FIFTY-EIGHTH WYOMING LEGISLATURE

APPROVED INTERIM COMMITTEE STUDIES

2006 INTERIM

 

JOINT TRAVEL, RECREATION, WILDLIFE AND CULTURAL RESOURCES INTERIM COMMITTEE

Initial Approved Budget: $25,000

 

Topic #1:          Game and Fish Department Issues:

 

1.     Affect of increased complimentary licenses, personnel and administrative costs on game and fish funding.

2.     Increased penalties for repeat offenders.

3.     Task force studying funding alternatives for game and fish department Review funding alternatives for the game and fish department including the statutory framework of game and fish funding. [Note: Changes made by Management Council]

 

The department is subject to decreasing revenues due to the proliferation of statutory complimentary licenses for various interest groups.  They are also facing increased responsibilities to manage non-game and threatened and endangered species for which hunting and fishing license revenues are not available.

 

Topic #2:          Gambling – Continued Study:

 

1.     Gaming commission;

2.     Multi-state lottery.

 

The committee considered these topics during the 2005 interim and plans to finalize the bills that were started during that time.

 

Topic #3:          State Parks and Cultural Resources:

 

1.     Collections center for state archives;

2.     Review of five year plan for overall state park maintenance (iii) and study of funding formula. for state parks maintenance.  [Note: Changes made by Management Council].

 

The State Parks and Cultural Resource department is facing serious maintenance needs, especially in the area of road maintenance.  The department is also facing a critical shortage and inadequacy of space for state archive collections.  The committee will address these shortages for the long term by examining the current funding formula.

 

Topic #4:          Tourism.

 

The committee shall review division of Tourism programs and consider alternatives including film incentives [Note: Changes made by Management Council].  The committee will consider alternatives to attract film companies to the state, as well as other methods of attracting tourism to the state.

 

Topic #5:            Review the Management Plan for Fort Phil Kearney, the Fetterman Battlefield Site, and Lake DeSmet access in

                           Johnson and Sheridan Counties.

                      [Note: Topic assigned by Management Council 6/2/2006]