Has Wyoming’s attempt to end fake “No Trespassing” signs made a difference?

It’s a fairly common occurrence in Wyoming, so much so that lawmakers took steps last year to discourage the practice. House Bill 147, “The Unlawful Posting of No Trespassing Signs,” makes willfully posting improper no-trespassing signs a criminal offense punishable by fines of up to $10,000.

“I think it works well for hunters and sportsmen,” said Rep. Karlee Provenza, a Democrat from Laramie who sponsored the bill. “I should have the right to access my public lands. Anybody who tries to infringe on my right to hunt and fish, which is a constitutional right on my public lands, should be punished.”

Bill 147 requires that anyone who posts a sign prohibiting illegal access receive a written warning. If she does not remove the sign, she may receive a ticket and a fine.

Although people reported seeing misleading no-trespassing signs when the bill was being considered in the Wyoming Legislature, the state Fish and Game Department, which enforces the rule, said it hasn’t received many reports since.

“We’ve had very few, if any, reports of violations so far,” said Rick King, chief game warden with the Game and Fish Division. “So it hasn’t been a big problem for us so far.”

Provenza said she has heard from constituents who say they contacted Game and Fish because of the new law, but she doesn’t know exactly when those calls were made.

“This may have been before Game and Fish implemented any policies around the law, but there was generally a little confusion on Game and Fish’s part,” Provenza said.

When new statutes are added to the laws, it is necessary to raise awareness among the agencies responsible for their application to make them aware. Fish and Game Director Brian Nesvik made sure department staff were aware of HB 147, Provenza said.

The low number of reports indicates to Craig Smith, deputy chief of the Wyoming Division of Wildlife, that the law alone could have a deterrent effect.

“Given the lack of enforcement and the lack of tickets, at this point it would seem like that’s enough,” Smith said. “Of course, it’s only one fall that we’ve had with this, and so we’ll have to monitor this over time to see if any different trends emerge. »

Although HB 147 may have created a deterrent to the posting of misleading no-trespassing signs on public lands, Provenza said additional reforms may be needed to protect access to public lands. Some roads in Wyoming have been marked as private, when they are actually public, which continues to cause confusion.

“People are going to follow the law, so if they think there’s a chance it’s private property, they don’t want to break the law and disrespect the property owners,” Provenza said. “Everyone wants to respect private property rights. »