2024 24LSO-0410
STATE OF WYOMING
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0165
Access points on state lands-study.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Byron, Newsome, Sommers,
Western and Winter and Senator(s) Gierau
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to state lands; requiring a study on the
2 feasibility of an access point permitting system for
3 commercial fishing activities; requiring a report;
4 requiring the joint travel, recreation, wildlife and
5 cultural resources interim committee to review the report
6 and sponsor legislation as necessary; and providing for an
7 effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
10
11 Section 1.
12
13 (a) Not later than October 1, 2024, the office of
14 state lands and investments shall complete a study on the
15 feasibility of establishing an access point permitting
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1 program for commercial fishing activities on state lands in
2 Wyoming. As part of this study, the department shall
3 consider the following:
4
5 (i) The potential benefit to Wyoming residents
6 and to the state land trust beneficiaries from the
7 implementation of an access point permitting program;
8
9 (ii) Any administrative costs, impacts and
10 savings to the office of state lands and investments
11 associated with the implementation and supervision of an
12 access point permitting program in Wyoming, including the
13 need for additional personnel to implement and operate the
14 program;
15
16 (iii) Any funding, spending or borrowing
17 authorization necessary to maintain a month to month cash
18 flow of funds necessary for administering an access point
19 permitting program;
20
21 (iv) The number of current access points located
22 on state lands, the number of commercial fishing outfitters
23 currently using these access points on state lands, the
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1 potential for the construction of new access points and the
2 ability for outfitters engaging in commercial fishing
3 activities to reach those access points;
4
5 (v) A review of other states that have
6 implemented access point permitting programs for commercial
7 fishing activity and whether those programs were
8 successfully implemented and maintained;
9
10 (vi) A review of other agencies, both state and
11 federal, that have implemented access point permitting
12 programs for commercial fishing activity and whether those
13 programs were successfully implemented and maintained;
14
15 (vii) Whether agreements with other state or
16 federal agencies would be necessary in the implementation
17 of the access point permitting program;
18
19 (viii) The comparative costs for similar
20 permitting programs from other states and federal agencies
21 in consideration of the creation of an access point
22 permitting program;
23
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1 (ix) The ability to enforce the access point
2 permitting program;
3
4 (x) What, if any, rules or regulation would be
5 necessary to implement and operate the access point
6 permitting program.
7
8 (b) Not later than October 1, 2024, the office of
9 state lands and investments shall report to the joint
10 travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources interim
11 committee on the results of the study required by
12 subsection (a) of this section. As part of this report, the
13 office of state lands and investments shall recommend
14 whether it is feasible to implement an access point
15 permitting program for commercial fishing activity on state
16 lands in Wyoming, including recommendations for legislation
17 to authorize a program, if necessary.
18
19 (c) The joint travel, recreation, wildlife and
20 cultural resources interim committee may sponsor any
21 legislation necessary to implement the recommendations the
22 office of state lands makes as part of the study required
23 under subsection (a) of this section.
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1
2 Section 2. This act is effective immediately upon
3 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
4 as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming
5 Constitution.
6
7 (END)
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