Enrolled Copy H.B. 244
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Wildlife Management Area Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Casey Snider
Senate Sponsor: Michael K. McKell
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LONG TITLE
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General Description:
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This bill addresses wildlife management areas.
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Highlighted Provisions:
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This bill:
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▸ directs the creation of a wildlife management area known as the Bear River Bay
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Waterfowl Management Area;
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▸ provides limits and requirements related to the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management
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Area;
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▸ removes restrictions on impounding structures in certain waterfowl management areas;
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▸ removes prohibitions related to the regulation of airboats or small watercraft in certain
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waterfowl management areas;
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▸ requires the creation of an advisory committee for the Willard Spur Waterfowl
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Management Area under certain circumstances; and
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▸ makes technical changes.
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Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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None
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Other Special Clauses:
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None
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Utah Code Sections Affected:
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AMENDS:
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23A-6-403, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 103
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23A-12-301, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 103
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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah: H.B. 244 Enrolled Copy
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Section 1. Section 23A-6-403 is amended to read:
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23A-6-403 . State-owned lands authorized for use as wildlife management areas,
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fishing waters, and for other recreational activities.
31 (1) The Wildlife Board may use any and all unsurveyed state-owned lands below the 1855
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meander line of the Great Salt Lake within the following townships for the creation, operation,
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maintenance and management of wildlife management areas, fishing waters, and other
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recreational activities:
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Township 2 South, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 South, Range 4 West,
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S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 4
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West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 North,
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Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2
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North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.;
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Township 2 North, Range 1 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 3 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B.
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and M.; Township 3 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 3 North, Range 1 West,
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S.L.B. and M.; Township 4 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 4 North, Range 2
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West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, and 24, Township 4 North, Range 4
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West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 5 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 5 North,
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Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, and 12, Township 5 North, Range 5
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West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North,
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Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7
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North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.;
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Township 7 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B.
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and M.; Township 8 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 4 West,
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S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 2
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West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 9 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 9 North,
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Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 11 North, Range 11 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township
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11 North, Range 10 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 11 North, Range 9 West, S.L.B. and M.;
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Township 11 North, Range 8 West, S.L.B. and M.; North 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 10
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West, S.L.B. and M.; North 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 9 West, S.L.B. and M.; North
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1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 8 West, S.L.B. and M.
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(2)(a) The Wildlife Board shall establish a wildlife management area known as the
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"Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area" on the unsurveyed state-owned lands
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below the 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake in Sections 26, 35, 36 of
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Township 8 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 3 West,
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S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12 of Township 7 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and
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M.; Township 7 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 20, 21, 29, 30, 31 of
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Township 8 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M., except for the following:
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(i) lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of the Bear River Migratory Bird
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Refuge;
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(ii) lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of Harold Crane Waterfowl
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Management Area;
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(iii) lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of Willard Bay Reservoir; and
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(iv) lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of state mineral leases.
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(b) The division shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Division of
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Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recognizing the division's use of the state-owned
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lands described in Subsection (2)(a) as a wildlife management area.
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(c) The division shall manage the state-owned lands described in Subsection (2)(a) as a
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wildlife management area and consistent with:
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(i) the beneficial purposes identified in Subsection (2)(d); and
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(ii) a management plan created consistent with the procedures in this chapter for a
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management plan.
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(d) The division shall manage the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area for the
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following beneficial purposes:
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(i) propagating and sustaining waterfowl, upland gamebirds, desirable mammals,
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shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Great Salt
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Lake ecosystem and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem's surrounding wetlands;
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(ii) preserving and enhancing the natural function, vegetation, and water flows under
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existing or acquired water rights to provide productive habitat for the species
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listed in Subsection (2)(d)(i);
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(iii) providing recreational opportunity for traditional marsh-related activities,
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including hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing; and
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(iv) providing public access in the [management area] Willard Spur Waterfowl
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Management Area for purposes of hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife
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viewing, including access with airboats and other small watercraft.
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(e) The division shall provide the habitat, recreational opportunities, and public access
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described in Subsection (2)(d)[ without construction or use of an impounding dike,
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impounding levee, or other impounding structure].
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(f)(i) The division may construct a structure within the Willard Spur Waterfowl
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Management Area only after the division forms and meets with an advisory
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committee concerning the structure.
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(ii) The advisory committee formed by the division under this Subsection (2)(f) shall
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include representatives of users of airboats, users of other small watercraft,
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hunters of waterfowl, and other stakeholders in the Willard Spur Waterfowl
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Management Area.
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[(f) Notwithstanding the purposes identified in Subsection (2)(d), the division may not
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prohibit year-round public airboat and small watercraft access in the management
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area except in selected areas during limited periods of time to protect habitat, nesting
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birds, or vulnerable wildlife.]
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(3)(a) The Wildlife Board shall establish a wildlife management area known as the
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"Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area" on the unsurveyed state-owned lands
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below the 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake in Bear River Bay or as mutually
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determined by the division and the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands.
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(b) The division shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Division of
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Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recognizing the division's use of the state-owned
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lands described in Subsection (3)(a) as a wildlife management area.
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(c) The division shall manage the state-owned lands described in Subsection (3)(a) as a
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wildlife management area and consistent with:
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(i) the beneficial purposes identified in Subsection (3)(d); and
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(ii) a management plan created consistent with the procedures in this chapter for a
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management plan.
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(d) The division shall manage the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area for the
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following beneficial purposes:
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(i) propagating and sustaining waterfowl, upland gamebirds, desirable mammals,
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shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Great Salt
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Lake ecosystem and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem's surrounding wetlands;
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(ii) preserving and enhancing the natural function, vegetation, and water flows under
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existing or acquired water rights to provide productive habitat for the species
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listed in Subsection (3)(d)(i);
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(iii) providing recreational opportunity for traditional marsh-related activities,
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including hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing; and
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(iv) providing public access in the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area for
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purposes of hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing, including access with
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airboats and other small watercraft.
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(e) The division shall provide the habitat, recreational opportunities, and public access
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described in Subsection (3)(d).
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Section 2. Section 23A-12-301 is amended to read:
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23A-12-301 . Definitions.
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(1) The definitions in Section 58-79-102 apply to this part.
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(2)(a) As used in this part, "waterfowl management area" means real property owned or
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managed by the division that is:
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(i) primarily used for the conservation, production, or recreational harvest of ducks,
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mergansers, geese, brant, swans, and other waterfowl; and
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(ii) designated as a waterfowl management area by the Wildlife Board in accordance
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with Section 23A-12-303.
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(b) "Waterfowl management area" includes the following referenced in Section
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23A-6-403:
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(i) Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area[ and the] ;
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(ii) [ ]Harold Crane Waterfowl Management Area[ described in Section 23A-6-403.] ;
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and
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(iii) Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
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Section 3. Effective date.
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This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
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