A. The state game commission shall direct the department of game and fish to authorize not more than four of the permits available for issuance in the license year for the taking of four bighorn rams for the purpose of raising funds for programs and projects to benefit bighorn sheep.

B. The state game commission shall prescribe by regulation the form, design and manner of issuance of the bighorn sheep enhancement permits. The issuance of two permits shall be subject to auction by the department or by an incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation of wildlife, as determined by the commission, and shall be sold to the highest bidder. The issuance of the other two permits shall be subject to a lottery by the department or by an incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation of wildlife, as determined by the commission.

C. All money collected from the issuance and sale of the bighorn sheep enhancement permits shall be credited to the game protection fund to be used exclusively for bighorn sheep preservation, restoration and management.

History: Laws 1989, ch. 384, § 1; 1999, ch. 81, § 1; 2012, ch. 34, § 1.

The 2012 amendment, effective May 16, 2012, authorized additional bighorn sheep enhancement permits; in Subsection A, after "not more than", deleted "two" and added "four" and after "for the taking of", deleted "two" and added "four"; and in Subsection B, in the second sentence, after "The issuance of" deleted "one permit" and added "two permits" and in the third sentence, after "issuance of the other", deleted "permit" and added "two permits".

The 1999 amendment, effective June 18, 1999, substituted "two" for "one" in two places in Subsection A; and, in Subsection B, substituted "one" for "such" in the next-to-last sentence, added the last sentence, and made minor stylistic changes.