Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 202 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Albrecht, Carl R.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/19/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• establishes the criteria for a landowner draw;
• provides procedures to become an applicant for a landowner draw;
• addresses receipt of other vouchers;
• addresses the redeeming of a voucher;
• requires compliance with other laws;
• addresses rulemaking; and
• addresses landowners associations.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

8
23A-4-711
23A-4-712
0
Private Landowner Big Game Revisions
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Carl R. Albrecht
Senate Sponsor: Evan J. Vickers
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses the hunting of big game.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
establishes the criteria for a landowner draw;
provides procedures to become an applicant for a landowner draw;
addresses receipt of other vouchers;
addresses the redeeming of a voucher;
requires compliance with other laws; 
addresses rulemaking; and
addresses landowners associations.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
23A-4-711
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
23A-4-712
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
23A-4-711
 is enacted to read:
23A-4-711
. Private landowner vouchers.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Applicant" means a person who:
(i)
holds a fee simple ownership interest in at least 640 contiguous acres but not more 
than 8,999 contiguous acres of private land in Utah within a limited entry elk unit; 
and
(ii)
has submitted an application to the division to participate in a landowner draw to 
hunt bull elk.
(b)
"Block" means 640 contiguous acres that are not excluded under Subsection (2).
(c)
"Voucher" means an authorization issued by the division that entitles a person to 
purchase a bull elk permit valid for the private land submitted in the application.
(2)
(a)
An applicant may enter an annual landowner draw for a bull elk voucher for every 
complete block owned by the applicant.
(b)
The private land that is the basis for determining whether there is a block for an 
application to qualify for a landowner draw shall have at least one common owner 
throughout the private land.
(c)
In order for an applicant to qualify for a landowner draw, all the owners of the 
private land described in Subsection 
(2)(b)
 shall agree to the applicant applying for a 
landowner draw.
(d)
Multiple applicants may not submit an application for the same block and the 
division may reject all applications for a block if more than one application is 
received for a single block.
(e)
The following private land is not eligible for purposes of determining a block:
(i)
private land within a cooperative wildlife management unit under Chapter 7, 
Cooperative Wildlife Management Units; or
(ii)
private land within a landowners association program established by the Wildlife 
Board in accordance with Section 
23A-4-712
.
(3)
(a)
The division shall determine the number of vouchers in a bull elk landowner draw 
under this section by allocating an additional 5% of the total number of limited entry 
bull permits available in the public draw within a limited entry elk unit.
(b)
The division shall allocate:
(i)
50% of the vouchers in a landowner draw to applicants with at least 4,000 
contiguous acres but not more than 8,999 contiguous acres; and
(ii)
50% of the vouchers in the landowner draw to applicants with at least 640 
contiguous acres but less than 4,000 contiguous acres.
(c)
If there is an odd number of vouchers in a landowner draw, the division shall allocate 
the one extra voucher to:
(i)
applicants described in Subsection (3)(b)(i) in years ending in odd numbers; and
(ii)
applicants described in Subsection (3)(b)(ii) in years ending in even numbers.
(d)
If a limited entry elk unit only has only one voucher available for the bull elk 
landowner draw described in Subsection (3)(a), the division shall allocate that 
voucher to an applicant with acreage of at least 640 contiguous acres but not more 
than 3,999 contiguous acres of private land.
(4)
(a)
To qualify as an applicant under Subsection (2), a person shall obtain approval of 
the information described in Subsection (4)(b) by the division.
(b)
To seek approval, a person shall file an application with the division that includes:
(i)
the name of the person;
(ii)
the date of the application;
(iii)
the number of blocks in which the person holds an ownership interest;
(iv)
proof of the ownership interest in the private land for which the person is seeking 
a voucher;
(v)
proof of the number of contiguous acres owned by the person within a limited 
entry elk unit; and
(vi)
the location of the private land for which the person is seeking a voucher.
(c)
The division shall:
(i)
review an application; and
(ii)
verify that property submitted in an application is capable of harboring bull elk 
during the hunting season described in Subsection 
(5)(b)
.
(d)
Once a person is approved as an applicant for a landowner draw, the applicant is 
automatically approved each year and does not need to reapply unless there is a 
change in land ownership, acreage, or habitat quality that would affect the person's 
level of participation in the landowner draw. If there is a change in ownership or 
acreage, the person shall file the information required under Subsection 
(4)(b)
 to be 
eligible for the next landowner draw.
(5)
(a)
An individual may redeem a voucher to obtain a permit to hunt bull elk:
(i)
if the individual is the applicant or is an individual to whom the applicant sells, 
donates, or otherwise transfers the voucher; and
(ii)
conditioned on the individual:
(A)
being otherwise authorized to hunt big game under this title; and
(B)
only hunting under that permit on the contiguous acres of private land owned 
by the applicant within a limited entry elk unit.
(b)
An individual who hunts on the applicant's private land pursuant to a voucher 
redeemed under Subsection 
(5)(a)
 may:
(i)
hunt with one type of legal weapon, as defined by the Wildlife Board by rule made 
in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act; 
and
(ii)
hunt during one of the corresponding season dates for the type of legal weapon 
used by the individual that is established by the Wildlife Board for a bull elk hunt 
on the corresponding limited entry elk unit.
(6)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection 
(6)(f)
, an applicant that qualifies for a 
landowner draw under Subsections 
(2)
 through (5) and who owns at least 4,000 
contiguous acres of private land but not more than 8,999 contiguous acres of private 
land within a limited entry elk unit may qualify for up to an additional two bull elk 
vouchers annually that are determined by the division based on Subsection 
(4)(c)(ii)
and rules for criteria made by the Wildlife Board in accordance with Title 63G, 
Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(b)
An individual may redeem a voucher obtained under this Subsection (6) in 
accordance with Subsection 
(5)
.
(c)
An applicant described in Subsection 
(6)(a)
 may sell, donate, or otherwise transfer a 
voucher received under Subsection (6)(a).
(d)
A voucher under this Subsection 
(6)
 is in addition to and not taken from the 5% 
additional bull elk permits that are designated for the landowner draw under 
Subsection 
(3)
.
(e)
An applicant that receives a voucher under this Subsection (6) may also enter a 
landowner draw for a bull elk voucher in accordance with Subsection 
(2)
.
(f)
The division may eliminate or reduce the number of vouchers issued to an applicant 
under Subsection (6)(a) for any year in which the average age of the harvested bull 
elk in the limited entry elk unit where the voucher applies is lower than the age 
objective in the applicable elk management plan. The elimination or reduction of 
vouchers under this Subsection (6)(f) applies until the average age of the harvested 
bull elk for that limited entry elk unit in a year equals or exceeds the age objective in 
the applicable elk management plan.
(g)
The division shall review a voucher issued under Subsection (6)(a) every three years 
to determine if the correct number of vouchers are being issued based on Subsection 
(4)(c)(ii) and rules described in Subsection 
(6)(a)
.
(h)
This Subsection (6) does not apply to land or a landowner within a limited entry elk 
unit that has a landowners association on May 7, 2025, or that is a member of a 
landowners association on May 7, 2025.
(i)
This Subsection (6) does not apply to land or a landowner that has the option of 
joining a cooperative wildlife management unit or who is in a cooperative wildlife 
management unit that is issued a certificate of registration before May 7, 2025.
(7)
During the fiscal year in which an applicant receives a bull elk voucher, the applicant 
may not receive a depredation bull elk permit or submit a claim for compensation for 
wildlife damage to the applicant's private land within the limited entry elk unit.
(8)
An individual who redeems a voucher under this section shall comply with the other 
applicable provisions of this title and rules or proclamations of the Wildlife Board.
(9)
(a)
The Wildlife Board may make rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, 
Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that are necessary to administer this section.
(b)
Notwithstanding Subsection (9)(a), a rule made by the Wildlife Board shall be 
consistent with this section.
Section 2, Section 
23A-4-712
 is enacted to read:
23A-4-712
. Landowners association program.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Landowners association" means an organization consisting of private landowners 
working with the division to implement this section and whose land:
(i)
provides habitat for deer, elk, or pronghorn as determined by the division; and
(ii)
is not enrolled in another private lands permit program.
(b)
"Voucher" means an authorization issued by the division to a landowner that entitles 
the landowner or a permitted transferee of the landowner to purchase a permit from 
the division.
(2)
The landowners association program under this section:
(a)
provides an incentive for a private landowner to manage the private landowner's land 
as quality habitat for public wildlife;
(b)
assists and supports the division in managing big game populations;
(c)
increases private landowner tolerance of big game on the private landowner's private 
land;
(d)
increases big game hunting opportunities;
(e)
increases and secures public hunting access on a participating landowner's private 
land;
(f)
reduces the division's obligations in responding to and compensating for depredation 
events occurring on private lands;
(g)
uses objective criteria to determine how hunting opportunities are allocated to the 
landowners association program; and
(h)
allocates hunting opportunities in a manner that fluctuates in proportion to variations 
in public draw permits.
(3)
A landowners association may not be established or operate without first obtaining a 
certificate of registration from the Wildlife Board.
(4)
(a)
The division shall establish the number of limited entry landowners association 
program vouchers available on an annual basis by:
(i)
identifying the total number of public draw permits in a limited entry unit for the 
previous hunt year;
(ii)
identifying the total acreage of private land in a limited entry unit enrolled in the 
landowners association;
(iii)
calculating the percentage of habitat of a big game species in the landowners 
association by dividing the habitat acreage represented by the landowners 
association by the habitat acreage in the whole limited entry unit; and
(iv)
applying the percentage described in Subsection 
(4)(a)(iii)
 to the total number of 
available public draw permits from the previous year to determine the number of 
limited entry landowners association program vouchers to be allocated to the 
landowners association.
(b)
The division shall round numbers when determining permit numbers by rounding 
down when the number is .49 or less and rounding up when the number is .50 or 
greater.
(c)
An approved landowners association that qualifies for less than one voucher under 
Subsection 
(4)(a)
 does not receive a voucher under Subsection 
(4)(a)
, but shall 
annually receive one voucher in accordance with Subsection 
(4)(d)
.
(d)
The division shall annually allocate one additional voucher to each landowners 
association described in Subsection 
(4)(a)
 or (c).
(5)
A landowner participating in the landowners association program may not submit a 
claim for compensation for wildlife damage under Chapter 8, Part 4, Damage by Big 
Game, to the landowner's private land that is enrolled in the landowners association 
program.
(6)
The Wildlife Board may make rules, in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah 
Administrative Rulemaking Act, and enforce rules applicable to the landowners 
association program organized for the hunting of big game that in the Wildlife Board's 
judgment are necessary to administer and enforce this section.
Section 3. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
3-11-25 3:17 PM