A joint Agriculture, State & Public Lands & Water Resources Committee voted to advance 26LSO0212, a draft bill that — as amended — would recognize transferable landowner hunting licenses and add eligibility requirements. The committee approved the draft on a 7‑5 roll call after a lengthy hearing that included agency testimony, rancher and agricultural‑group support, and opposition from hunting and conservation organizations.

LSO staff introduced the bill as "26LSO0212 landowner hunting licenses requirements," noting it would add conditions for issuance: a two‑license limit per eligible species and eligibility criteria including operating a farming or ranching operation in Wyoming. The committee adopted several amendments during markup: the word "transferable" was added to the title and text; and the committee required that land be assessed as agricultural on county tax rolls and that the landowner demonstrate gross agricultural production of at least $10,000 to qualify. The committee also added a sunset clause, setting the program to lapse in June 2031 unless renewed.

Agency witnesses told the panel that decades of public comment have produced strong feeling on transferable tags. Director Angie Bruce and Chief Dan Smith said the department has studied similar programs in other Western states but has not found a ready template that produces clear public benefit without potential unintended consequences. The department noted transferable tags could increase interest among landowners and potentially reduce opportunity for the general public in limited‑quota hunt areas unless safeguards are adopted.

Ranchers and agricultural organizations urged passage. "Let us be partners in the wildlife," rancher Jason Thorn told the committee, describing large seasonal forage costs he said private landowners shoulder. The Wyoming Stock Growers Association and Wyoming Farm Bureau argued transferability could provide modest compensation and help keep working lands intact; they urged eligibility safeguards such as residency or acreage thresholds to prevent outside buyers from acquiring land primarily to access tags.

Conservation and hunting groups, including the Wyoming Wildlife Federation and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, opposed the draft as written. They warned that transferable tags risked becoming a pay‑to‑play model that would diminish resident hunters' opportunities. "This solution is not the solution," said an organizational representative, adding that alternative funding or access programs might better serve both hunters and landowners.

The committee debated multiple competing amendments: measures to confine transferability to Wyoming residents, to raise or lower a production threshold, and to require written permission for hunters to cross private ground to access public land. Several amendments were adopted — including the residency requirement and the $10,000 gross production threshold — while others failed. The committee added a sunset date (June 2031) to ensure future review.

Final committee roll call on the amended 26LSO0212 was 7 yes, 5 no, with two members excused. The bill will proceed for further consideration consistent with the legislature's schedule.

Votes at a glance: 26LSO0212 — Committee action: advanced as amended; roll call: 7 yes, 5 no, 2 excused.

What the bill does as amended: Adds language permitting transferable landowner hunting licenses, limits landowner qualification to Wyoming resident landowners who operate farming or ranching and have county agricultural assessment and at least $10,000 gross agricultural production; maintains a two‑license cap per eligible species already established in commission regulation; directs commission rulemaking; includes a June 2031 sunset for the new provisions.

The committee recessed for lunch after the vote; members said they expect continued stakeholder engagement as the proposal moves forward.