§ 11-2-207 — Rangeland health assessments

(a) The rangeland health assessment program is hereby
created. The director shall provide for the cooperation and
participation with the University of Wyoming, state agencies,
county governments, federal agencies and private landowners in
the assessment of the condition of the health of Wyoming grazing
lands. The rangeland health program shall include, but not be
limited to:
(i) The necessity for a rangeland health assessment
for a particular area of Wyoming grazing lands, including the
impact on state, federal, local and private property;
(ii) The rangeland health assessment shall be done
only with the voluntary cooperation and participation of all
participants, including the private landowner, the state grazing
lessee and the federal grazing permittee or lessee;
(iii) The rangeland health assessment shall be
conducted on federal or state managed lands only under a
memorandum of agreement with the federal or state land
management agency and with the participation of that federal or
state land management agency;
(iv) The rangeland health assessment shall include,
as necessary, establishment of rangeland monitoring, compliance
with federal agency standards and guidelines and participation
in the incorporation of assessment outcomes into any federal or
state decision affecting livestock grazing;
(v) The rangeland health assessment shall include any
protections necessary for the management of soil erosion and
vegetation loss.
(b) The director is authorized to contract with the
University of Wyoming, institutions of higher education and
other qualified state and local governmental agencies to:
(i) Conduct rangeland health assessments as provided
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section;
(ii) Conduct rangeland health assessments on
previously established exclosures which exclude livestock
grazing to determine what effect the elimination of grazing has
had on the quality of the rangeland. These assessments may
include an assessment of nearby grazed rangeland as provided in
paragraph (i) of this subsection to assist in the evaluation of
the effect of excluding grazing.
(c) The director shall establish matching funds for any
contract entered into pursuant to subsection (b) of this
section.
(d) The director may accept additional matching funds to
augment the planned rangeland health assessment to:
(i) Vetoed by Governor;
(ii) Identify tools and strategies for resource use
that best promote rangeland health;
(iii) Facilitate the efficacy of the rangeland study.
(e) The director shall establish priorities for the
distribution of available funding, including consideration of:
(i) Applications that include multiple resource
partners;
(ii) Amount and variety of funding sources;
(iii) Timing and urgency of the project.
(f) The director is authorized to adopt rules and
regulations necessary to implement this section.