2
3
4
5
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill addresses activities overseen by the director of the Division of Wildlife
10 Resources.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 ▸ provides a policy statement;
14 ▸ defines terms;
15 ▸ directs the director to take immediate action under certain circumstances when a big
16 game population is under the established herd size objective for a management unit;
17 ▸ describes what is immediate action; and
18 ▸ requires reporting.
19 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20 None
21 Other Special Clauses:
22 None
23 Utah Code Sections Affected:
24 ENACTS:
25 23-16-10, Utah Code Annotated 1953
26
27 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28 Section 1. Section 23-16-10 is enacted to read:
29 23-16-10. Big game protection -- Director authority.
30 (1) It is the policy of the state that big game animals are of great importance to the
31 citizens of the state, the citizen's quality of life, and the long term sustainability of the herds for
32 future generations.
33 (2) As used in this section:
34 (a) "Big game" includes deer, elk, big horn sheep, moose, mountain goats, pronghorn,
35 and bison.
36 (b) "Director" means the director of the Division of Wildlife Resources.
37 (c) "Management unit" means a prescribed area of contiguous land designated by the
38 Division of Wildlife Resources for the purpose of managing a species of big game animal.
39 (d) "Predator" means a cougar, bear, and coyote.
40 (3) (a) Unless the condition described in Subsection (3)(b) is determined, the director
41 shall take immediate action to reduce the number of predators within a management unit when
42 the big game population is under the established herd size objective for that management unit.
43 (b) Subsection (3)(a) does not apply if the Division of Wildlife Resources determines
44 that predators are not significantly contributing to the big game population being under the herd
45 size objective for the management unit.
46 (4) Immediate action under Subsection (3) includes any of the following management
47 tools:
48 (a) increasing take permits or tags for cougar and bear until the herd size objective is
49 met;
50 (b) allowing big game hunters to harvest predators with the appropriate permit during a
51 big game hunting season, including issuing over-the-counter predator permits;
52 (c) professional trapping and predator control by the United States Department of
53 Agriculture Wildlife Services, private contracts, and the general public, including aerial control
54 measures; and
55 (d) other management tools as determined by the director.
56 (5) The director shall annually give a status report on predator control measures
57 implemented pursuant to this chapter to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental
58 Quality Appropriations Subcommittee and Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment
59 Interim Committee.