Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 228 (2020GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Snider, C.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/24/2020

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• provides when, how, and by whom predators may be taken for depredation of livestock;
• addresses who owns a predator;
• requires money derived from the sale of a predator to be deposited into the Wildlife Resources Account; and
• addresses relationship to other rules or statutes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

LIVESTOCK PREDATORS REMOVAL AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Casey Snider
Senate Sponsor: 
Scott D. Sandall
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses predators of livestock.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ defines terms;
▸ provides when, how, and by whom predators may be taken for depredation of
livestock;
▸ addresses who owns a predator;
▸ requires money derived from the sale of a predator to be deposited into the Wildlife
Resources Account; and
▸ addresses relationship to other rules or statutes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
23-24-2
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
23-24-2
 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 24. WILDLIFE DAMAGE ACT
 23-24-2.
Livestock depredation.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Depredation" means an act causing damage or death.
(b) "Director" means the director of the Division of Wildlife Resources.
(c) "Division" means the Division of Wildlife Resources.
(d) "Livestock" means cattle, sheep, goats, horses, or turkeys.
(e) "Predator" means a mountain lion or bear.
(f) "Wildlife Board" means the board created in Section 
23-14-2
.
(g) "Wildlife Services Program" means a program of the United States Department of
Agriculture that helps resolve conflicts with wildlife to protect agriculture, other property, and
natural resources, and to safeguard human health and safety.
(h) "Wildlife specialist" means a United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife
Services specialist.
(2) If a predator harasses, chases, disturbs, harms, attacks, or kills livestock, within 96
hours of the act:
(a) in a depredation case, the livestock owner, an immediate family member, or an
employee of the owner on a regular payroll and not specifically hired to take a predator, may
take predators subject to the requirements of this section;
(b) a landowner or livestock owner may notify the division of the depredation or
human health and safety concerns, who may authorize a local hunter to take the offending
predator or notify a wildlife specialist; or
(c) the livestock owner may notify a wildlife specialist of the depredation who may
take the depredating predator.
(3) A depredating predator may be taken at any time by a wildlife specialist, supervised
by the Wildlife Services Program, while acting in the performance of the wildlife specialist's
assigned duties and in accordance with procedures approved by the division.
(4) (a) A depredating predator may be taken by an individual authorized in Subsection
(2)(a):
(i) with a weapon authorized by the division, pursuant to rules made by the Wildlife
Board in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, for
taking the predator; or
(ii) only using snares:
(A) with written authorization from the director;
(B) subject to the conditions and restrictions set out in the written authorization; and
(C) if the division verifies that there has been a chronic depredation situation when
numerous livestock have been killed by a predator as described in rule made by the Wildlife
Board in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(b) An individual authorized in Subsection (2)(a) to take depredating predators may
take no more than two bears per incident.
(5) (a) In accordance with Subsection (5)(b), the division may issue a depredation
permit to take a predator on specified private lands and public land grazing allotments with a
chronic depredation situation when numerous livestock have been killed by predators.
(b) The division may:
(i) issue one or more depredation permits to an affected livestock owner or a designee
of the affected livestock owner, provided that the livestock owner does not receive monetary
consideration from the designee for the opportunity to use the depredation permit;
(ii) determine the legal weapons and methods of taking allowed; and
(iii) specify the area and season that the depredation permit is valid.
(6) (a) A predator taken under Subsection (2)(a) or (5) remains the property of the state
and shall be delivered to a division office or employee with 96 hours of the take.
(b) The division may issue a predatory damage permit to a person who has taken a
depredating predator under Subsection (2)(a) that authorizes the individual to keep the carcass.
(c) An individual who takes a predator under Subsection (2)(a) or (5) may acquire and
use a limited entry permit or harvest objective permit in the same year.
(d) Notwithstanding Subsections (6)(b) and (c), a person may retain no more than one
predator carcass annually.
(7) Money derived from the sale of a predator taken under this section shall be
deposited into the Wildlife Resources Account created in Section 
23-14-13
.
(8) Nothing in this section prohibits the division from permitting the removal of a bear
causing damage to cultivated crops on cleared and planted land pursuant to rule made by the
Wildlife Board in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(9) Nothing is this section prohibits receiving compensation for livestock damage done
by a bear, mountain lion, wolf, or eagle in accordance with Section 
23-24-1
.