Sage grouse farming regulation passes to implement new state law

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission voted to approve regulations that implement a state law passed by the Wyoming Legislature this year.

8/23/2017 5:20:26 PM

Cheyenne - The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission voted to approve regulations that implement a state law passed by the Wyoming Legislature this year. That law allows for owners of a bird farm to collect sage grouse eggs and then raise sage grouse in a private facility. The regulations add details to put this law in place.

The Commission took public comment and discussed the regulations at its meeting in Casper Aug. 23. The public can view a video of the meeting from Game and Fish’s website. The regulations will go into effect when they are signed by the Governor. 

The state law and regulations clarify that no one can possess, breed or sell sage grouse unless they are certified by the Game and Fish Department. The regulations lay out specific requirements for how a facility can become certified to raise sage grouse, on the infrastructure and operations at a facility where this would occur, on how eggs would be collected and on the potential release of farm-raised sage grouse. 

This was the only topic at this month’s special commission meeting, which was needed because the law said final rules needed to be adopted by the commission by September 1, 2017. 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission meets next September 19-20 in Gillette.

(renny.mackay1@wyo.gov)

- WGFD -