Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board

The ADMB is currently funded by the following five sources of income:

General fund appropriations from the Wyoming Legislature
An annual $100,000.00 request to the Wyoming Game & Fish Commission
A voluntary Wildlife Damage Management Stamp available from all license selling agents
A voluntary transfer of Landowner Coupons
A voluntary Brand Inspection Fee of ten-cents per head of livestock. This is in addition to the current fee (80 cents/head/sheep & 20 cents/head/cattle) statutorily assessed and paid by the livestock producer.

Wildlife Damage Management Stamp

Administered by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department

Stamp price is $10.00 each for Calendar Year 2004.

Any person may purchase a stamp to express support for the ADMB. The ADMB generously expresses a thank you to all individuals who purchase one.

Effective January 1, 2000, a "Wildlife Damage Management" stamp will be available for sale. This stamp, issued at licensed selling agents as designated by the Wyoming game & fish commission may be purchased voluntarily.

Proceeds from the sale of the stamp [excluding fifty cents ($.50) which the agent retains for each stamp sold] goes to help fund the activities of the Animal Damage Management Board. The Wyoming game & fish commission is authorized to retain such fees as related to those administrative costs which are required to design and print stamps, and collect, account for and disburse these funds to the ADMB.

Purchase price of the stamp is determined annually by the ADMB in whole dollar increments and established at such a level to meet their financial obligations. Proceeds are NOT used for compensation to individuals who experience damage caused by wildlife to private property.

Landowner Coupon Affidavits

Administered by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department
Defining Statute: W.S. 23-3-105
Affidavit Form

Landowners are encouraged to use the new affidavit forms as outlined in the following correspondence from Game and Fish Department Director John Baughman:

September 7, 1999

Dear Wyoming Landowner:

Records at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department indicate that you applied for and received payment for landowner coupons for hunt year 1998.

During the 1999 Wyoming Legislative Session, House Bill 136 created a new program, entitled the "Wyoming Animal Damage Management Program". The Board created as a part of this program is charged with mitigating damage caused to livestock, wildlife and crops by predatory animals, predacious birds and depredating animals. This board is made up of 12 members appointed by the Governor, including the directors of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and Wyoming Game and Fish Department, one domestic cattle producer, one domestic sheep producer, the State Director for APHIS (Wildlife Services), the President of the State Predatory Animal Advisory Board, a member of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, and a member of the Wyoming Board of Agriculture; plus 4 additional members -- one from an urban area, a non- consumptive user of the State's wildlife resources and 2 individuals representing the interests of sportsmen, outfitters and hunters.

As part of this enabling legislation, several funding mechanisms for the program were created including a change to W.S. § 23-3-105(b) which provides for the payment of landowner coupons.

Under this change, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will provide landowners a check-off box on the landowner coupon affidavit claim form allowing landowners to either designate the coupon payment to themselves or to the Animal Damage Management Board. If the landowner so elects, the Game and Fish will send the landowner coupon payment to the Animal Damage Management Board in lieu of to the landowner.

Accordingly, the landowner affidavit form has been redesigned with an effective date of 9/99 with two check off boxes- 1) TO HAVE THE PAYMENT DESIGNATED TO THE ANIMAL DAMAGE MANAGEMENT BOARD or 2) TO HAVE THE PAYMENT MADE TO THE LANDOWNER. a landowner affidavit for your use has been included with this letter. Please insure that you check only one box and sign under the appropriate "claimant signature".

Since your coupon payment is voluntary, if you designate the coupon redemption to go to the Animal Damage Management Board, the payment will be reportable as income for you by the State Auditor's office to the Internal Revenue Service under 1099 reporting requirements. You may wish to check with your tax advisor on the tax status of this payment and whether or not the designated payment is tax deductible by you.

This statutory change is a trial program and will remain in effect until January 1, 2005. During this pilot period, the program will be reviewed in an effort to refine the concept of integrated animal damage management. If you have questions or would like additional information on the program, we encourage you to contact the Wyoming Department of Agriculture which is the State agency which will be administering the Animal Damage Management program.

Brand Inspection Fee

Administered by the Wyoming Livestock Board

Any person paying the predator fee may pay an additional ten cents ($.10) per head [on livestock] to fund the predator management activities of the Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board created by Wyoming Statute 11-6-303. Any fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in the animal damage management account created by Wyoming Statute 11-6-306. Livestock producers have the option to voluntarily contribute to the ADMB at the time of brand inspection. This ten cents ($.10) per head is in addition to the other predator fees imposed.

Starting on January 1, 2000 a check-off section on the standard "A" form used by the Wyoming Livestock Board's brand inspectors will be used to denote contribution to the ADMB of the voluntary assessment. If a producer chooses to contribute the ten cents ($.10) per head, statutory language requires two separate check to be written: one for the required brand inspection fees; and the second check for the voluntary contribution to the ADMB.