Utah Legislature: Bighorn sheep hunt to pad 'money bill'

SALT LAKE CITY — At the end of every session there is feeding frenzy, little seen or attended outside the Capitol.

Money is found here and there for the "money bills" — legislation that costs $10,000 to $100,000.

Compared to an $11 billion budget, money bills are small potatoes, financially speaking.

But they are critical to some individual lawmakers.

And in the fight to find a few hundred thousand dollars more for money bills, rather cute ungulates on Antelope Island may find themselves on the business end of a rifle scope.

A piece of intent language, posed by Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, during a budget meeting early in the session, allowed for a special hunt of trophy bighorn sheep on the 28,000-acre state park, an idea that could raise $200,000 or more through the sale of only two exclusive permits.

The idea was nixed in later budget negotiations but brought back at a Wednesday legislative appropriations meeting.

Park managers have been adamantly opposed to the idea and point to surveys that sampled some of its 260,000-plus annual visitors who say they value the wildlife viewing on the island above all else.

Currently, Antelope Island allows a limited bison hunt, but the park's board chairman, Karl Bentley, said at a meeting during the session that it's used as a tool to thin the resident herd of the "biggest, meanest and orneriest animals" that can't be corralled.

In the political corral of the House GOP caucus Wednesday, different lawmakers rose to argue in favor of their specific money bills but had trouble finding viable, untapped revenue sources like the special sheep hunt.

Executive Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Brad Last, R-Hurricane, said, "There just isn't much money there."

Using an animal analogy, Last said there may be money for some dog or cat money bills, but not for any really big animals.

"If you know where we can get" some money, "let us know," he said.

Anyone interested in roaming the Great Salt Lake's largest island in search of the elusive bighorn will pay dearly for the opportunity. Insiders say permits could easily sell for $120,000 each.

While the park opposes the now re-instated intent language, money generated by the hunt will go toward conservation efforts and habitat improvement.

Contributing: Amy Joi O'Donoghue

e-mail: bbjr@desnews.com, araymond@desnews.com