Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account created; income account created; expenditures; purposes.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 9-15-103
in effect(a) A trust account is created to be known as the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account. The trust account shall consist of those funds designated to the account by law and all monies received from federal grants and other contributions, grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations to the trust account. The trust account is specifically empowered to accept grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations including those which are limited in their purposes by the grantor. Title to any interest in any real property conveyed to the trust account shall be held in the name of the state of Wyoming and shall be administered by the board of land commissioners. The state treasurer, or his designee, who shall be registered under the Investment Advisor's Act of 1940, as amended, if required to be registered by the terms of that act, as amended, may invest the unobligated, unencumbered balance of the trust account in equities, including stocks of corporations. Investments under this subsection shall be in accordance with W.S. 9-4-715(a) and (c) through (e) and 9-4-716. In adopting investment policy statements for the trust account, the state loan and investment board, in consultation with the investment funds committee, shall seek to preserve the balance of the account in a manner that strives for the highest possible risk-adjusted total net return consistent with an appropriate level of safety and liquidity. Earnings from the investment of the trust account shall be credited to the trust account.
(b) There is created the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account. The income account shall consist of funds in the account on June 30, 2025, funds credited to the account pursuant to paragraph (d)(ii) of this section and all monies received from federal grants and other contributions, grants, gifts, transfers, bequests and donations designated to the income account, which the account is hereby specifically empowered to accept and which may be limited in their purposes by the grantor. The legislature may, from time to time, appropriate funds directly to the income account for distribution in accordance with the terms of this act or as otherwise directed in the appropriation. Earnings from the investment of the income account shall be credited to the trust account created by subsection (a) of this section. Funds in the income account are available to the board for the award of grants:
(i) As permitted by this act;
(ii) As directed in a legislative appropriation; or
(iii) As directed by the grantor of the funds.
(c) Repealed by Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 2.
(d) The income account shall be subject to the following:
(i) Disbursements from the income account shall be for the following purposes:
(A) Improvement and maintenance of existing terrestrial habitat necessary to maintain optimum wildlife populations;
(B) Preservation of open spaces by purchase or acquisition of development rights;
(C) Improvement and maintenance of existing aquatic habitat necessary to maintain optimum fish populations;
(D) Acquisition of terrestrial or aquatic habitat when existing habitat is determined critical, or is present in minimal amounts, and acquisition presents the necessary factor in attaining or preserving desired wildlife or fish population levels;
(E) Conservation, maintenance, protection and development of wildlife resources, the environment and Wyoming's natural resource heritage;
(F) Participation in water enhancement projects to benefit aquatic habitat for fish populations and allow for other watershed enhancements that benefit wildlife;
(G) To address and mitigate impacts detrimental to wildlife habitat, the environment and the multiple use of renewable natural resources attributable to residential, mineral and industrial development;
(H) To mitigate conflicts and reduce potential for disease transmission between wildlife and domestic livestock.
(ii) The amount of monies available for expenditure from the income account in any one (1) fiscal year shall be an amount equal to four percent (4%) of the five (5) year average market value of the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account, calculated from the first day of the fiscal year. This amount shall constitute the spending policy for the trust account and, subject to legislative appropriation, shall be annually credited from the trust account to the income account for expenditure on grants. This paragraph shall be subject to the following:
(A) For purposes of calculating the spending policy under this paragraph, the five (5) year average market value of the trust account shall be calculated as follows:
(I) For fiscal year 2026, the five (5) year average market value shall be equal to the market value of the trust account, as calculated on the first day of the fiscal year;
(II) For fiscal year 2027, the five (5) year average market value shall be equal to the previous two (2) year average market value of the trust account, as calculated on the first day of the fiscal year;
(III) For fiscal year 2028, the five (5) year average market value shall be equal to the previous three (3) year average market value of the trust account, as calculated on the first day of the fiscal year;
(IV) For fiscal year 2029, the five (5) year average market value shall be equal to the previous four (4) year average market value of the trust account, as calculated on the first day of the fiscal year;
(V) For fiscal year 2030 and each fiscal year thereafter, the five (5) year average market value shall be equal to the previous five (5) year average market value of the trust account, as calculated on the first day of the fiscal year.
(B) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit the board from expending the following monies, which expenditures shall not be counted within the spending policy:
(I) Funds that are specially appropriated or credited to the income account or trust account under subsection (a) or (b) of this section when the appropriation, contribution, grant, gift, transfer, bequest or donation so provides;
(II) Funds as necessary for the payment of staffing and other administrative expenses if authorized by law;
(III) Unobligated and unencumbered funds in the income account that were credited to the income account in a prior fiscal year as part of that year's authorized spending policy;
(IV) Previously obligated or encumbered monies in the income account.
(C) Any amounts that are subject to expenditure under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph shall not be included in the calculation required to determine the spending policy amount under this paragraph.
(e) No funds shall be made available under this act for the reintroduction of any native or nonnative game or nongame species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq., as amended.
(f) The board shall not have the power of eminent domain.
(g) No funds shall be disbursed under this act for fee simple title acquisition of real property, nor shall funds be disbursed under this act to purchase water rights to be held by the state of Wyoming.
(h) The board shall not accept any fee simple interest in real property but shall make recommendations to the board of land commissioners regarding acceptance of any such interest. The board of land commissioners shall only accept a fee simple interest in real property under this act, and the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board shall only accept any other interest in property if the property is willingly conveyed by the holder of the interest. The board of land commissioners may in its sole discretion reject any offer to convey a fee simple interest in real property to any account under this act. The Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board may in its sole discretion reject any offer to convey any other interest in property to any account under this act. Any appraisal of real property conducted at the direction of the board or the board of land commissioners under this act shall reflect the fair market value of the property.
(j) The Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust account board may recommend that the board of land commissioners dispose of any interest in real property within the trust account when the board determines that disposal of the interest would be in the best interests of the trust account. The net proceeds from any disposition of real property pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited to the trust account.
(k) No water right shall be accepted under this act as a gift, transfer, bequest or donation unless the right is attached to real property accepted under the terms of this act. Any change of use of a water right acquired in this manner shall be done in full compliance with all provisions of Wyoming law.
(m) The board shall not require public access to private land as a condition to receive any grant funds under this act.
(n) Every conservation easement funded in whole or in part with monies made available by this act shall bind the parties thereto to an agreement which provides that the state of Wyoming is a third party beneficiary to the easement solely with the contingent right to enforce the terms of the easement if the grantee fails to enforce any of the terms of the easement. The agreement shall provide that if the easement is transferred for value, sold or extinguished without the consent of the board, the state of Wyoming shall have the right to either take legal action to enforce the terms of the easement or to recover from the proceeds of the transfer for value, sale or extinguishment, the state's pro rata share of the proceeds based on the funds the state provided for the creation of the easement.
(o) No funds shall be disbursed under this act for the purchase of easements which mandate specific livestock or crop management practices.
(p) No funds shall be disbursed under this act for the purchase of easements which prohibit the use of land for ranching or farming if the ranching or farming could be conducted, using current or future technologies and techniques, without infringing on the underlying purpose of the easement.
(q) No funds shall be disbursed under this act for the purchase of easements which prohibit hunting, fishing or trapping.
(r) No funds shall be disbursed under this act unless the person receiving the funds certifies that no gratuities, kickbacks, gifts, commissions, contingency fees or other considerations have been or will be made in connection with the appropriation or the associated grant made by the board.
Source: WY Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title09.pdfFetched: 10/4/2026