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Bill would give hunters additional chance to donate to access and wildlife projects

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From the Wyoming News Exchange

POWELL (WNE) — A popular bill would give hunters who are unsuccessful in acquiring a tag in limited quota draws the option of donating application fees back to the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust and/or to the Game and Fish Department to be used for sportsperson access projects and wildlife crossings. 
Unsuccessful applicants could choose all or portions of the application fee to be donated and where donations would go. 
Application fee refunds are a substantial amount of money, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik said during a Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Meeting last week. 
“The three-year average that we refund back [to unsuccessful applicants] is $47 million per year,” he said. 
Nobody expects that all unsuccessful hunters will donate all or portions of their application fees, but “even a small percentage of folks who choose to do this could mean a significant source of revenue” to the agencies, Nesvik said. 
The bill adds one more way for hunters to donate back to the agencies, similar to previous efforts including adding a donation option for access when applying for tags and licenses or buying the Wyoming Conservation license plate, which funds fencing and over- and under-passes to help decrease vehicle collisions with wildlife. 
There are more than 6,000 vehicle/wildlife collisions per year in the state. 
“These little ways [to increase donations] have added up to some fairly substantial dollars,” said Rep. Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale. 
The bill previously passed the House with a 47-12 vote — with all Big Horn Basin representatives except Rep. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, in support — and is expected to soon face a third and final vote in the Senate.
 
This story was published on March 8, 2022.

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