Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 244 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Snider, Casey

Final action

Governor Signed 3/24/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• directs the creation of a wildlife management area known as the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area;
• provides limits and requirements related to the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area;
• removes restrictions on impounding structures in certain waterfowl management areas;
• removes prohibitions related to the regulation of airboats or small watercraft in certain waterfowl management areas;
• requires the creation of an advisory committee for the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area under certain circumstances; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

4
23A-6-403
23A-12-301
0
Wildlife Management Area Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Casey Snider
Senate Sponsor: Michael K. McKell
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses wildlife management areas.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
directs the creation of a wildlife management area known as the Bear River Bay 
Waterfowl Management Area; 
provides limits and requirements related to the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management 
Area;
removes restrictions on impounding structures in certain waterfowl management areas;
removes prohibitions related to the regulation of airboats or small watercraft in certain 
waterfowl management areas; 
requires the creation of an advisory committee for the Willard Spur Waterfowl 
Management Area under certain circumstances; and
makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
23A-6-403
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 103
23A-12-301
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 103
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
23A-6-403
 is amended to read:
23A-6-403
. State-owned lands authorized for use as wildlife management areas, 
fishing waters, and for other recreational activities.
(1)
The Wildlife Board may use any and all unsurveyed state-owned lands below the 1855 
meander line of the Great Salt Lake within the following townships for the creation, operation, 
maintenance and management of wildlife management areas, fishing waters
,
 and other 
recreational activities:
Township 2 South, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 South, Range 4 West, 
S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 4 
West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 North, 
Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 
North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; 
Township 2 North, Range 1 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 3 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. 
and M.; Township 3 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 3 North, Range 1 West, 
S.L.B. and M.; Township 4 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 4 North, Range 2 
West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, and 24, Township 4 North, Range 4 
West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 5 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 5 North, 
Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, and 12, Township 5 North, Range 5 
West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, 
Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 
North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; 
Township 7 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. 
and M.; Township 8 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 4 West, 
S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 2 
West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 9 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 9 North, 
Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 11 North, Range 11 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 
11 North, Range 10 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 11 North, Range 9 West, S.L.B. and M.; 
Township 11 North, Range 8 West, S.L.B. and M.; North 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 10 
West, S.L.B. and M.; North 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 9 West, S.L.B. and M.; North 
1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 8 West, S.L.B. and M.
(2)
(a)
The Wildlife Board shall establish a wildlife management area known as the 
"Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area" on the unsurveyed state-owned lands 
below the 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake in Sections 26, 35, 36 of 
Township 8 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 3 West, 
S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12 of Township 7 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and 
M.; Township 7 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 20, 21, 29, 30, 31 of 
Township 8 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M., except for the following:
(i)
lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of the Bear River Migratory Bird 
Refuge;
(ii)
lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of Harold Crane Waterfowl 
Management Area;
(iii)
lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of Willard Bay Reservoir; and
(iv)
lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of state mineral leases.
(b)
The division shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Division of 
Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recognizing the division's use of the state-owned 
lands described in Subsection 
(2)(a)
 as a wildlife management area.
(c)
The division shall manage the state-owned lands described in Subsection 
(2)(a)
 as a 
wildlife management area and consistent with:
(i)
the beneficial purposes identified in Subsection 
(2)(d)
; and
(ii)
a management plan created consistent with the procedures in this chapter for a 
management plan.
(d)
The division shall manage the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area for the 
following beneficial purposes:
(i)
propagating and sustaining waterfowl, upland gamebirds, desirable mammals, 
shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Great Salt 
Lake ecosystem and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem's surrounding wetlands;
(ii)
preserving and enhancing the natural function, vegetation, and water flows under 
existing or acquired water rights to provide productive habitat for the species 
listed in Subsection 
(2)(d)(i)
;
(iii)
providing recreational opportunity for traditional marsh-related activities, 
including hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing; and
(iv)
providing public access in the 
management area
Willard Spur Waterfowl 
Management Area
 for purposes of hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife 
viewing, including access with airboats and other small watercraft.
(e)
The division shall provide the habitat, recreational opportunities, and public access 
described in Subsection 
(2)(d)
 without construction or use of an impounding dike, 
impounding levee, or other impounding structure
.
(f)
(i)
The division may construct a structure within the Willard Spur Waterfowl 
Management Area only after the division forms and meets with an advisory 
committee concerning the structure.
(ii)
The advisory committee formed by the division under this Subsection 
(2)(f)
 shall 
include representatives of users of airboats, users of other small watercraft, 
hunters of waterfowl, and other stakeholders in the Willard Spur Waterfowl 
Management Area.
(f)
Notwithstanding the purposes identified in Subsection 
(2)(d)
, the division may not 
prohibit year-round public airboat and small watercraft access in the management 
area except in selected areas during limited periods of time to protect habitat, nesting 
birds, or vulnerable wildlife.
(3)
(a)
The Wildlife Board shall establish a wildlife management area known as the 
"Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area" on the unsurveyed state-owned lands 
below the 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake in Bear River Bay or as mutually 
determined by the division and the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands.
(b)
The division shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Division of 
Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recognizing the division's use of the state-owned 
lands described in Subsection (3)(a) as a wildlife management area.
(c)
The division shall manage the state-owned lands described in Subsection (3)(a) as a 
wildlife management area and consistent with:
(i)
the beneficial purposes identified in Subsection (3)(d); and
(ii)
a management plan created consistent with the procedures in this chapter for a 
management plan.
(d)
The division shall manage the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area for the 
following beneficial purposes:
(i)
propagating and sustaining waterfowl, upland gamebirds, desirable mammals, 
shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Great Salt 
Lake ecosystem and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem's surrounding wetlands;
(ii)
preserving and enhancing the natural function, vegetation, and water flows under 
existing or acquired water rights to provide productive habitat for the species 
listed in Subsection (3)(d)(i);
(iii)
providing recreational opportunity for traditional marsh-related activities, 
including hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing; and
(iv)
providing public access in the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area for 
purposes of hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing, including access with 
airboats and other small watercraft.
(e)
The division shall provide the habitat, recreational opportunities, and public access 
described in Subsection (3)(d).
Section 2, Section 
23A-12-301
 is amended to read:
23A-12-301
. Definitions.
(1)
The definitions in Section 
58-79-102
 apply to this part.
(2)
(a)
As used in this part, "waterfowl management area" means real property owned or 
managed by the division that is:
(i)
primarily used for the conservation, production, or recreational harvest of ducks, 
mergansers, geese, brant, swans, and other waterfowl; and
(ii)
designated as a waterfowl management area by the Wildlife Board in accordance 
with Section 
23A-12-303
.
(b)
"Waterfowl management area" includes the 
following referenced in Section 
23A-6-403
:
(i)
Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area
 and the
;
(ii)
Harold Crane Waterfowl Management Area
 described in Section 
23A-6-403
.
; 
and
(iii)
Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
Section 3. 
Effective date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
3-14-25 10:19 AM