Expansion and Infrastructure Improvements at Existing State Parks

In the last two years Wyoming State Parks has seen a more than 40% increase in visitation. This trend is expected to continue. This proposal is to create new and expanded campgrounds within current state parks. Additionally, the funds will provide more visitor-requested amenities, such as the addition of water and electricity to more campsites and day use parking lots.

$382,000,000

Planning, Design, and Development of Two New State Parks

The new parks will be created in parts of the state without significant existing recreation opportunities. These parks will help manage increased recreation by steering visitors to underutilized areas of Wyoming. Each park would be sited and vetted through a steering committee, would need legislative designation and go through a thorough planning process that would involve all interested members of the public.

$100,000,000

Statewide Outdoor Recreation Product Investment & Grant Program.

This is for an immediate granting program for communities, NGOs and agencies to plan, create, and build outdoor recreation products. Additionally a small business outdoor recreation granting program would be created to create more and improve existing products to promote healthier living environments through outdoor recreation. Examples of new outdoor recreation products includes, but is not necessarily limited to: ORV play areas, archery ranges, shooting ranges, campgrounds, boat ramps, mountain bike trails, expanding/improving trail systems, new trailhead development (to disperse visitors), parking lot construction, trail bridge construction maintenance, etc. All projects would be vetted through community collaborative processes and would be completed by December, 2026.

$179,000,000

Wildlife Highway Crossings

Wildlife highway crossings involve infrastructure work to enhance wildlife migration and movement of big game populations. The projects will enhance big game populations while saving millions of dollars in vehicle damage and personal injury costs. The fish hatchery project is focused on locating and constructing a new warm water fish hatchery.

$80,000,000

Cool/Warm Fish Hatchery

Currently many fish species that are stocked in Wyoming are obtained through trade agreements with other state and federal fish production facilities. Aquatic invasive species have been detected in some of these shipments of fish. In an effort to protect Wyoming waters from infestation of aquatic invasive species we are proposing the building of a new fish hatchery to produce fish species such as walleye, bass, and bluegill with no threat of aquatic invasive species.

$12,000,000

Full Funding of the Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resource Trust (WWNRT).

The WWNRT currently has a corpus of approximately $100,000,000 and generates as much as $5,000,000 a year in interest, which while not insignificant, the need for conservation funding is growing. With this funding we plan to meet the increasing concerns with terrestrial invasive plants across our rangelands and address the safety of our travelers through wildlife crossing projects. The conservation demand is nearly triple the current funding available and multiple projects are delayed or staged when they could be expanded with adequate funding.

$100,000,000

Establish an Outdoor Recreation Trust

Due to the pandemic, Wyoming State Parks and Wyoming communities saw a 41% increase in outdoor recreation visitation as people sought out places to escape and improve their mental and physical health. Communities and parks did not have the capacity to provide outdoor recreation opportunities and infrastructure for this growing number of visitors. Areas were being abused and over-loved. This trend is expected to continue. Existing outdoor recreation infrastructure does not have a robust funding source for ongoing construction, maintenance, and enhancement. ORSEF would be a trust fund similar to the WWNRT and provide a perpetual funding source to communities, NGO’s and agencies to construct new outdoor recreation products and to maintain existing outdoor recreation infrastructure for the enjoyment of future generations. This would include but is not limited to campgrounds, boat ramps, shooting ranges, motorized and non-motorized trail systems, parking lots, signage, etc. Funding would be strategically focused on underutilized areas which would help disperse outdoor recreation visitors as they travel through the state.

$100,000,000

Wildlife Conservation and Enhancement Projects

The overall goal of these projects is to expand outdoor recreation and enhance fish and wildlife populations, while having long-term impacts to wildlife and outdoor recreation. These projects involve five separate actions:

1) Ongoing CWD Study - The overall program goal and objective of this project is to reduce

the prevalence of CWD in Wyoming.

2) Invasive Annual Grasses - The overall program goal and objective of this project is to

prevent the spread of annual invasive grasses into important wildlife habitats.

3) Statewide Habitat Projects - Overall program goals and objectives include purchasing

conservation easements; stream restoration for fisheries; and the removal of barriers (e.g.,

fencing) for migrating mule deer.

4) Lake Hattie Land Acquisition - This project involves the acquisition of approximately 80

acres of land and water at Lake Hattie, located 19 miles west of Laramie.

5) Water Purchase for Sensitive Fish Species - This project involves the purchase of water for

releases on a portion of the Laramie River to benefit fish and wildlife, including a rare native

fish species.

$11,332,652