§ 36-4-121 — Permits to use state parks, recreation areas and historic sites

Wyoming § 36-4-121

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming
• Title 36: Public Land
• Ch. 4: STATE PARKS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
• Art. 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS

Text

(a) The department of state parks and cultural resources
shall offer for sale permits that allow use of state parks,
recreation areas, archeological sites and historic sites as
designated by the department with the approval of the Wyoming
parks and cultural resources commission. Permits may be subject
to per person, per vehicle or time restrictions or any other
restriction the director of the department deems appropriate.
The director may waive any permit fee imposed pursuant to this
section, offer discounts or offer at no charge complimentary
permits or gift certificates for permits authorized by this
section. Except as provided in subsection (n) of this section,
the cost of the permits authorized under this section shall be
approved by the commission and set in an amount not to exceed
the following:
(i) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(ii) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(iii) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(iv) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(v) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(vi) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(vii) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(viii) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(ix) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(x) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(xi) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(xii) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(xiii) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(xiv) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(xv) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 12, § 2.
(xvi) Waived for the following:
(A) Persons needing to pass through a state park
or historic site to access private property shall be exempt from
the entrance permit requirements of this section;
(B) Persons needing access to a state park or
historic site to conduct official business or only to access a
private commercial business without further use of the state
park or historic site shall be exempt from the entrance permit
requirements of this section;
(C) School groups on school sanctioned events
including events sanctioned by educational programs defined
under W.S. 21-4-101(a)(iii), (iv) and (v), and residents and
staff of publicly owned homes or institutions while on official
agency functions shall be exempt from the entrance permit
requirements of this section;
(D) Not for profit groups or organizations
needing access to a state park or historic site to provide
volunteer assistance or services that have been previously
agreed upon by the department of state parks and cultural
resources shall be exempt from the permit requirements of this
section.
(xvii) Resident annual daily use permit
.................................................... $64.00
(xviii) Nonresident annual daily use permit
.................................................... $96.00
(xix) Resident daily use fee...............$8.00
(xx) Nonresident daily use fee............$12.00
(xxi) Resident overnight camping permit..$12.00
(xxii) Nonresident overnight camping
permit...............................................$18.00
(xxiii) Annual resident overnight camping
permit...............................................$96.00
(xxiv) Per person daily use bus fee for guided tours,
which shall not be charged to persons under the age of eighteen
(18) years................................$5.00
(xxv) Daily use lodge permit............$300.00
(xxvi) Daily use group picnic shelter and adjacent
ground permit..............................$150.00
(b) The department or any selling agent of the department
may issue additional vehicle annual daily use permits or
additional vehicle annual overnight camping permits upon payment
of a fee in an amount not to exceed fifty percent (50%) of the
cost of the original annual permit.
(c) The department or any selling agent of the department
may issue duplicate annual daily use permits or annual resident
overnight camping permits upon the holder of the permit filing
an affidavit showing the loss, mutilation or destruction of the
original permit and upon payment of a fee in an amount not to
exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the cost of the original
annual permit.
(d) Repealed by Laws 1992, ch. 50, § 3.
(e) The department through the division of state parks and
historic sites shall in accordance with W.S. 36-4-123, appoint
selling agents to sell annual daily use and annual camping
permits authorized under this section. Each appointed selling
agent shall retain ten percent (10%) of the cost of each permit
sold under this section as his sales commission. Designated
department employees may sell permits required by this section
but no employee of the department shall receive any commission
on permits sold.
(f) Repealed by Laws 1992, ch. 50, § 3.
(g) Repealed by Laws 1992, ch. 50, § 3.
(h) The funds received by the department from the sale of
the permits shall be deposited into an account within the
special revenue fund, hereby created as the state parks account,
and, except as otherwise provided by this subsection, may be
expended by the department for capital construction projects,
major maintenance, and site interpretation such as exhibits,
signage and displays as approved by the legislature. Interest on
funds in the account shall accrue to the account. Not more than
sixty percent (60%) of the funds in the account in any fiscal
year may also be expended, with legislative approval, for
maintenance and operational costs of outdoor recreation areas
and facilities provided that no amount shall be expended for
additional full-time employees or increases in salaries or
overtime pay for full-time employees.
(j) Any person using state parks, recreation areas,
archeological sites and historic sites and failing to obtain a
permit authorized by this section and any person otherwise
violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by
a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00),
imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both.
(k) The department of state parks and cultural resources
is authorized to contract with the town of Ranchester to
implement a fee collection program at Connor Battlefield state
historic site and to provide for park maintenance and operation.
Notwithstanding subsection (h) of this section, fees collected
for overnight camping at Connor Battlefield state historic site
shall be deposited into a separate account and may be expended
by the department pursuant to contracts entered into under this
subsection.
(m) Repealed by Laws 2009, Ch. 168, § 207.
(n) Any resident disabled veteran who receives fifty
percent (50%) or more service connected disability compensation
from the United States department of veteran's affairs may apply
to the department for a lifetime permit authorizing the use of
state parks, recreation areas, archeological sites and historic
sites without payment of any daily use, overnight or other fee
authorized to be charged pursuant to this section. Only one (1)
permit shall be issued to any qualified applicant under this
subsection and shall be valid for the applicant and for all
occupants of the applicant's vehicle. In addition to
information and other application procedural requirements
prescribed by rule and regulation of the department, application
for the lifetime permit shall include proof of residency and
certification of the service connected disability. The lifetime
permit is valid as long as the holder is a Wyoming resident. A
permit under this subsection shall be issued to an eligible
applicant without the imposition of a fee.
(o) The department is authorized to sponsor special events
and to contract with groups sponsoring special events at state
parks, recreation areas, archeological sites or historic sites.
A special event fee may be charged regardless of whether a daily
use fee has been established by law and in addition to any other
fee. All funds received from special events sponsored by the
department shall be deposited in special events account. The
funds deposited within the account are continuously appropriated
to and may be expended by the department to conduct special
events directly or pursuant to contracts entered under this
subsection.
(p) Repealed By Laws 2008, Ch. 63, § 2.
(q) There is created the LX Bar Ranch challenge account.
The department of state parks and cultural resources may accept
gifts from any individual or entity to maintain and improve the
LX Bar Ranch and deposit those funds to the account. State
funds deposited to the account are continuously appropriated to
the department of state parks and cultural resources for
purposes of maintaining and improving the LX Bar Ranch, but
shall only be expended from the account upon a dollar for dollar
matching distribution of nonstate funds or a matching
contribution of in kind gifts. Funds in the account shall not
lapse at the end of any fiscal period.
(r) The department may establish methods whereby voluntary
contributions may be accepted in support of state parks,
historic sites, archeological sites or recreation areas. The
department may suggest and solicit specific contribution
amounts.
(s) The department may, with the approval of the
commission, charge an amenities fee in addition to any other fee
authorized under this section for services designated by the
commission as added amenities. Funds collected from the
amenities fee authorized by this subsection shall be deposited
in a separate account and are continuously appropriated to the
department to pay the utility fees and maintenance costs for the
additional amenities offered. The remaining funds collected
from the amenities fee authorized by this subsection at the end
of the fiscal year may be deposited in the state parks account
and expended in accordance with subsection (h) of this section.
Revenues and expenditures under this subsection for each of the
immediately preceding two (2) fiscal years shall be reported
within the department's biennial budget request submitted under
W.S. 9-2-1013.
(t) The department shall include as part of the
opportunity to purchase a permit that allows use of state parks,
recreation areas, archeological sites and historic sites the
option for a permittee to donate an additional amount in support
of wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation
system. Funds collected under this subsection shall be deposited
into the wildlife conservation account created by W.S. 31-2-
231(b).