Environment

Wyoming's SJ 9 is a joint resolution urging Congress to protect the state's access to federal public lands while ensuring local communities have a say in land management decisions. It opposes broad or indiscriminate sales of public lands and demands federal agencies respect Wyoming's existing land-use plans, county-level input, and multiple-use frameworks that support recreation, agriculture, hunting, fishing, and resource development. The resolution also calls for funding to streamline efficient land exchanges under current laws when they benefit local communities and public access, without advocating for specific policy changes.

Wyoming's HB 128 provides a 5-year severance tax exemption for oil and gas operators using certified advanced extraction methods (tertiary production) between July 2026 and July 2031. It directly affects oil and gas producers who implement qualifying projects approved by the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission after July 1, 2026. The bill requires annual reports by the Commission and Department detailing production volumes, qualifying operators, wells, and the tax savings from the exemption. This exemption applies specifically to severance taxes under Wyoming law, with reports due each November 1 from 2026 through 2036.

This bill (SF 25) allows Wyoming's Game and Fish Commission to set numerical limits on landowner hunting licenses for elk, deer, antelope, and turkey in designated "limited quota hunt areas." It directly affects landowners who currently hold these licenses and the Commission, which gains authority to regulate license issuance to support wildlife habitat management. The key provision amends existing law to let the Commission establish specific limits on how many landowner licenses can be issued in certain zones, while keeping fees aligned with standard hunting license rates. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Wyoming's SJ 1 is a joint resolution requesting Congress to amend the federal Mineral Leasing Act. It seeks to authorize the state to manage mineral leasing (including oil, gas, and coal) on federal lands within Wyoming, currently overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The resolution cites declining federal lease sales in Wyoming (e.g., from 122 parcels in 2022 to 8 in 2024) and lengthy regulatory delays as reasons for seeking state control. Wyoming argues this aligns with the 10th Amendment, giving states greater authority over natural resources within their borders. This is a request for federal legislative action, not an enacted law.

This bill requires all pesticide labels sold in Wyoming to match the health and safety warnings registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), eliminating state-specific variations. It directly affects pesticide sellers and distributors in Wyoming by mandating uniform labeling aligned with federal standards. Key provisions include overriding previous local labeling requirements and ensuring labels don’t differ in material ways from EPA-registered versions. The law does not change Wyoming’s authority to regulate pesticide use, distribution, or sale under existing statutes, and takes effect July 1, 2026.

This bill creates a process for designating Wyoming state lands with "significant community value" based on historical, archaeological, wildlife, geological, or botanical features. County commissioners can apply to the Environmental Quality Council, which reviews applications with public hearings and approves designations if the land meets specific community value criteria. Once approved, the Board of Land Commissioners must consider this designation when evaluating any change in land use - including new leases, renewals, or dispositions - requiring individual review instead of routine approval. The bill amends state statutes to implement this requirement, ensuring community input is formally integrated into land management decisions.