Environment (Conservation)

SF 84 creates a voluntary program allowing water right holders in Wyoming’s Colorado River basin to apply for projects that reduce water use. Participants must submit applications to the state engineer, which are reviewed to ensure projects reduce "consumptive use" (water fully depleted for agricultural/domestic purposes) or help meet Wyoming’s interstate water obligations. The state engineer approves projects only if they don’t harm other water rights, require public notice, and include a 30-day comment period for affected neighbors. The program expires after a set date (sunset provision) and requires annual reports on conservation outcomes.

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 authorizes two new full-time positions within Wyoming's state forestry division (one effective April 2026, one April 2027) to support the forestry conservation inmate crew program. It appropriates $499,709 from the general fund specifically for these positions, associated equipment/supplies, and program costs through June 2028. The funding is tied to coordination with the Department of Corrections and includes specific budgeting instructions for the state's next fiscal biennium. The bill directly affects the state forestry division, the inmate crew program, and the Department of Corrections.

SF 52 authorizes $2.15 million in 2026 funding from Wyoming's Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Income Account for five specific environmental projects. The bill funds river restoration (Upper Greybull Fish Passage III, Cody Canal Fish Screen), rangeland restoration (Baggs Valley Headwaters V), invasive species removal (Absaroka Front Cheatgrass, North Platte Cheatgrass), and fish habitat protection. Each project receives targeted grants totaling $150,000 to $800,000 from the income account, as specified in the bill's subsections. These projects directly affect Wyoming conservation districts, wildlife agencies, and local ecosystems by supporting habitat restoration and species conservation. The bill does not create new policy but allocates existing trust funds for approved projects with defined purposes and budgets.