Environment

This bill (SF 25) allows Wyoming's Game and Fish Commission to set numerical limits on landowner hunting licenses for elk, deer, antelope, and turkey in designated "limited quota hunt areas." It directly affects landowners who currently hold these licenses and the Commission, which gains authority to regulate license issuance to support wildlife habitat management. The key provision amends existing law to let the Commission establish specific limits on how many landowner licenses can be issued in certain zones, while keeping fees aligned with standard hunting license rates. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

SF 52 authorizes $2.15 million in 2026 funding from Wyoming's Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Income Account for five specific environmental projects. The bill funds river restoration (Upper Greybull Fish Passage III, Cody Canal Fish Screen), rangeland restoration (Baggs Valley Headwaters V), invasive species removal (Absaroka Front Cheatgrass, North Platte Cheatgrass), and fish habitat protection. Each project receives targeted grants totaling $150,000 to $800,000 from the income account, as specified in the bill's subsections. These projects directly affect Wyoming conservation districts, wildlife agencies, and local ecosystems by supporting habitat restoration and species conservation. The bill does not create new policy but allocates existing trust funds for approved projects with defined purposes and budgets.

Wyoming's SJ 1 is a joint resolution requesting Congress to amend the federal Mineral Leasing Act. It seeks to authorize the state to manage mineral leasing (including oil, gas, and coal) on federal lands within Wyoming, currently overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The resolution cites declining federal lease sales in Wyoming (e.g., from 122 parcels in 2022 to 8 in 2024) and lengthy regulatory delays as reasons for seeking state control. Wyoming argues this aligns with the 10th Amendment, giving states greater authority over natural resources within their borders. This is a request for federal legislative action, not an enacted law.

This bill requires all pesticide labels sold in Wyoming to match the health and safety warnings registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), eliminating state-specific variations. It directly affects pesticide sellers and distributors in Wyoming by mandating uniform labeling aligned with federal standards. Key provisions include overriding previous local labeling requirements and ensuring labels don’t differ in material ways from EPA-registered versions. The law does not change Wyoming’s authority to regulate pesticide use, distribution, or sale under existing statutes, and takes effect July 1, 2026.

This bill creates a process for designating Wyoming state lands with "significant community value" based on historical, archaeological, wildlife, geological, or botanical features. County commissioners can apply to the Environmental Quality Council, which reviews applications with public hearings and approves designations if the land meets specific community value criteria. Once approved, the Board of Land Commissioners must consider this designation when evaluating any change in land use - including new leases, renewals, or dispositions - requiring individual review instead of routine approval. The bill amends state statutes to implement this requirement, ensuring community input is formally integrated into land management decisions.