UT
Utah House Bill HB0202

Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah House Bill HB0202 Compare Versions

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1-Enrolled Copy H.B. 202
1+02-26 17:00 4th Sub. (Green) H.B. 202
2+Carl R. Albrecht proposes the following substitute bill:
23 1
34 Private Landowner Big Game Revisions
45 2025 GENERAL SESSION
56 STATE OF UTAH
67 Chief Sponsor: Carl R. Albrecht
78 Senate Sponsor: Evan J. Vickers
89 2
910
1011 3
1112 LONG TITLE
1213 4
1314 General Description:
1415 5
1516 This bill addresses the hunting of big game.
1617 6
1718 Highlighted Provisions:
1819 7
1920 This bill:
2021 8
2122 ▸ defines terms;
2223 9
2324 ▸ establishes the criteria for a landowner draw;
2425 10
2526 ▸ provides procedures to become an applicant for a landowner draw;
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2728 ▸ addresses receipt of other vouchers;
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2930 ▸ addresses the redeeming of a voucher;
3031 13
3132 ▸ requires compliance with other laws;
3233 14
3334 ▸ addresses rulemaking; and
3435 15
3536 ▸ addresses landowners associations.
3637 16
3738 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
3839 17
3940 None
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4142 Other Special Clauses:
4243 19
4344 None
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4546 Utah Code Sections Affected:
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4748 ENACTS:
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4950 23A-4-711, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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5152 23A-4-712, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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5354
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5556 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
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5758 Section 1. Section 23A-4-711 is enacted to read:
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59-23A-4-711 . Private landowner vouchers. H.B. 202 Enrolled Copy
60+23A-4-711 . Private landowner vouchers.
6061 28
6162 (1) As used in this section:
63+4th Sub. H.B. 202 4th Sub. (Green) H.B. 202 02-26 17:00
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6365 (a) "Applicant" means a person who:
6466 30
6567 (i) holds a fee simple ownership interest in at least 640 contiguous acres but not more
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6769 than 8,999 contiguous acres of private land in Utah within a limited entry elk unit;
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6971 and
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7173 (ii) has submitted an application to the division to participate in a landowner draw to
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7375 hunt bull elk.
7476 35
7577 (b) "Block" means 640 contiguous acres that are not excluded under Subsection (2).
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7779 (c) "Voucher" means an authorization issued by the division that entitles a person to
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7981 purchase a bull elk permit valid for the private land submitted in the application.
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8183 (2)(a) An applicant may enter an annual landowner draw for a bull elk voucher for every
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8385 complete block owned by the applicant.
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8587 (b) The private land that is the basis for determining whether there is a block for an
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8789 application to qualify for a landowner draw shall have at least one common owner
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8991 throughout the private land.
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9193 (c) In order for an applicant to qualify for a landowner draw, all the owners of the
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9395 private land described in Subsection (2)(b) shall agree to the applicant applying for a
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9597 landowner draw.
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9799 (d) Multiple applicants may not submit an application for the same block and the
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99101 division may reject all applications for a block if more than one application is
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101103 received for a single block.
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103105 (e) The following private land is not eligible for purposes of determining a block:
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105107 (i) private land within a cooperative wildlife management unit under Chapter 7,
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107109 Cooperative Wildlife Management Units; or
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109111 (ii) private land within a landowners association program established by the Wildlife
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111113 Board in accordance with Section 23A-4-712.
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113115 (3)(a) The division shall determine the number of vouchers in a bull elk landowner draw
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115117 under this section by allocating an additional 5% of the total number of limited entry
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117119 bull permits available in the public draw within a limited entry elk unit.
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119121 (b) The division shall allocate:
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121123 (i) 50% of the vouchers in a landowner draw to applicants with at least 4,000
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123125 contiguous acres but not more than 8,999 contiguous acres; and
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125127 (ii) 50% of the vouchers in the landowner draw to applicants with at least 640
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127129 contiguous acres but less than 4,000 contiguous acres.
128-- 2 - Enrolled Copy H.B. 202
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130131 (c) If there is an odd number of vouchers in a landowner draw, the division shall allocate
132+- 2 - 02-26 17:00 4th Sub. (Green) H.B. 202
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132134 the one extra voucher to:
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134136 (i) applicants described in Subsection (3)(b)(i) in years ending in odd numbers; and
135137 65
136138 (ii) applicants described in Subsection (3)(b)(ii) in years ending in even numbers.
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138140 (d) If a limited entry elk unit only has only one voucher available for the bull elk
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140142 landowner draw described in Subsection (3)(a), the division shall allocate that
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142144 voucher to an applicant with acreage of at least 640 contiguous acres but not more
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144146 than 3,999 contiguous acres of private land.
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146148 (4)(a) To qualify as an applicant under Subsection (2), a person shall obtain approval of
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148150 the information described in Subsection (4)(b) by the division.
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150152 (b) To seek approval, a person shall file an application with the division that includes:
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152154 (i) the name of the person;
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154156 (ii) the date of the application;
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156158 (iii) the number of blocks in which the person holds an ownership interest;
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158160 (iv) proof of the ownership interest in the private land for which the person is seeking
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160162 a voucher;
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162164 (v) proof of the number of contiguous acres owned by the person within a limited
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164166 entry elk unit; and
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166168 (vi) the location of the private land for which the person is seeking a voucher.
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168170 (c) The division shall:
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170172 (i) review an application; and
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172174 (ii) verify that property submitted in an application is capable of harboring bull elk
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174176 during the hunting season described in Subsection (5)(b).
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176178 (d) Once a person is approved as an applicant for a landowner draw, the applicant is
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178180 automatically approved each year and does not need to reapply unless there is a
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180182 change in land ownership, acreage, or habitat quality that would affect the person's
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182184 level of participation in the landowner draw. If there is a change in ownership or
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184186 acreage, the person shall file the information required under Subsection (4)(b) to be
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186188 eligible for the next landowner draw.
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188190 (5)(a) An individual may redeem a voucher to obtain a permit to hunt bull elk:
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190192 (i) if the individual is the applicant or is an individual to whom the applicant sells,
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192194 donates, or otherwise transfers the voucher; and
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194196 (ii) conditioned on the individual:
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196198 (A) being otherwise authorized to hunt big game under this title; and
197-- 3 - H.B. 202 Enrolled Copy
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199200 (B) only hunting under that permit on the contiguous acres of private land owned
201+- 3 - 4th Sub. (Green) H.B. 202 02-26 17:00
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201203 by the applicant within a limited entry elk unit.
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203205 (b) An individual who hunts on the applicant's private land pursuant to a voucher
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205207 redeemed under Subsection (5)(a) may:
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207209 (i) hunt with one type of legal weapon, as defined by the Wildlife Board by rule made
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209211 in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act;
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211213 and
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213215 (ii) hunt during one of the corresponding season dates for the type of legal weapon
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215217 used by the individual that is established by the Wildlife Board for a bull elk hunt
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217219 on the corresponding limited entry elk unit.
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219221 (6)(a) Except as provided in Subsection (6)(f), an applicant that qualifies for a
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221223 landowner draw under Subsections (2) through (5) and who owns at least 4,000
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223225 contiguous acres of private land but not more than 8,999 contiguous acres of private
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225227 land within a limited entry elk unit may qualify for up to an additional two bull elk
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227229 vouchers annually that are determined by the division based on Subsection (4)(c)(ii)
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229231 and rules for criteria made by the Wildlife Board in accordance with Title 63G,
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231233 Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
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233235 (b) An individual may redeem a voucher obtained under this Subsection (6) in
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235237 accordance with Subsection (5).
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237239 (c) An applicant described in Subsection (6)(a) may sell, donate, or otherwise transfer a
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239241 voucher received under Subsection (6)(a).
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241243 (d) A voucher under this Subsection (6) is in addition to and not taken from the 5%
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243245 additional bull elk permits that are designated for the landowner draw under
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245247 Subsection (3).
246248 120
247249 (e) An applicant that receives a voucher under this Subsection (6) may also enter a
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249251 landowner draw for a bull elk voucher in accordance with Subsection (2).
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251253 (f) The division may eliminate or reduce the number of vouchers issued to an applicant
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253255 under Subsection (6)(a) for any year in which the average age of the harvested bull
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255257 elk in the limited entry elk unit where the voucher applies is lower than the age
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257259 objective in the applicable elk management plan. The elimination or reduction of
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259261 vouchers under this Subsection (6)(f) applies until the average age of the harvested
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261263 bull elk for that limited entry elk unit in a year equals or exceeds the age objective in
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263265 the applicable elk management plan.
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265267 (g) The division shall review a voucher issued under Subsection (6)(a) every three years
266-- 4 - Enrolled Copy H.B. 202
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268269 to determine if the correct number of vouchers are being issued based on Subsection
270+- 4 - 02-26 17:00 4th Sub. (Green) H.B. 202
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270272 (4)(c)(ii) and rules described in Subsection (6)(a).
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272274 (h) This Subsection (6) does not apply to land or a landowner within a limited entry elk
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274276 unit that has a landowners association on May 7, 2025, or that is a member of a
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276278 landowners association on May 7, 2025.
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278280 (i) This Subsection (6) does not apply to land or a landowner that has the option of
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280282 joining a cooperative wildlife management unit or who is in a cooperative wildlife
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282284 management unit that is issued a certificate of registration before May 7, 2025.
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284286 (7) During the fiscal year in which an applicant receives a bull elk voucher, the applicant
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286288 may not receive a depredation bull elk permit or submit a claim for compensation for
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288290 wildlife damage to the applicant's private land within the limited entry elk unit.
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290292 (8) An individual who redeems a voucher under this section shall comply with the other
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292294 applicable provisions of this title and rules or proclamations of the Wildlife Board.
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294296 (9)(a) The Wildlife Board may make rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3,
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296298 Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that are necessary to administer this section.
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298300 (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (9)(a), a rule made by the Wildlife Board shall be
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300302 consistent with this section.
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302304 Section 2. Section 23A-4-712 is enacted to read:
303305 148
304306 23A-4-712 . Landowners association program.
305307 149
306308 (1) As used in this section:
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308310 (a) "Landowners association" means an organization consisting of private landowners
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310312 working with the division to implement this section and whose land:
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312314 (i) provides habitat for deer, elk, or pronghorn as determined by the division; and
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314316 (ii) is not enrolled in another private lands permit program.
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316318 (b) "Voucher" means an authorization issued by the division to a landowner that entitles
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318320 the landowner or a permitted transferee of the landowner to purchase a permit from
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320322 the division.
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322324 (2) The landowners association program under this section:
323325 158
324326 (a) provides an incentive for a private landowner to manage the private landowner's land
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326328 as quality habitat for public wildlife;
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328330 (b) assists and supports the division in managing big game populations;
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330332 (c) increases private landowner tolerance of big game on the private landowner's private
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332334 land;
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334336 (d) increases big game hunting opportunities;
335-- 5 - H.B. 202 Enrolled Copy
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337338 (e) increases and secures public hunting access on a participating landowner's private
339+- 5 - 4th Sub. (Green) H.B. 202 02-26 17:00
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339341 land;
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341343 (f) reduces the division's obligations in responding to and compensating for depredation
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343345 events occurring on private lands;
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345347 (g) uses objective criteria to determine how hunting opportunities are allocated to the
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347349 landowners association program; and
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349351 (h) allocates hunting opportunities in a manner that fluctuates in proportion to variations
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351353 in public draw permits.
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353355 (3) A landowners association may not be established or operate without first obtaining a
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355357 certificate of registration from the Wildlife Board.
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357359 (4)(a) The division shall establish the number of limited entry landowners association
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359361 program vouchers available on an annual basis by:
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361363 (i) identifying the total number of public draw permits in a limited entry unit for the
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363365 previous hunt year;
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365367 (ii) identifying the total acreage of private land in a limited entry unit enrolled in the
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367369 landowners association;
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369371 (iii) calculating the percentage of habitat of a big game species in the landowners
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371373 association by dividing the habitat acreage represented by the landowners
372374 182
373375 association by the habitat acreage in the whole limited entry unit; and
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375377 (iv) applying the percentage described in Subsection (4)(a)(iii) to the total number of
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377379 available public draw permits from the previous year to determine the number of
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379381 limited entry landowners association program vouchers to be allocated to the
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381383 landowners association.
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383385 (b) The division shall round numbers when determining permit numbers by rounding
384386 188
385387 down when the number is .49 or less and rounding up when the number is .50 or
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387389 greater.
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389391 (c) An approved landowners association that qualifies for less than one voucher under
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391393 Subsection (4)(a) does not receive a voucher under Subsection (4)(a), but shall
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393395 annually receive one voucher in accordance with Subsection (4)(d).
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395397 (d) The division shall annually allocate one additional voucher to each landowners
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397399 association described in Subsection (4)(a) or (c).
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399401 (5) A landowner participating in the landowners association program may not submit a
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401403 claim for compensation for wildlife damage under Chapter 8, Part 4, Damage by Big
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403405 Game, to the landowner's private land that is enrolled in the landowners association
404-- 6 - Enrolled Copy H.B. 202
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406407 program.
408+- 6 - 02-26 17:00 4th Sub. (Green) H.B. 202
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408410 (6) The Wildlife Board may make rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
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410412 Administrative Rulemaking Act, and enforce rules applicable to the landowners
411413 201
412414 association program organized for the hunting of big game that in the Wildlife Board's
413415 202
414416 judgment are necessary to administer and enforce this section.
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416418 Section 3. Effective Date.
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418420 This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
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