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Wildlife staff summarizes 2025 bills affecting WMA access, permits and funding
Summary
Division of Wildlife Resources legislative liaison Justin Shannon briefed the board on bills from the 2025 legislative session that change how wildlife management areas are managed, modify permit rules for landowners and outfitters, and create new funding for species protection.
Deputy Director Justin Shannon told the Wildlife Resources work session on April 8 that the Division of Wildlife Resources tracked a slate of bills this year changing access and management of wildlife lands, the formula for special permits, new enforcement authority for guides and outfitters, and a new stable funding stream for species protection.
Why it matters: The bills change who may permanently close certain roads on wildlife management areas, broaden landowner voucher rules for elk permits, authorize DWR regulation of guides and outfitters and raise some nonresident fees to support land acquisition — measures that affect public access, permit markets and conservation funding.
Shannon summarized the items his office followed and the changes staff expect to implement. He said HB 103 directs the mapping of all roads on wildlife management areas and creates a process that requires county consent for permanent road closures on WMAs. "This bill said that all roads on wildlife management areas need to be mapped," Shannon said, noting the mapping will guide future decisions about seasonal and permanent closures.
HB 202, Shannon said, modifies landowner voucher rules for elk. The bill keeps a 5% set‑aside of public draw permits for landowners, but allows elk vouchers to be sold, and creates eligibility rules for very large landowners to obtain up to two bull elk vouchers restricted to their property. Shannon said the division will bring rule changes to the wildlife board to spell out the criteria for issuing landowner vouchers.
On HB 244, Shannon reported the creation of the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area and a required memorandum of understanding with other state land managers if DWR will manage the unit.
Shannon described HB 309 as a package of changes that requires Rack and Wildlife board members to hold a current hunting or combination license and clarifies rules on night hunting methods, adds certain animals to the list of non‑protected night‑hunting species, and modifies livestock damage payment provisions. "It also contains language that adults must possess a hunting and fishing license to access a WMA in class 1 and class 2 counties," Shannon said, noting the wildlife board retains limited exemption authority for specific contractors or circumstances.
HB 378 won particular praise from Shannon and Director Bridal Peck: the bill establishes a longer‑term revenue source for the species protection account (formerly the endangered species mitigation fund) by creating a targeted assessment on some wind and solar development. "The idea is to help non‑game species and implement Utah's wildlife action plan," Shannon said. He said funding has been flat for decades and the new money is intended to prevent or reverse federal listings.
SB 149, carried by Senator Winterton, transfers primary oversight of guide and outfitter regulation from DOPL to the Division of Wildlife (Division of Law Enforcement will handle enforcement). Shannon and later staff said the new law includes a fee schedule that will allow the division to hire investigators and supervisors to regulate guides, outfitters and spotters; violations can carry misdemeanor penalties and license sanctions.
Senate Bill 8 (and related fee bills) raised some nonresident application and permit fees and provided a $50 million appropriation for the division to acquire large land parcels. Shannon said increases were designed to put more of the fee burden on nonresidents and to prioritize land acquisition for long‑term conservation of hunting and fishing access.
Director Bridal Peck and board members asked operational questions about implementation timelines. Shannon told the board that most fee changes and permit adjustments will take effect on defined dates (licenses and combo permits early in the fiscal year, application and permit fees often Sept. 1) so stakeholders can plan. He said the division will propose a suite of rule changes this year to implement the new statutes and will consult the wildlife board and advisory committees.
Ending: Board members thanked Shannon and others for the summary and asked staff to circulate a short implementation schedule as the division develops rule language. The division also committed to clarifying how the new funding streams and guide/outfitter fees will be phased in so landowners, outfitters and nonresident hunters can plan.
