Committee adopts amendment to give Game and Fish authority over guided-fishing permits, creates advisory board

The Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee adopted an amendment to House Bill 5 that would give the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission the authority to require permits for commercial guided fishing operations, establish different fees for resident and nonresident guides and outfitters, and create a seven-member advisory board that will report back to the joint TRW committee with recommendations on whether to form a new regulatory board or fold the work into an existing board.

The change follows more than two hours of public testimony from Casper-area outfitters, guides and residents who described rising pressure on popular fisheries, enforcement gaps on federal lands and differing views on how oversight should be structured. Supporters said permitting and modest fees would supply data and enforcement tools; several business owners urged an advisory or regulatory board comprised of industry members. Opponents said giving the commission broad authority could risk monopolization and harm small Wyoming businesses.

Why it matters: committee members framed the amendment as an effort to balance resource protection and local economies — to give the state more accurate data and enforcement levers while protecting Wyoming guide businesses. The amendment requires the advisory board to provide recommendations to the commission for rulemaking and to report back to the joint TRW committee on whether to create a standalone board or join an existing board.

Public testimony and main concerns

Casper resident Sydney Hanlon told the committee she opposed subsection A of the bill, arguing the language “gives the Game and Fish the…