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.