Protecting Greater Yellowstone’s Lands, Waters, and Wildlife in the 2025 Wyoming Legislature
Wyoming’s capitol building, one of only 19 state capitols designated as a national historic landmark, is truly a remarkable place. It’s where women first won the right to vote, and where our state’s landmark conservation achievement – the Wyoming Wildlife & Natural Resource Trust – was conceived, enacted, and has been sustained. As I approach the building and see and hear the Wyoming wind furiously whipping the US and Wyoming flags, I am always grateful for the refuge the building will provide and am reminded how proud those who built it must be.
Stepping into the rotunda and looking up at its stained glass, framed by its four ‘sisters’ statues – aptly named Truth, Justice, Courage and Hope – is at once exhilarating and a bit intimidating. This comes from knowing that what happens in the building will have profound implications for Wyoming’s people, our lives, and GYC’s mission. The recently ended 2025 legislative session proved all of this to be true, perhaps more so than ever.
Wyoming’s 68th Legislative Session came to a close March 7, 2025, after eight tumultuous weeks. The session was marked by legislators focusing much of their aim on social issues, education and shrinking state government. However, conservation and natural resources weren’t immune from the legislative process.
GYC Wyoming Conservation Manager Jared Baecker and Wyoming Conservation Associate Teddy Collins at the Wyoming State Capitol for the 68th session. (Photo GYC/Jared Baecker)
This session, a total of 556 House bills, Senate files, and resolutions were introduced for debate. Of those, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) actively tracked and lobbied to advance, reform, or outright kill approximately three dozen bills that impact the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
GYC’s Wyoming-based staff, our communications team, and Government Affairs Advisor Richard Garrett were entrenched in the day-to-day, and often minute-by-minute, action as many bills were moving through the legislative process.
The first bucket of bills we focused on addressed lands and habitat. The marquee resolution for GYC to defeat this session was Senate Joint Resolution 002 (SJ2) – Resolution demanding equal footing. The resolution commanded that the United States Congress hand over national public lands (lands owned by the United States taxpayer including lands managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish & Wildlife Service) and subsurface resources (minerals) to the state of Wyoming. This resolution excluded Yellowstone National Park, as the park was established in 1872, prior to Wyoming’s admission of statehood in 1890. It did include Grand Teton National Park. GYC sent out a call to action to our Wyoming-based supporters to help defeat this resolution. More than 100 Wyomingites sent in nearly 1,900 emails to legislators to kill this bill. Your voices were heard. The debate was fierce, the vote was split, in the end a savvy procedural move killed SJ2.
In the House of Representatives, House Bill 0118 (HB 118) – limitations on net lands gains for the federal government – moved swiftly. This bill would have prohibited private landowners from selling their land to the federal government, including national parks, national forests, or other federal entities. If we look back in history, the creation of Grand Teton National Park largely included acquisitions of privately owned lands. Just last year the State of Wyoming sold the Kelly Parcel to Grand Teton National Park for $100 million. HB118 was a bad bill. It rolled through the House of Representatives but – in part due to our advocacy – died in the Senate.
Wyoming’s Lower Green River Lake and Squaretop Mountain in the Bridger-Teton National Forest’s Bridger Wilderness. (Photo Bridger-Teton National Forest)
Next up are the numerous bills that had consequences for the wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem – specifically, bills aimed at carnivores. First, House Bill 0045 (HB 45) – removing otters as protected animals – changes a 72-year-old classification of otters being a “protected animal.” Wyoming protected its diminished otter population 20 years before the passage of the Endangered Species Act. HB45 does not establish an otter trapping or hunting season, but could be the first step toward establishing such a season in Wyoming.
Two bills, House Bill 0186 (HB 186) – bear coupons – and Senate File 0170 – grizzly bear management prohibition – were direct attacks on Wyoming’s recovering grizzly bear population and the progress achieved under the Endangered Species Act. Notably, HB 186 would have given elk license holders a free coupon to also take a black or grizzly bear. This state statute would have created a violation of federal law. Both bills died after strong lobbying efforts by individual, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, sporting group, and conservation organization testimony.
The final and most consequential attack on wildlife management was House Bill 0286 (HB 286) – Mountain lion hunting season changes. HB 286 would have created an unregulated and year-round harvest of mountains lions across Wyoming. This bill was scientifically unsound, unethical, and received fierce opposition. Thankfully, even though HB 286 was heard in committee and received lots of testimony, the bill was dead on arrival to the House.
To round out this Wyoming legislative report, let’s celebrate two bills that will advance conservation in Wyoming. Senate File 0088 (SF 88) – 2025 large project funding – passed both chambers and has been signed into law. SF 88 authorizes the Wyoming Wildlife & Natural Resource Trust to move forward projects over $400,000. This bill will advance wildlife crossings on the US Route189-South Kemmerer project protecting portions of the famed Wyoming Range mule deer herd and Sublette pronghorn herd. Additionally, this bill funds major projects addressing cheatgrass infestations, wildlife friendly fencing, and riparian habitat restoration.
The bill signing for SF 91 – Petroglyph, pictography, and historical inscription protection. (Photo courtesy of Michael Pearlman)
The final bill GYC supported was Senate File 0091 – Petroglyph, pictography, and historical inscription protection. This bill protects culturally significant sites and creates a financial penalty for those found defacing such sites. This bill is an important step in the right direction for honoring and protecting the cultural landscape of Wyoming and the heritage of the Eastern Shoshone, Northern Arapaho, and 27 other Tribes that have lived in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for thousands of years.
With the 68th Wyoming Legislature’s general session in the rear-view mirror, we have dodged some threats for now. For the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to remain whole and intact we must be vigilant to future political meddling. We must actively engage with all stakeholders to craft sound policies that honor Wyoming’s tremendous wildlife, diverse habitats, and remarkable abundance of public lands. Your voice and support are critical for protecting our shared interest in this ecosystem.
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– Jared Baecker, Wyoming Conservation Manager (Jackson, Wyoming)
– Richard Garrett, Wyoming Government Affairs Advisor