Yellowstone fee proposal receives Wyoming governor’s OK

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming will seek an agreement with U.S. Interior Department and National Park Service officials about collecting a fee at Yellowstone National Park to fund wildlife conservation efforts in the states surrounding the park.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead on Monday signed a joint resolution passed the state Legislature earlier calling for discussions about the fees.

Proponents say the idea is to generate money for Wyoming, Montana and Idaho to deal with issues like wildlife collisions, disease and migration routes.

The Wyoming resolution, which also involves Grand Teton National Park, does not specify how the fee would be assessed or what the amount would be.

Since only the federal government oversees fees in national parks, the resolution seeks to start a conversation between the three states and the federal agencies.