News Briefs

Farmers market moves indoors
The Basin/Greybull Farmer’s Market will hold indoor farmers markets for the winter/spring season.
Starting in November, each market will take place the first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m.-noon at the Basin Chamber Office at 407 C Street in Basin.

Shooting complex task force finalizes pre-proposal survey
SHERIDAN (WNE) — The State Shooting Complex Oversight Task Force completed work during its meeting Friday morning that will help it identify communities interested in being home to the complex.
The task force was established by Senate File 169, which Gov. Mark Gordon signed into law March 2.
The task force comprises several legislators and representatives from Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Wyoming Travel and Tourism, firearm and archery manufacturers, shooting sports organizations and hunting or wildlife conservation organizations.
The body is charged with making a recommendation on the nature, size, governance structure, cost and location of the shooting complex to the Wyoming Legislature and Governor’s office. The task force will also establish a request for proposal (RFP) process and criteria to assess proposals.
Members of the task force met via Zoom Friday to finalize a pre-proposal submission outline and process to serve as a precursor to final proposals.
The outline includes several categories for consideration by interested communities, including a detailed description of the land, access to utilities and distance and travel time to highways, airports, lodging and dining options.
“The goal here is to get the communities that are thinking about submitting a proposal to recognize that these are concepts and factors that will be scored eventually,” Co-chair Rep. Art Washut, R-Casper, said.
Wyoming Business Council CEO Josh Dorrell said it’s important a community can manage the future economic benefits of the complex.
Pre-proposal submissions are set to open Nov. 13 with a deadline of March 1, 2024.

CWD detected in new Wyoming elk hunt area in Cody Region
CODY - The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease in Elk Hunt Area 58. The disease was detected in a hunter-harvested bull elk in early October.
Elk Hunt Area 58 is in the Cody Region and is bordered by two areas that previously detected CWD in elk. CWD has been detected to the west in Hunt Area 59 in 2022 and to the east in Hunt Area 66 in 2018. Additionally, Elk Hunt Area 58 overlaps with Deer Hunt Area 113 where the disease also has been detected.   
To ensure hunters are informed, Game and Fish announces when CWD is found in a new hunt area. The Centers for Disease Control recommends hunters do not consume any animal that is obviously ill or tests positive for CWD.
Continued monitoring of CWD over time is important to help Game and Fish understand the potential impacts of the disease as well as evaluate future management actions for deer and elk. A map of CWD endemic areas is available on the Game and Fish website. The disease is 100% fatal to deer, elk and moose that have been infected. In 2022, Game and Fish personnel tested 6,701 CWD lymph node samples from deer,elk and moose — primarily submitted by hunters.
Please visit the Game and Fish website for more information on chronic wasting disease testing, transmission and regulations on transportation and disposal of carcasses.

State revenue tops expectations
SHERIDAN — The Wyoming Legislature will have more revenue to tap into during its upcoming budget session, according to a recent report from the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG).
CREG released its October report just before the Joint Appropriations Committee meeting Monday morning. The report, discussed during the meeting, anticipates more revenue for the state across the next four fiscal years, from FY2023 to FY2026.
Wyoming has a unique approach to forecasting revenue, CREG Co-Chair Don Richards said. The approach includes anecdotal discussions and surveying governmental entities and industry representatives.
“I have yet to find another state that is as receptive as Wyoming is to reaching out and speaking with Wyoming’s largest taxpayers [businesses],” Richards said Monday.
The report showed revenues for FY2023 vastly outpaced CREG expectations for the General and Budget Reserve Account funds. The $177.3 million more than the projected revenue was largely due to natural gas prices in December and January.
Richards added the price of natural gas at the time was “something that has never been seen in the state of Wyoming’s history.”
According to the report, the average price of natural gas in FY2023 was $8.23 per thousand cubic feet.
Most of the remaining differences between actual and projected revenues from FY2023 are the result of sales and use tax — $35.9 million — and investment earnings — $10.8 million.
Looking ahead, the report anticipates $251.8 million more revenue for the General Fund and Budget Reserve Account funds over the next three fiscal years — from FY2024 to FY2026 — than projected in the January CREG forecast. The biggest changes in the forecast over the next three fiscal years came from investment income and sales and use taxes.
“If I had to pick one theme for today’s CREG report it would be persistent and elevated inflation,” Richards said. “And, it is evident in multiple areas. It is evident in our sales and use tax forecast; it is evident in our investment forecast; it is evident in our non-mineral assessed value — that is residential property taxes.”
Richards said in Gov. Mark Gordon’s budget recommendation, he could request the Legislature spend funds from all four fiscal years mentioned in the CREG report.
“You will benefit from four years of fiscal revenue,” Richards said.
In total, CREG forecasts just more than $6.3 billion in revenue for the next biennium — FY 2025-2026. The Wyoming Legislature will convene Feb. 12 to begin allocating the funds.