9-1-224. Collection of data; creation of a repository; dissemination of data.

(a) The governor's office may supervise the collection of baseline scientific assessment data on public lands which may impact agricultural, mineral, geological, historical or environmental resources. The data collected shall be of sufficient quality and quantity to provide a scientifically defensible record of the ambient environment in a defined geographic area. The governor's office may supervise collection of all data on public lands which may impact agricultural, mineral, geological, historical or environmental resources, including, but not limited to, the following:

(i) Air quality, including ozone and haze levels;

(ii) Surface water and groundwater quality and quantity;

(iii) Economic development infrastructure, roads, reservoirs, corrals, fences, pipelines, transmission lines and all other man-made structures on public land;

(iv) Historic trails, stock driveways, historic sites or archeological sites;

(v) Livestock grazing;

(vi) Geological analysis;

(vii) Populations of species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act and all state and federal agency species lists including, but not limited to, management indicator species, sensitive species, native species status and the Wyoming natural diversity database;

(viii) Rights-of-way corridors for electric transmission, fiber optics and pipelines;

(ix) Enhanced oil recovery.

(b) The governor shall assign the collection of data under subsection (a) of this section to the appropriate state agency or political entity of the state, including, but not limited to, the following:

(i) The department of environmental quality;

(ii) The University of Wyoming;

(iii) The oil and gas commission;

(iv) The game and fish department;

(v) The department of agriculture;

(vi) The office of state lands and investments;

(vii) The department of state parks and cultural resources;

(viii) The department of administration and information;

(ix) The state archeologist;

(x) The state geologist;

(xi) The pipeline authority;

The Wyoming energy authority;

(xii) The infrastructure authority;

Note: this law is repealed by Laws 2019, ch. 34, § 4. effective 7/1/2020.

(xiii) Conservation districts;

(xiv) All other state agencies, boards, commissions and departments with knowledge and expertise on issues impacting lands in the state; and

(xv) All interested local governments.

(c) The governor's office may collaborate with any entity not under the complete control of the state of Wyoming to accomplish the purposes of this section. Before collaborating with an entity not under the complete control of the state of Wyoming, the governor's office and the other entity shall enter into a cost sharing agreement. The governor's office may accept funding from an entity for data collection under this section. Any funding received shall be reported to the joint minerals, business and economic development interim committee in accordance with subsection (h) of this section.

(d) The governor may direct state agencies and political entities to use all available technologies at their disposal to collect data under this section, including geographic information systems (GIS).

(e) The governor's office shall provide for a repository for all data collected under this section. The governor may designate data collected from private sources containing proprietary information or trade secrets as confidential and not subject to inspection as provided by W.S. 16-4-203(d)(v). All other data collected and not designated shall be available to the public.

(f) State agencies and political entities of the state assigned with collecting data under subsection (b) of this section shall submit an estimate of the necessary costs of collecting their assigned data to the governor's office. To the extent necessary, the governor shall use his authority under W.S. 9-2-1005(b)(i) to transfer sufficient funds to the assigned agency to pay the necessary costs of data collection.

(g) The governor's office shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement this section, including establishing standards for data collection consistent with other standard peer reviewed scientific research.

(h) The governor's office shall report to the joint minerals, business and economic development interim committee by October 1, 2012 and by October 1 annually thereafter concerning the progress of data collection under this section.