Senate panel boosts forest‑health grant to $5 million, makes program effective immediately

The Senate Committee of the Whole on Feb. 27 adopted amendments to House Bill 78 that increase appropriations for the proposed Forest Health Grant Program and make the program effective immediately.

Senator Hicks explained the bill as a cost‑share program run by the state forester to pay for fuels reduction, watershed protection, and habitat improvements. He told colleagues Wyoming has about 11.5 million forested acres and said that in 2024–25 "we burned in the state of Wyoming over 1,100,000 acres." The bill originally provided a $3 million biennial appropriation; Standing Committee Amendment No. 2 raised that to $5 million per biennium and was adopted by voice vote.

Supporters, including Senator Driscoll, said treatments pay off by reducing suppression costs and protecting municipal watersheds, citing examples where fuels treatments helped stop major fires. Senator Barlow asked about delegating determinations of "public purpose" to the state forester and about attorney general review; Senator Hicks said AG review and standard grant procedures would apply and that grants would generally follow models such as the wildlife natural resource trust fund.

The Committee of the Whole adopted the amendments by voice vote and reported HB78 favorably to the Senate.

Next steps: the bill will proceed through the Senate with immediate‑effective language adopted; sponsors said administrative rules and application procedures will still need to be developed before awards are made.