Utah Legislative Bill Summaries
Every year in Q1, Utah state officials engage in the Utah Legislative Session to pass new laws or amend laws. Utah BHA follows and engages in the Session quite closely, as there are typically bills that impact public lands, waters, and wildlife. Read about some of the bills we have been following below and take action. Every citizen has the right to engage directly with their state representatives on these issues. Visit the BHA elected officials directory to find out who your state representatives are and reach out to them on issues that matter to you.
H.B. 546 – Public Lands Duty of Care Amendments – Representative Ken Ivory
H.B. 546 promotes the transfer of federally managed public lands to the state, claiming that the state “never ceded legislative jurisdiction” over federal proprietary interest lands (i.e. those federal lands where the federal government holds only a proprietary interest). The bill asserts the state’s jurisdiction over natural resources, zoning and planning, and enforcement of state law on federal proprietary interest lands.
BHA position: Oppose – Utah was never granted legislative jurisdiction over any federal lands in the first place. This bill represents another attempt to gain state control over federal lands – a concept that BHA opposes. Removing federal protections from federal lands exposes our public lands to privatization and threatens the multiple use mandate that supports our hunting and angling heritage.
H.B. 431 – Wildlife Crossing Amendments – Representative Scott Chew
H.B. 431 sets aside Transportation Investment Fund dollars on an ongoing basis for wildlife crossings and livestock safety projects, promoting wildlife connectivity. Additionally, the bill would require UDOT and DWR to recommend prioritized projects to utilize this funding.
BHA position: Support
H.B. 30 – Wildlife Management Area Amendments – Representative David Shallenberger
H.B. 30 repeals the requirement of holding a hunting/fishing license to access a Wildlife Management Area (WMA), which was initially a requirement passed in the 2025 Legislative Session. Rather, the bill creates the Wildlife Management Area Stewardship Fund, which would allow members of the public to make a voluntary monetary contribution to the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) to assist with WMA management. It also requires those accessing a WMA to view an approved educational video with digital verification.
BHA position: Oppose – While BHA is open to revisions of the existing law regarding WMA access, we support a required monetary contribution by those accessing WMA’s to assist with their management and future WMA acquisitions. See Vice Chair Caitlin Curry’s Opinion Editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune for more on the issue.
H.B. 49 – Law Enforcement Salary Amendments – Representative Ryan Wilcox
Requires salary ranges and pay progression for Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officers to be equivalent to those of Department of Public Safety peace officers. While the original bill caused concern due to the fiscal note directing a lion’s share of the increases to be supported by the wildlife resources restricted account, the bill has been amended to support the increases via the general fund.
BHA position: Support.
H.B. 93 – Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area – Representative Doug Walton
This bill establishes the Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area on state sovereign lands. The establishment of the WMA would ensure the area is preserved as habitat and allow additional waterfowl hunting and fishing opportunities.
BHA position: Support.
H.B. 111 – Wildlife Amendments – Representative Bridger Bolinder
H.B. 111 serves as the general “clean up” bill for wildlife-related Code in Utah. Most notably, the legislation directs the DWR to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove grizzly bears from the state should they be found in Utah while listed under the Endangered Species Act, reduces the fee for submitting a late harvest report from $50 to $25, and reduces the necessary distance for shooting from 600 ft. to 300 ft. away from a structure on WMA’s.
BHA position: Support.
H.B. 168 – Hunting and Fishing Amendments – Representative Rex Shipp
H.B. 168 creates the Poaching Mitigation Fund and directs restitution funds to DNR Law Enforcement. The bill also changes the ratio of permitted guides-to-hunters on limited entry (LE) hunts from 2:1 to 3:1. Further, the legislation would permit law enforcement officers to cite aerial pilots for conducting illegal scouting operations for hunting from the air.
BHA position: Support.
S.B. 209 – Gooseberry Narrows State Park Designation – Senator Derrin Owens
The first version of S.B. 209 would attempt to add Gooseberry Narrows to the state park system upon state management or acquisition of land, feasibility studies, and legislative funding with the main intention of building a dam to redirect water from Gooseberry Narrows to Sanpete County. This version of the bill would also authorize agreements with the U.S. Forest Service, allow land donations and exchanges, and permit consultation with local governments regarding dam construction and water rights. A substitute version of the bill downgraded the effort to a feasibility study for dam construction in this area.
BHA position: Oppose – BHA is concerned with the concept of using a state park as a mechanism to construct a controversial dam. Additionally, we are concerned with the water quality impacts and downstream impacts on Blue Ribbon fisheries in the area. Additionally, the implications of transferring lands from federal to state ownership are significant, particularly given the mechanism proposed in this bill. The language establishes a concerning precedent for how land transfers could occur in Utah moving forward. Land transfers should remain limited to rare and clearly justified circumstances, not normalized through broad statutory authority.
H.B. 444 – State Land Access Road Amendments – Representative Troy Shelly
Originally, this bill allowed the county to override a road closure by the DWR in a Wildlife Management Area. Given that the road closures that exist in these areas are meant to protect wildlife during vulnerable periods, this ability to override the closures presented concern. However, the sponsor introduced an improved substitute that removed this ability and additionally, removed the requirement of the DWR to receive consent from the county to close a road on a WMA, allowing the DWR more autonomy in managing these areas effectively for wildlife. The bill also expedites identification and recording of access roads on state and trust lands, establishes procedures for abandoning Class D roads with public notice and meetings, protects utility and water infrastructure easements, and permits shooting from Class D roads.
BHA position: Support (BHA supports Substitute 1 but opposes the original version).
H.B. 326 – Animal Depredation Amendments – Representative Rex Shipp
This bill makes changes to the depredation program in Utah, but most notably, it authorizes a third-degree felony for those who release feral swine on public or private property, hunt/kill feral swine or import/transport/possess live feral swine.
BHA position: Support – In order to prevent feral swine from infiltrating Utah, the intent of the legislation is to remove hunting as an incentive for bringing feral swine into the state.
H.B. 509 – Wetlands Study Amendments – Representative Doug Owens
H.B. 509 would direct the DNR to conduct a wetlands study on all wetlands in the State of Utah for the purpose of developing recommendations to improve wetland health and mitigating wetland loss.
BHA position: Support.
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