Committee rejects bill that would delay state protections for landowners until federal action on wild-sheep policy

Summary

House Bill 221, which would remove a session-law effective clause and make state protections for landowners conditional on federal legislation, failed in committee after extensive testimony from Game and Fish, landowners, ranching groups and wildlife organizations. The committee vote was recorded as 6–3 against the bill.

Representative Altman brought House Bill 221 to the committee seeking to delete a session-law enactment clause from last year's legislation (Senate File 118, 2024) that currently makes certain statutory protections effective if federal law is enacted by a specified date. The committee heard extensive testimony from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, agency stakeholders, landowners and advocacy groups about how the change would affect potential reintroduction or natural movement of bighorn sheep into the Sweetwater Rocks area.

Angie Bruce, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, explained the underlying issue: the state plan contemplates possible translocation or natural reoccupation of bighorn sheep in and around the Sweetwater Rocks area, but landowners are concerned that federal land managers could alter grazing permits on adjacent BLM-managed lands if wild sheep are present. The language in last year's session law paired a…

Committee rejects bill that would delay state protections for landowners until federal action on wild-sheep policy

Summary

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