Wyoming legislation seeks conservation fee at Yellowstone

A proposal introduced in the Wyoming Legislature advocates for imposing a fee at Yellowstone National Park to help pay for wildlife conservation efforts in the states surrounding the park.

Sublette County cattleman and Rep. Albert Sommers says the idea is to generate money for the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho to deal with issues like wildlife collisions, large-carnivore conflicts and preserving migration routes.

The states cannot impose fees in Yellowstone. The resolution would ask the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Interior to impose the fee.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that the Wyoming resolution does not specify how the fee would be assessed or what the amount would be.

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition has said it supports the idea.

Yellowstone officials declined to comment.