This November, Wyoming’s Governor Dave Freudenthal made a proposal to the state legislature, presenting a plan before an interim committee to put aside up to $400 million of the state’s surplus revenues from minerals development to protect wildlife and habitat.

“There are some things that are more important than politics,” the Governor stated, introducing his Wyoming Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation Permanent Account Act, “and this is one of them.” The account proposed by Freudenthal would be governed by a citizen board comprised of representatives from wildlife, agriculture, sportsmen, tourism and conservation interests. The board would make grants to nonprofits and governmental organizations to support improvement and maintenance of terrestrial and aquatic habitats; to acquire critical habitat; to conserve native non-game wildlife resources; and to promote water storage projects for wildlife and instream flow.

In presenting his bill, the Governor repeatedly cited the importance of Wyoming’s hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation heritage.

“I’d like for my son to be able to bring his son out hunting as I did, and still say, ‘this is what Wyoming’s all about,’” he said.

This proposal will inevitably engender a legislative debate. Already the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association and other groups have set in motion their own bill version, which differs significantly from the Governor’s proposal. Their bill limits the availability of grants to a few specific agencies and prohibits nonprofits from these funds unless sponsored by an approved agency and with a request under $100,000. In addition, in their bill, the purposes of the fund are expanded far beyond wildlife habitat protection.

Governor Freudenthal ended his presentation to the committee with a request to consider the impact on future generations, and for Wyoming people to work together. “There are lots of old fights, but let’s set them back and do this,” he urged the committee. “Twenty years from now, I hope we can say we did the right thing for Wyoming.”