On July 1, 2005, one of Wyoming’s most celebrated and controversial pieces of environmental legislation—the Wildlife and Natural Resource Funding Act—went into effect. The hullabaloo over the law is just beginning, however, as legislators, state employees and citizens get to work ironing out its kinks.

To refresh your memory, the 2005 Wyoming State Legislature created the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Account to preserve and enhance Wyoming’s fish and wildlife habitats. The legislature seeded the trust account with $15 million. Nonprofit organizations and government agencies can apply for grant funding for a wide range of habitat conservation projects (see Spring 2005 Frontline Report).

Budd to Lead Wildlife Trust Board Bob Budd was hired in October as the first secretary-executive director of the board. Budd has a background in agriculture, business and rangeland ecology. For the last 12 years, Budd was the ranch manager of Red Canyon Ranch near Lander, and director of land management for The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming. Prior to that time, he spent 15 years with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, 10 as the executive director.

Budd has a master of science degree in range management, a bachelor of science in agricultural business, and a bachelor of science in animal science, all from the University of Wyoming. He served as president of the International Society for Range Management in 2003, and has been recognized for his work in rangeland management by many organizations. Over the coming months, Budd will set up the new office in Riverton.

Barbara Parsons, WOC board member who served with Budd on the former Wyoming Resource Advisory Council, said she was pleased about his selection. “Not only has Bob been a competent steward of Wyoming’s wildlife and its habitat, he is a credible, consensus builder with fantastic people skills,” she said.

Wildlife Trust Rules Shape Grant Program
In a race to launch the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Account, a brand-new board approved final rules and regulations in early October. The board’s hurried action came on the heels of a 45-day comment period in late summer and a public hearing in Jackson on September 1st.

A sense of urgency permeated the rulemaking process because of the unduly short timeline created by the 2005 Wyoming State Legislature, which required the board to adopt final rules by November 15, 2005. Typically, state agencies have the luxury of time to draft new rules, but this board – comprised of citizen volunteers – was granted a scant four and one-half months.

The Wyoming Outdoor Council was among 13 organizations and individuals that submitted written comments on the draft rules and regulations prior to August 30th. Traditional agricultural groups, the oil and gas industry, conservation organizations and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department all raised valid and logical concerns. Many groups expressed concerns over criteria for funding projects and called for a ranking system that is consistent with the underlying wildlife trust law. Six reviewers asked the board to require a minimum amount for matching contributions (money and in-kind donations).

Despite this input, the board approved final rules without making a single change to the draft version. The board, recognizing many participants were frustrated by their failure to heed input, has promised to revisit the rules soon if citizen outcry is sufficiently loud. The wildlife trust dance is sure to quicken once our citizen legislature convenes on February 13, 2006. Stay tuned for ways to support our effort to strengthen the wildlife trust law and grant program.

Groups Weigh-In on Draft Rules

WYOMING OUTDOOR COUNCIL
“Wyoming Outdoor Council believes that the ability to acquire habitat and development rights is essential to the protection of wildlife habitat and that it must be an option for accomplishing the stated purposes of the law.”

GREATER YELLOWSTONE COALITION
“How will the board decide what [applications] will move forward? How can the public be assured that the board will not fund “pet projects?” We do want to make sure the grant process remains fair and open.”

PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION OF WYOMING
“PAW recommends that a snapshot analysis from a community planner or other similar official would be sufficient to meet this criteria [socioeconomic impacts] and that expensive models and analysis should not be required.”

WYOMING COUNCIL OF TROUT UNLIMITED
“This [grant proposal] ranking system will ultimately be more importantC9to enhance habitat than these administrative rules. We urge the board to develop this ranking system in a public forum.”

WYOMING GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT
“We would encourage the continued consideration of conservation easements and purchase of key development rights as a method of assuring long-term benefits from the habitat improvements made with this fund.”

WYOMING ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
“WACD would recommend that local support for the project be included as one of the considerations. Local support and ownership will be necessary for any project to be implemented successfully.”

WYOMING STOCK GROWERS ASSOCIATION
“The legislative history of this act support[s] the interpretation that the prohibition against the use of trust funds for acquisition of fee title interest is not limited to interests to be held by the state of Wyoming.”