Bill
SF 17
Expands GNA flexibility by allowing more funding sources and removing staff caps, enabling greater cooperative forest management on federal lands through the revolving account.
Status and sponsors
- Bill number: SF 17 (introduced January 14, 2025). Sponsor: Sinclair (primary). Companion: HF 684.
- Procedural history: Referred to Taxes (1/16/2025) and Ways & Means; subcommittee met and on 3/19/2025 recommended passage. Bill number formally assigned 12/4/2025.
- Proposed effective date in bill text: July 1, 2026.
Purpose
- Expand the State Forestry Division’s flexibility to implement Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects on federal lands by (1) allowing more funding sources to flow into the Wyoming State Forestry GNA revolving account and (2) removing limits on the number of employees who may be funded from that account — while prohibiting the acceptance of real property for GNA purposes.
Key provisions
- Revolving account receipts: Explicitly authorizes the State Forestry to accept gifts, donations and bequests (including donor-restricted gifts) into the Wyoming State Forestry Good Neighbor Authority revolving account, subject to the limitation that real property may not be accepted for GNA purposes (new W.S. 36-1-503(a)(vi)).
- Staffing/funding rules:
- Removes the statutory cap on the number of full‑time and at‑will employee positions that may be funded from the GNA revolving account (previously limited to four full‑time positions and six at‑will positions).
- Requires that employees hired to conduct GNA or related cooperative forest management projects be funded from monies deposited in the GNA revolving account.
- Account treatment: Clarifies that funds deposited to the account (including federal receipts tied to GNA projects) may be continuously expended as provided in statute and are not subject to lapse or reversion at the end of a fiscal period.
Fiscal impact (per LSO fiscal note, State Forestry estimates)
- Anticipated additional annual revenue to the GNA revolving account: $6,000,000 for FY2027–FY2029 (from donated funds, federal project receipts, and revenue from sold federal timber under state contracting).
- Anticipated additional expenditures (examples provided by State Forestry):
- Personnel: ~$228,528 annually for 2 additional full‑time employees (salary & benefits) in the next biennium.
- One‑time/annual non‑personnel: ~$121,000 in FY2027 for computers/software/supplies; then ~$6,500/year continuing supplies; ~$2,360/year telecom.
- Contractual services to support increased project workload: estimated ~$5.65M (FY2027) and ~$5.76M (FY2028).
- Net effect: The bill is expected to enable a material expansion in GNA project activity funded through the revolving account; both revenues and expenditures would correspondingly increase.
Who is affected
- Wyoming Office of State Lands & Investments — State Forestry Division (expanded authority and project capacity).
- Federal partners (U.S. Forest Service, BLM) — potential for increased cooperative GNA projects.
- Donors/grantors — may contribute restricted gifts/bequests to the account (except real property).
- State budget: increased non‑appropriated revolving account activity and related hires/contracting; appropriations to the account are treated as continuously available.
Notes and uncertainties
- The fiscal note is based on State Forestry estimates of project scale and fundraising/receipt assumptions; actual revenue/expenditure outcomes will depend on the volume of GNA agreements, timber sales, donations, and contracting choices.
- Effective date is July 1, 2026 per bill text; fiscal impacts are projected beginning FY2027.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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