DAR File No. 42919

Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources

Rule R657-10

Taking Cougar

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 42919
Filed: 05/15/2018 06:46:25 AM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

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

Summary of the rule or change:

These proposed revisions remove the language concerning Poaching-Reported Reward Permits. This language has been moved into the new proposed Rule R657-51, Poaching-Reported Reward Permits. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The proposed new Rule R657-51 is under Filing No. 42913 in this issue, June 1, 2018, of the Bulletin.)

Statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Section 23-14-18
• Section 23-14-19

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

These proposed rule amendments remove rule language from this rule and places it in a separate rule. These changes can be initiated within the current workload and resources of DWR, therefore, DWR has determined 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 the existing budget.

local governments:

Since these proposed amendments simply move rule language, this filing does not create any direct cost or savings impact to local governments. Nor are local governments indirectly impacted because this rule does not create a situation requiring services from local governments.

small businesses:

None--These amendments are technical in nature and do not have the potential to create a cost impact.

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

None--These amendments are technical in nature and do not have the potential to create a cost impact.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

DWR has determined that these amendments will not create additional costs for those participating in the poaching reward permit program.

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

After conducting a thorough analysis, it was determined that these proposed rule changes will not result in a fiscal impact to businesses.

Michael R. Styler, Executive Director

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Office 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:

07/02/2018

This rule may become effective on:

07/09/2018

Authorized by:

Mike Fowlks, Deputy Director

Appendix 1: Regulatory Impact Summary Table*

Fiscal Costs	FY 2018	FY 2019	FY 2020
State Government	$0	$0	$0
Local Government	$0	$0	$0
Small Businesses	$0	$0	$0
Non-Small Businesses	$0	$0	$0
Other Person	$0	$0	$0
Total Fiscal Costs:	$0	$0	$0
Fiscal Benefits
State Government	$0	$0	$0
Local Government	$0	$0	$0
Small Businesses	$0	$0	$0
Non-Small Businesses	$0	$0	$0
Other Persons	$0	$0	$0
Total Fiscal Benefits:	$0	$0	$0
Net Fiscal Benefits:	$0	$0	$0

 

*This table only includes fiscal impacts that could be measured. If there are inestimable fiscal impacts, they will not be included in this table. Inestimable impacts for State Government, Local Government, Small Businesses and Other Persons are described above. Inestimable impacts for Non-Small Businesses are described below.

 

Appendix 2: Regulatory Impact to Non-Small Businesses

These amendments remove text from Rule R657-10 and places it in the new Rule R657-51, Poaching-Reported Reward Permits. It is not expected to have any fiscal impacts on large businesses revenues or expenditures, because there are no services required from them in order to implement this new rule.

 

The head of department of Natural Resources, Michael Styler, has reviewed and approved this fiscal analysis.

R657. Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources.

R657-10. Taking Cougar.

R657-10-1. Purpose and Authority.

(1) Under authority of Sections 23-14-18 and 23-14-19 of the Utah Code, the Wildlife Board has established this rule for taking and pursuing cougar.

(2) Specific dates, areas, number of permits, limits, and other administrative details which may change annually are published in the guidebook of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.

 

R657-10-32. Poaching-Reported Reward Permits.

[(1) For purposes of this section, "successful prosecution" means the screening and filing of charges for the poaching incident.

(2) Any person who provides information leading to another person's arrest and successful prosecution for wanton destruction of a cougar on a limited entry cougar unit, under Section 23-20-4, may receive a permit from the division to hunt cougar on the same limited-entry cougar unit where the reported violation occurred, as provided in Subsection (3).

(3)(a) The division may issue poaching-reported reward permits only in limited-entry cougar units that have more than 10 total permits allocated.

(b) The division may issue only one poaching-reported reward permit per limited-entry cougar unit per year.

(4)(a) The division may issue only one poaching-reported reward permit for any one animal illegally taken.

(b) No more than one poaching-reported reward permit shall be issued to any one person per successful prosecution.

(c) No more than one cougar poaching-reported reward permit shall be issued to any one person in any one cougar season.

(5)(a) Poaching-reported reward permits may only be issued to the person who provides the most pertinent information leading to a successful prosecution. Permits are not transferrable.

(b) If information is received from more than one person, the director of the division shall make a determination based on the facts of the case, as to which person provided the most pertinent information leading to the successful prosecution in the case.

(c) The person providing the most pertinent information shall qualify for the poaching-reported reward permit.

(6) Any person who receives a poaching-reported reward permit must possess a Utah hunting or combination license and otherwise be eligible to hunt and obtain cougar permits as provided in all rules and regulations of the Wildlife Board and the Wildlife Resources Code.](1) Cougar poaching-reported reward permits are issued pursuant to rule R657-51 Poaching-Reported Reward Permits.

 

KEY: wildlife, cougar, game laws

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [November 10, 2015]2018

Notice of Continuation: August 1, 2016

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