1. (1)(a) All wildlife expo permit application handling fee revenue generated by the conservation organization under Subsection R657-55A-5(2) and Subsections (3) and (4) shall be deposited in separate federally insured accounts to prevent commingling with any other funds.

   1. (b) Interest earned on the portion of application handling fee revenue committed to fund wildlife conservation projects under Subsection (3) shall be used by the conservation organization to fund approved wildlife conservation projects.
   2. (c) Interest earned on the portion of application handling fee revenue committed to advance wildlife interests in the state under Subsection (4) shall also be used by the conservation organization to advance wildlife interests in the state.

2. (2) The conservation organization may retain up to 20% of the aggregate application handling fee revenue for administrative expenses, unless the conservation organization pledges a greater percentage of the application handling fee to wildlife conservation in:

   1. (a) its response to the request for proposal; or
   2. (b) the expo contract with the division.

3. (3) The conservation organization may retain up to 35% of the aggregate application handling fee revenue and accrued interest to be used by the conservation organization to fund projects advancing wildlife interests in the state, subject to the following:

   1. (a) project funding will not be committed to or expended on any project without first obtaining the division director's written approval;
   2. (b) cash donations to the Wildlife Habitat Account created under Section 23A-3-207 or Division Species Enhancement Funds are authorized for projects that do not require the director's approval; and
   3. (c) application handling fee revenue dedicated to funding projects must be completely expended on approved projects or transferred to the division by August 1st, two years following the year in which the application handling fee revenue is collected.

4. (4) The conservation organization may retain 35% of the aggregate application handling fee revenue and accrued interest to be used by the organization to advance wildlife interests in the state.

   1. (a) This fund may be spent by the group, to advance wildlife interests in Utah, without the pre-approval from the director.
5. (5) The conservation organization shall remit 10% of the aggregate application handling fee revenue to the division within 60 days of the expo permit drawing.
6. (6) Application handling fee revenue committed to division-approved projects will be transferred by the conservation organization to the division within 60 days of being invoiced by the division. If the division-approved project to which funds are committed is completed under projected budget or canceled, funds committed to the project that are not used will be kept by the division and credited back to the conservation organization to be made available for the group to use on other approved projects during the current or subsequent year.
7. (7) All records and receipts for projects under Subsections (3) and (4) must be retained by the conservation organization for a period not less than five years, and shall be produced to the division for inspection upon request.

8. (8) The conservation organization shall submit a report to the division annually by August 1st. The report must account for and document the following:

   1. (a) gross revenue generated from collecting wildlife expo permit application handling fees;
   2. (b) total amount of application handling fee revenue retained for administrative expenses;
   3. (c) total amount of application handling fee revenue set aside and dedicated to funding projects, including bank statements showing account balances; and
   4. (d) records, receipts and details for all expenditures from Subsections (3) and (4).
9. (9) A partner organization that individually receives application handling fee revenue from the expo permit drawing pursuant to a co-participant contract with the conservation organization, is subject to the provisions in Subsections (1) through (8)

KEY: wildlife, wildlife permits

Date of Last Change: July 8, 2025

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 23A-2-304; 23A-2-305