Wyoming Administrative Code › Agency 040 - Game and Fish Commission › Sub-Agency 0001 - Game and Fish Commission Regulations › Chapter 60 - REGULATION GOVERNING GREATER SAGE-GROUSE RAISED ON PRIVATE GAME BIRD FARMS › Section 60-3 - Definitions

Current through July 13, 2024
For the purpose of this regulation, definitions will be as
				  set forth in Title 23, Wyoming Statutes, Commission regulations and the
				  Commission also adopts the following definitions:
(a) "Captive Breeding Population" means live
				captive sage grouse in the possession of a licensee with the proper
				certification, where the licensee has documented captive reproductive success
				through natural breeding or artificial insemination practices and has
				successfully raised sage grouse chicks from captive sage grouse hens living
				entirely within an enclosure, that are self-sustaining and do not require any
				additional wild sage grouse to be added to or supplemented into the flock for
				any purpose.
(b) "Certificate of
				Compliance" or "Certification" means a written approval by the Department to a
				game bird farm licensee that authorizes the licensee to possess, propagate,
				breed, raise, sell, gather eggs from the wild and release live greater sage
				grouse and to take greater sage grouse within the boundaries of their game bird
				farm.
(c) "Collection Area" means a
				geographic area as determined by the Department and specified on a Certificate
				of Compliance, where sage grouse nest sites in the wild may be disturbed by a
				licensee for the sole purpose of collecting sage grouse eggs.
(d) "Coordination with the Department" means
				the game bird licensee shall contact the Department representative listed on
				their Certificate of Compliance to receive authorization at least ten (10)
				business days prior to any release of sage grouse within the state and outside
				of the boundaries of a game bird farm, or to release sage grouse where wild
				sage grouse exist within the boundaries of an existing game bird farm, or
				collection of any sage grouse eggs from the wild. A Department representative
				may observe and direct any release of sage grouse or collection of any sage
				grouse eggs from the wild.
(e)
				"Enclosure" means a holding facility designed to confine and physically
				separate captive sage grouse from other game birds, domestic animals,
				domesticated animals and livestock, and to handle live greater sage grouse. The
				holding facility shall be defined by legal description to the quarter/quarter
				(1/4-1/4) section where live sage grouse shall be possessed or
				confined.
(f) "Hatching Facility"
				means a commercially produced incubator and hatcher capable of monitoring and
				maintaining environmental conditions necessary to successfully hatch sage
				grouse eggs.
(g) "Professional
				Wildlife Biologist" means an individual named by an applicant on their
				certification application who has a professional wildlife background in the
				management of Greater-Sage grouse and is knowledgeable of the species'
				habitats, who has been approved by the Department and is listed on a licensee's
				Certificate of Compliance.
(h)
				"Sage Grouse" means live birds and viable eggs of all Greater-Sage grouse
				(Centrocercus urophasianus).
(i)
				"Successfully Raised" means documented evidence, as required by the Department,
				that a licensee has demonstrated an ability to hatch game bird eggs or brood
				chicks, raise juvenile game birds to breeding age and achieve reproduction of
				game birds through either natural or artificial insemination.
(j) "Vegetation Consistent with the Needs of
				Sage Grouse" means the presence of one (1) or more species/subspecies of
				appropriate sage brush, forbs and grasses suitable to sage grouse and in
				sufficient quantity to meet the needs of captive sage grouse and any offspring.
				Sage brush, forbs and grasses shall be maintained and replaced as necessary to
				provide food, cover and suitable dust control.