DAR File No. 39362

Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources

Rule R657-41

Conservation and Sportsman Permits

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 39362
Filed: 05/12/2015 03:11:55 PM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

This rule is being amended pursuant to Regional Advisory Council and Wildlife Board meetings conducted annually for taking public input and reviewing the Division of Wildlife Resources' (DWR) rule pursuant to conservation and sportsman permits.

Summary of the rule or change:

The proposed revisions to this rule add clarity and consistency to DWR and the Division of State Parks for mule deer and bighorn sheep permits on Antelope Island State Park. A cooperative agreement between DWR and State Parks will be entered into for the purpose of setting season dates and permit numbers, outlining hunt regulations on the island, establishing protocols for issuing permits and conducting antlerless deer hunts if needed, and defining procedures and conditions of transferring revenue derived from conservation permits valid on Antelope Island. Additionally, this rule change outlines requirements that organizations must abide by to participate in the conservation permit program. Specifically, participants must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit chartered organization that promotes the protection and preservation of one or more conservation permit species.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Section 23-14-19
• Section 23-14-18

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

This rule amendment adds clarity to regulations already in place. DWR determines that these amendments do not create a cost or savings impact to the state budget or DWR's budget, since the changes will not increase workload and can be carried out with existing budget.

local governments:

Since the amendment only adds clarity and consistency to a program that is already established this filing does not create any direct cost or savings impact to local governments because they are not directly affected by the rule. Nor are local governments indirectly impacted because the rule does not create a situation requiring services from local governments.

small businesses:

This amendment simply creates more consistency and clarity to an already established program, therefore, the amendments do not have the potential to generate a cost or savings impact to small businesses.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

This amendment simply creates more consistency and clarity to an already established program, therefore, the amendments do not have the potential to generate a cost or savings impact to other persons.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

DWR determines that these amendments will not create additional costs for residents and nonresidents wishing to hunt in Utah.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

The amendments to this rule do not create an impact on businesses.

Michael R. Styler, Executive Director

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources
1594 W NORTH TEMPLE
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84116-3154

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Staci Coons at the above address, by phone at 801-538-4718, by FAX at 801-538-4709, or by Internet E-mail at stacicoons@utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

07/01/2015

This rule may become effective on:

07/08/2015

Authorized by:

Gregory Sheehan, Director

R657. Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources.

R657-41. Conservation and Sportsman Permits.

R657-41-1. Purpose and Authority.

(1) Under the authority of Section 23-14-18 and 23-14-19, this rule provides the standards and procedures for issuing:

(a) conservation permits to conservation organizations for sale at an auction, or for use as an aid to wildlife related fund raising activities;[ and]

(b) sportsman permits;

(c) Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permits to a conservation organization for marketing and sale at the annual wildlife exposition held pursuant to R657-55; and

(d) Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permits to successful applicants through a general drawing conducted by the Division.

(2) The division and conservation organizations shall use all revenue derived from conservation permits under Subsections R657-41-9(4) and R657-41-9(5)(b) for the benefit of [the ]species for which [the permit is]conservation permits are issued, unless the division and conservation organization mutually agree in writing that there is a higher priority use for other species of protected wildlife.

 

R657-41-2. Definitions.

(1) Terms used in this rule are defined in Section 23-13-2. (2) In addition:

(a) "Area Conservation Permit" means a permit issued for a specific unit or hunt area for a conservation permit species, and may include an extended season, or legal weapon choice, or both, beyond the season except area turkey permits are valid during any season option and are valid in any open area during general season hunt.

(i) Area Conservation permits issued for limited entry units are not valid on cooperative wildlife management units.

(b) "Conservation Organization" means a nonprofit chartered institution, foundation, or association founded for the purpose of promoting [wildlife]the protection and preservation of one or more conservation permit species and has established tax exempt status under Internal Revenue Code, Section 501C-3 as amended.

(c) "Conservation Permit" means any harvest permit authorized by the Wildlife

Board and issued by the division for purposes identified in Section R657-41-1.

(d) "Conservation Permit Species" means the species for which conservation permits may be issued and includes deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bison, Rocky Mountain goat, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep, wild turkey, cougar, and black bear.

(e) "Multi-Year Conservation Permit" means a conservation permit awarded to

an eligible conservation organization pursuant to R657-41-7 for three consecutive years to sell, market or otherwise use as an aid in wildlife related fund raising activities.

(f) "Retained Revenue" means 60% of the revenue raised by a conservation organizations from the sale of conservation permits that the organization retains for eligible projects, excluding interest earned thereon.

(g) "Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit" means a permit authorized by the Wildlife Board to hunt bighorn sheep or mule deer on Antelope Island State Park which is issued pursuant to R657-41-12(3).

(h) "Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permit" means a permit authorized by the Wildlife Board to hunt bighorn sheep or mule deer on Antelope Island State Park which is issued by the division in a general drawing, requiring all applicants to payan application fee and the successful applicant the cost of the permit.

(i) "Sportsman Permit" means a permit which allows a permittee to hunt during the applicable season dates specified in Subsection ([j]k), and which is authorized by the Wildlife Board and issued by the division in a general drawing, requiring all applicants to pay an application fee and the successful applicant the cost of the permit.

([i]j) "Single Year Conservation Permit" means a conservation permit awarded to an eligible conservation organization pursuant to R657-41-6 for one year to sell, market or otherwise use as an aid in wildlife related fund raising activities.

([j]k) "Statewide Conservation Permit" means a permit issued for a conservation permit species that allows a permittee to hunt:

(i) big game species on any open unit with archery equipment during the general archery season published in the big game proclamation for the unit beginning before September 1, and with any weapon from September 1 through December 31, except pronghorn and moose from September 1 through November 15 and deer and elk from September 1 through January 15;

(ii) two turkeys on any open unit from April 1 through May 31;

(iii) bear on any open unit during the season authorized by the Wildlife Board for that unit;

(iv) cougar on any open unit during the season authorized by the Wildlife Board for that unit and during the season dates authorized by the Wildlife Board on any harvest objective unit that has been closed by meeting its objective;

(v) Antelope Island is not an open unit for hunting any species of wildlife authorized by a conservation or sportsman permit, except for the Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation [Permit]Permits and the Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permits; and

(vi) Central Mountain/Nebo/Wasatch West sheep unit is open to the Sportsmen permit holder on even number years and open to the Statewide Conservation permit holder on odd number years.

 

R657-41-9. Conservation Permit Funds and Reporting.

(1) All permits must be marketed by September 1, annually.

(2) Within 30 days of the last event, but no later than September 1 annually, the conservation organization must submit to the division:

(a) a final report on the distribution of permits;

(b) the total funds raised on each permit;

(c) the funds due to the division; and

(d) a report on the status of each project funded in whole or in part with retained conservation permit revenue.

(3)(a) Permits shall not be issued until the permit fees are paid to the division.

(b) If the conservation organization is paying the permit fees for the permit recipient, the fees must be paid from the 10% retained by the conservation organization as provided in Subsection (5)(a).

(4)(a) Conservation organizations shall remit to the division by September 1 of each year 30% of the total revenue generated by conservation permit sales in that year.

(b) The permit revenue payable to the division under Subsection (4)(a), excluding accrued interest, is the property of the division and may not be used by conservation organizations for projects or any other purpose.

(c) The permit revenue must be placed in a federally insured account promptly upon receipt and remain in the account until remitted to the division on or before September 1 of each year.

(d) The permit revenue payable to the division under this subsection shall not be used by the conservation organization as collateral or commingled in the same account with the organization's operation and administration funds, so that the separate identity of the permit revenue is not lost.

(e) Failure to remit 30% of the total permit revenue to the Division by the September 1 deadline may result in criminal prosecution under Title 76, Chapter 6, Part 4 of the Utah Code, and may further disqualify the conservation organization from obtaining any future conservation permits.

(5) A conservation organization may retain 70% of the revenue generated from the sale of conservation permits as follows:

(a) 10% of the revenue may be withheld and used by the conservation organization for administrative expenses.

(b) 60% of the revenue may be retained and used by the conservation organization only for eligible projects as provided in subsections (i) through (ix).

(i) eligible projects include habitat improvement, habitat acquisition, transplants, targeted education efforts and other projects providing a substantial benefit to species of wildlife for which conservation permits are issued, unless the division and conservation organization mutually agree in writing that there is a higher priority use for other species of protected wildlife.

(ii) retained revenue shall not be committed to or expended on any eligible project without first obtaining the division director's written concurrence.

(iii) retained revenue shall not be used on any project that does not provide a substantial and direct benefit to conservation permit species or other protected wildlife located in Utah.

(iv) cash donations to the Wildlife Habitat Account created under Section 23-19-43, Division Species Enhancement Funds, or the Conservation Permit Fund shall be considered an eligible project and do not require the division director's approval, provided the donation is made with instructions that it be used for species of wildlife for which conservation permits are issued.

(v) funds committed to approved projects will be transferred to the division within 90 days of being committed

(A) if the project to which funds are committed is completed under the projected budget or is canceled, funds committed to the project that are not used will be kept by the division and credited back to the conservation organization and will be made available for the group to use on other approved projects during the current or subsequent year.

(vi) retained revenue shall not be used on any project that is inconsistent with division policy, including feeding programs, depredation management, or predator control.

(vii) retained revenue under this subsection must be placed in a federally insured account. All interest revenue earned thereon may be retained and used by the conservation organization for administrative expenses.

(viii) retained revenue shall not be used by the conservation organization as collateral or commingled in the same account with the organization's operation and administration funds, so that the separate identity of the retained revenue is not lost.

(ix) retained revenue must be completely expended on or committed to approved eligible projects by September 1, two years following the year in which the relevant conservation permits are awarded to the conservation organization by the Wildlife Board. Failure to commit or expend the retained revenue by the September 1 deadline will disqualify the conservation organization from obtaining any future conservation permits until the unspent retained revenue is committed to an approved eligible project.

(x) all records and receipts for projects under this subsection must be retained by the conservation organization for a period not less than five years, and shall be produced to the division for inspection upon request.

(6)(a) Conservation organizations accepting permits shall be subject to annual audits on project expenditures and conservation permit accounts.

(b) The division shall perform annual audits on project expenditures and conservation permit accounts.

 

R657-41-12. Special Antelope Island State Park [Conservation Permit]Hunting Permits.

(1)(a) [If the]The Wildlife Board [authorizes]may authorize a hunt for bighorn sheep [or]and buck mule deer on Antelope Island State Park, with one [permit for each species will be made available as a]or more permits for each species made available as Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permits and an equal number of permits for each species made available as Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permits.

(b) The Division of Wildlife Resources and the Division of Parks and Recreation, through their respective policy boards, will enter into a cooperative agreement for the purpose of establishing:

(i) the number of permits issued annually for bighorn sheep and buck mule deer hunts on Antelope Island;

(ii) season dates for each hunt;

(iii) procedures and regulations applicable to hunting on Antelope Island;

(iv) protocols for issuing permits and conducting hunts for antlerless deer on Antelope Island when populations require management; and

(v) procedures and conditions for transferring Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit revenue to the Division of Parks and Recreation.

(c) The cooperative agreement governing bighorn sheep and mule deer hunting on Antelope Island and any subsequent amendment thereto shall be presented to the Wildlife Board and the Parks Board for approval prior to holding a drawing or issuing hunting permits.

(2) (a) Special Antelope Island State Park [Conservation]Limited Entry Permits will be issued [for one year.]by the Division through its annual bucks, bulls, and once-in-a-lifetime drawing.

[(3) Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permits will be issued under this section and will not be limited by the requirements of R657-41-3 through R657-41-8.

] (i) The mule deer Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permit is a premium limited entry buck deer permit and subject to the regulations governing such permits, as provided in this rule, R657-5, and R657-62.

(ii) The bighorn sheep Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permit is a once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep permit and subject to the regulations governing such permits, as provided in this rule, R657-5, and R657-62.

(b) To apply for a Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permit, the applicant must:

(i) pay the prescribed application handling fee;

(ii) possess a current Utah hunting license or combination license;

(iii) not be subject to a waiting period under R657-62 for the species of wildlife applied for; and

(iv) otherwise be eligible to hunt the species of wildlife designated on the application;

(c) A person that obtains a Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permit:

(i) must pay the applicable permit fee;

(ii) may take only one animal of the species and gender designated on the permit;

(iii) may hunt only with the weapon and during the season prescribed on the permit;

(iv) may hunt the specified species within the areas of Antelope Island designated open by the Wildlife Board and the rules and regulations of the Division of Parks and Recreation; and

(v) is subject to the:

(A) provisions of Title 23, Wildlife Resources Code, and the rules and proclamations of the Wildlife Board for taking and pursuing wildlife; and

(B) statutes, rules, and regulations of the Division of Parks and Recreation for hunting on Antelope Island.

(d) Bonus points are awarded and utilized in applying for and obtaining a Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permit.

(e) A person who has obtained a Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permit is subject to all waiting periods applicable to the particular species, as provided in R657-62.

(f) A person cannot obtain a Special Antelope Island State Park Limited Entry Permit for a bighorn sheep or mule deer and any other permit for a male animal of the same species in the same year.

([4]3) Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permits will be provided to the conservation group awarded the wildlife expo permit series, as provided in R657-[55]55, for marketing at the wildlife exposition[ where the wildlife expo permits are awarded].

([5]a) The division and conservation organization receiving Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permits shall enter into a contract .

([6]b) The conservation organization receiving Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permits must insure that the permits are marketed and distributed by lawful means.

([7]c) The conservation organization must:

([a]i) obtain the name of the proposed permit recipient at the event where the permit recipient is selected; and

([b]ii) notify the division of the proposed permit recipient within 10 days of the recipient selection or the permit may be forfeited.

([8]d) If a person is selected by a qualified organization to receive a Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit and is also successful in obtaining a permit for the same species in the same year through a division drawing, that person may designate another person to receive the Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit, provided the permit has not been issued by the division to the first selected person.

([9]e) If a person is selected by a qualified organization to receive a Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit, but is unable to use the permit, the conservation organization may designate another person to receive the permit provided:

([a]i) the conservation organization selects the new recipient of the permit;

([b]ii) the amount of money received by the division for the permit is not decreased;

([c]iii) the conservation organization relinquishes to the division and otherwise uses all proceeds generated from the re-designated permit, pursuant to the requirements provided below:

([i]A) the conservation organization and the initial designated recipient of the permit, sign an affidavit indicating the initial designated recipient is not profiting from transferring the right to the permit; and

([ii]B) the permit has not been issued by the division to the first designated person.

[(10) Except as otherwise provided under Subsections (8) and (9), a person designated by a conservation organization as a recipient of a Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit, may not sell or transfer the rights to that designation to any other person. This does not preclude a person from bidding or otherwise lawfully acquiring a permit from a conservation organization on behalf of another person who will be identified as the original designated recipient.

(11) A person cannot obtain a Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit for a bighorn sheep or mule deer and any other permit for a male animal of the same species in the same year.

(12) The person designated to receive a Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit must possess or obtain a current Utah hunting or combination license before being issued the permit.

] ([13]f) Within 30 days of the [wildlife ]exposition, but no later than May 1 annually, the conservation organization must submit to the division:

([a]i) a final report on the distribution of the Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permits;

([b]ii) the total funds raised on each permit; and

([c]iii) the funds due to the division.

([14]g)([a]i) Permits shall not be issued until the permit fees are paid to the division.

([b]ii) If the conservation organization is paying the permit fees for the permit recipient, the fees must be paid from the 10% retained by the conservation organization as provided in R657-41-9(5)(a).

([15]h)([a]i) Conservation organizations shall remit to the division 90% of the total revenue generated by the Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit sales in that year.

([b]ii) Failure to remit 90% of the total permit revenue to the division by the September 1 deadline may result in criminal prosecution under Title 76, Chapter 6, Part 4 of the Utah Code.

([16]i) A conservation organization may retain 10% of the revenue generated by the permits for administrative expenses.

(j) Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permits will be issued under this section and will not be limited by the requirements of R657-41-3 through R657-41-8.

([17]k) Upon receipt of the permit revenue from the conservation organization, the division will transfer [the ]revenue [in its entirety ]to the Division of Parks and Recreation , as provided in [a]the cooperative agreement under Subsection (1)(b) between the two divisions.

(4)(a) Except as otherwise provided under Subsections (3)(d) and (3)(e), a person designated by a conservation organization as a recipient of a Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit, may not sell or transfer the rights to that designation to any other person. This does not preclude a person from bidding or otherwise lawfully acquiring a permit from a conservation organization on behalf of another person who will be identified as the original designated recipient.

(b) A person cannot obtain a Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit for a bighorn sheep or mule deer and any other permit for a male animal of the same species in the same year.

(c) The person designated to receive a Special Antelope Island State Park Conservation Permit must possess or obtain a current Utah hunting or combination license before being issued the permit.

 

R657-41-13. Failure to Comply.

Any conservation organization administratively or criminally found in violation of this rule or the Wildlife Resources Code may be suspended from participation in the conservation permit program and required to surrender all conservation permit vouchers.

 

KEY: wildlife, wildlife permits

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Change: [March 16, ]2015

Notice of Continuation: November 1, 2010

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 23-14-18; 23-14-19