80 West containing three hundred ten (310.00) acres; that part of NW:S2 of Section 34, Township 33 North, Range 80 West containing four hundred eighty (480.00) acres; that part of E2E2 of Section 33, Township 33 North, Range 80 West containing one hundred sixty (160.00) acres; that part of Lots 1 and 2, SENW:E2SW:NESE:S2SE of Section 2, Township 32 North, Range 80 West containing three hundred seventeen and eighty
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two hundredths (317.82) acres; and that part of Lots 2, 3 and 4, S2N2:SE:SESW:SWSW:NESW of Section 1, Township 32 North, Range 80 West containing five hundred fifty
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three and forty
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five hundredths (553.45) acres, subject to any rights
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of
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way or other easements as granted or reserved by instruments of record or as now exists thereon.

Section 2.

The board of land commissioners shall initiate the transfer of land to the department of state parks and cultural resources as required by section 1 of this act, subject to section 3 of this act, not later than July 1, 2027.

Section 3.

(a)

The board of land commissioners may use a portion of the funds appropriated in section 5 of this act to negotiate the disposition of any mineral leases currently encumbering the property described in section 1 of this act as necessary to effectuate the transfer of lands authorized in this act.

(b)

The transfer of lands authorized in this act shall be by sale at fair market value as determined by an appraisal, and funds from the sale shall be transferred into the common school account within the permanent land fund.

Section 4.

The department of state parks and cultural resources shall initiate the site criteria process as required by this act not later than one (1) year following the transfer of land as required by sections 1 and 2 of this act and provide a report on the site criteria process for the lands described in section 1 of this act to the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim committee not later than October 1, 2027.

Section 5.

There is appropriated six million five hundred thousand dollars ($6,500,000.00) from the general fund to the department of state parks and cultural resources for purposes of the procurement of the parcels of land and lease disposition as specified in this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2028. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2028. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation not be included in the standard budget of the department of state parks and cultural resources for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 6.

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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HB0190