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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Category: Colorado News

  • Roxborough State Park’s naturalist guided activities in July

    Roxborough State Park’s naturalist guided activities in July

    ROXBOROUGH, Colo. – Come join the fun, learn about nature and watch Roxborough State Park change with the seasons. Park naturalists will lead you on a journey of discovery through our guided hikes and activities.

     

    Programs, sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, are free; however, please remember that all vehicles entering the park must purchase an $8 daily pass or display a valid annual pass. Most programs require reservations. For information and to register for programs call the park at 303-973-3959.

     

    Please sign up for all programs (except Moonlight Hikes) through Eventbrite. A link to Eventbrite can be found on our website and on our events Facebook page. We will no longer be taking phone reservations, but please do call if you need assistance. As always, our program dates and events can be found on our website, in our Rambles Newsletter and on our Facebook page.

     

    Park Hours: 5 a.m. – 9 p.m.

     

    Visitor Center Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (weekdays); 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (weekends)

     

    July 10: Rox Ride | 10 a.m.

    Take a naturalist guided tour in a five-passenger electric golf cart around the Fountain Valley Trail. Reservations via Eventbrite are required. All children must be accompanied by an adult and small children must be in a car seat (not provided).

     

    July 11: Roxborough Revealed – Whoo’s Watching You: Inside | 9 a.m.

    Are you interested in owls? Are you interested in how they live or what they do? Join Naturalist Linda Lawson in the auditorium to learn about what makes owls amazing, why owls are important to their ecosystem, and other interesting facts about owls. Reservations via Eventbrite are required. Meet at the Visitor Center to attend this event.

     

    July 11: A Meditative Walk in Nature | 9 a.m.

    Do you enjoy taking peaceful quit walks in wilderness? Join Naturalist Kathy Ford on a meditative hike to discover what natural wonders have to teach us about silence. Reservations via Eventbrite are required. Meet at the Visitor Center to attend this event.

     

    July 12: Photographing Roxborough’s Landscapes and Flowers | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

    Join Naturalist Bob Rabito for a day of photographic adventures! Bob is an award winning, professional photographer of 42 years. Start with a presentation in the auditorium to learn how to visualize your subjects as a photographer would and discuss various techniques such as cropping, composition, lighting, and background in order to photograph the beautiful flowers and landscapes of Roxborough using the approach and techniques you just learned. Reservations via Eventbrite are required. Meet at the Visitor Center to attend this event.

     

    July 18: Roxborough Revealed – Nature Hike | 9 a.m

    When you go hiking in Roxborough State Park do you ever wonder about the natural wonders that surround you? Join Naturalist Kevin Schaal to learn about the plants and animals that call Roxborough State Park their home while enjoy a beautiful hike through Roxborough State Park. Reservations via Eventbrite are required. Meet at the Visitor Center to attend this event.

     

    July 19: Guided Bird Walk | 7:30 a.m.

    Join Naturalist Jill Holden, grab your bird book, binoculars, and join us for bird watching adventures. These hikes are for all ability levels. Dress for changing weather conditions. Reservations via Eventbrite are required. Meet at the Visitor Center to attend this event.

     

    July 25: Roxborough Revealed – Animals of Roxborough

    While hiking in Roxborough State Park have you ever wondered about the wildlife that lives in the area? Join Naturalist Sue Klinke in the auditorium to learn about the fascinating wildlife that can be found in the park and what makes them special. Reservations via Eventbrite are required. Meet at the Visitor Center to attend this event.

     

    PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO COVID-19, WE HAVE PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE FOR HIKES/PROGRAMS. WE ARE LIMITING GROUP SIZE TO 10, WHICH INCLUDES THE LEADER. THERE MUST BE A SIX-FOOT DISTANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE. YOU CAN STAND TOGETHER IF YOU LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD. YOU MUST WEAR A MASK. IF YOU DO NOT WANT/OR CAN’T WEAR A MASK, PLEASE CONSIDER NOT SIGNING UP FOR THIS EVENT AND WAIT UNTIL THE RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED. 

     

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  • Lost Lake area near Nederland to close over human-bear safety concerns

    Lost Lake area near Nederland to close over human-bear safety concerns

    Hessie Trailhead, trails remain open for day use only to Wilderness boundary

    BOULDER, Colo. (July 7, 2020) – The Roosevelt National Forest and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are closing the area around Lost Lake to all use starting Wednesday, July 8, 2020, over safety concerns with a bear in the area.

    This bear has been involved in conflicts at the campground since 2017, entering unoccupied tents, retrieving people’s food left unsecured and showing little fear of humans. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is confident it is the same individual bear due to matching descriptions from conflict reports.

    “We are concerned for the safety of backcountry campers, as this bear has become an issue,” said Kristin Cannon, Deputy Regional Manager for CPW’s Northeast Region. “For the time being, we feel it is best to keep campers safe and close down the area.” 

    The entire area is closed to camping from the Hessie Trailhead near Nederland to the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area boundary. Day use along the King Lake Trail or Devil’s Thumb Trail will be permitted; but the Lost Lake Trail spurs off of King Lake Trail will be closed and no use will be permitted beyond that trail junction.

    “This area closure is a rare step that we take only in the most critical circumstances and is necessary for public safety,” said Boulder District Ranger Angela Gee. “We understand that this is the height of camping and hiking season and our hope is this closure will be brief.”

    The closure will remain in place until further notice.

    “We would like to remind the public that no matter where you are camping this summer, especially if you are in the backcountry, please use a bear resistant canister to store any scented items and pack out all trash,” said Jason Duetsch, Area Wildlife Manager for CPW. “This is the best way to avoid dangerous bear encounters and to prevent unnatural food rewards.”

    Helpful links:

    Photos:

    Bottom Left: Pictured are bear safety camping essentials: bear spray, an air horn and a bear canister

    Bottom Right: Stock bear photo, not a photo of the bear associated with this release

     

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  • Video highlights the exciting arctic grayling spawn at Joe Wright Reservoir

    Video highlights the exciting arctic grayling spawn at Joe Wright Reservoir

    [WATCH] https://youtu.be/LuJif1T3oDs

    LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. – Just upstream of Joe Wright Reservoir, Colorado Parks and Wildlife aquatic biologists, technicians, researchers and hatchery personnel conducted its annual spawning operation for a fish that most Coloradans might be surprised to find here in the Rocky Mountains.

    Arctic grayling were first stocked in Colorado in the late 1890s, but it wasn’t until the mid-1960s that CPW had success with a self-sustaining population. 

    This year’s arctic grayling spawning operation was conducted June 23 on Joe Wright Creek. Aquatic biologists from CPW’s Northeast Region have been coming to this spot every year since 1994 to collect and fertilize grayling eggs to deliver to the Glenwood Springs State Fish Hatchery. The annual egg request has ranged from 100,000 to 275,00 grayling eggs over the last decade, with 100,000 eggs needed for 2020.

    “They will get stocked out at various lakes throughout the state,” Aquatic Biologist Kyle Battige said. “It depends on the year, but we generally stock between 5-10 lakes around the state of Colorado with grayling.”

    The goal of the 2020 spawn was to catch around 100 ripe females via electrocking near the creek’s inlet to the reservoir to meet the established egg quota. However, the spawning operation entails far greater numbers of fish.

    “In the quarter-mile of stream we shocked today, we caught almost 1,000 grayling,” Battige said. “Arctic grayling are not native to Colorado, the fish here in Joe Wright Reservoir originally came from Montana. They’ve been in Joe Wright Reservoir for about 30 years, we have been spawning them for over two decades now and there is an annual spawning run that is just a spectacle to see.”

    If you came up to Joe Wright Creek during any other time of the year than during the spawning run, you likely would not find a single grayling in the creek. Joe Wright Reservoir and Creek provide a unique habitat for them. The arctic grayling population in Joe Wright Reservoir is not stocked and is maintained solely through natural reproduction from fish spawning naturally in the creek.

    “Grayling do really well in Joe Wright Reservoir and Creek because it is crystal clear, great mountain water with appropriately-sized spawning gravel,” Battige said. “They run up the creek out of the reservoir towards the end of June every year, spawn, and then migrate back downstream to the reservoir where they spend the other 11 months of the year.”

    The fish that are caught via electroshocking are sorted by males and females into holding nets on the creek. The females are massaged and stripped of their roe, or eggs, and the males of their milt, or semen, which are then carefully mixed in plastic tubs with filtered creek water. Once fertilized, the eggs are sent to the Glenwood Springs State Fish Hatchery.

    The fertilized eggs will be hatched and raised at the hatchery then stocked out in the fall as one to two inch fish.

    Grayling are in the salmonid family – they are related to trout – and have tasty white meat. CPW has always made an effort to offer anglers a wide variety of fishing opportunities when it comes to sport fish, and the arctic grayling is rather extraordinary.

    “They are really pretty fish, but don’t get that big in Colorado,” Battige said. “A really big grayling in Colorado would be around 16 inches, but they just provide a unique angling opportunity. They are a lot different than a rainbow or a brown trout. The males this time of year have an elongated dorsal fin that gets really colorful.”

    The state record for biggest grayling was caught in Jackson County on Lower Big Creek Lake in 2002. Derik Drinnen caught a 17 ¼-inch grayling weighing one pound, 10 ounces.

    Other grayling waters across Colorado include Pearl Lake north of Steamboat Springs, Silver Lake and Bonham Reservoir in Mesa County and Pomeroy Lake near Salida. 

    The Colorado Fishing Atlas, the latest interactive mapping tool offered by CPW, allows users to search for fishing opportunities by species, specific interest or proximity to your home or destination.

     

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  • CDPHE approves Arapahoe County variance request with amendments

    CDPHE approves Arapahoe County variance request with amendments

    Decision should allow increased indoor capacity as local businesses reopen

     On Monday, June 29, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) approved Arapahoe County’s recent request for a variance from Public Health Order 20-28, with certain conditions.

    The County filed the variance request on June 10 and requested that allowances be made for area gyms, restaurants, houses of worship and indoor malls. The CDPHE granted these requests “based on the low disease prevalence” within the County, and the agency stipulated the following restrictions:

     

    • Gyms, restaurants and houses of worship: Each may allow for 50% of the posted occupancy code, not to exceed more than 175 people in a confined indoor space with a minimum of 6 feet distancing. Restaurants and houses of worship may work with their local authorities to determine how many people they may have in an outdoor space.
    • Indoor malls: The current requirements limit confined spaces for indoor events to 100 people. The CDPHE said that the County’s request of 30% building capacity “does not include a total person limit, other than what is calculated using a ratio of one person per 55 square feet. Based on the low-level variance approval, the total limit for an indoor mall for any confined indoor space is 175 people.” The CDPHE also stressed that “it is critical for the common spaces within the indoor mall to be well-managed, as described in the variance application, to mitigate gatherings above 10 people and keep traffic flow moving.”

     

    The CDPHE response said that the variance is subject to adjustment should conditions worsen as described here.

    Arapahoe County Board Chair Nancy Sharpe welcomed the CDPHE’s decision. “The Board of County Commissioners appreciates the CDPHE’s flexibility on this matter,” she said. “We want to get our economy up and running again, but we realize that this will only happen successfully if all County residents and businesses do their part to help ensure that everyone is maintaining the health and safety practices that are crucial to slowing the spread of COVID.”

    Officials at the Tri-County Health Department also expressed their satisfaction with the variance. “The request submitted by the Board meets the guidelines we’ve recommended,” said Jennifer Ludwig, deputy director of the Tri-County Health Department. “We will continue to work closely with County officials to monitor the conditions on the ground as this next phase begins, and we’ll issue updates about the situation as needed.”

    To read the CDPHE’s full response, visit our website.

     

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  • THE SPAWN MUST GO ON

    THE SPAWN MUST GO ON

    LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. – On June 30, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials were met with a blizzard and 34-degree temperatures at Zimmerman Lake while conducting its greenback cutthroat trout spawning operation. This video from Senior Video Producer Jerry Neal highlights the dedication of CPW’s aquatics staff working in these winter-like conditions, even if it says summer on the calendar.

    [Link to video] – https://vimeo.com/434428021

    While teamed up with CPW Cutthroat Trout Research Scientist Kevin Rogers, the Northeast Aquatics team collected spawn and mark recapture data from the greenback cutthroat trout “broodstock” population at Zimmerman Lake. Aquatic Biologists are always prepared for variable weather when working at 10,000 feet, but they certainly were not expecting blizzard conditions when they arrived at the lake early in the morning on June 30.

    The team captured the fish using live “trap” nets that were deployed the previous afternoon (when it was sunny and warm). Eggs were collected from females and mixed with milt (sperm) from males. The fertilized eggs were driven in small one-gallon coolers to CPW’s Salida Isolation Unit, operated by the Mt. Shavano Fish Hatchery, where they are either reared to fry to be stocked back out into the wild at other reintroduction sites, or raised to one year of age to be stocked back into the wild and replenish the broodstocks at Zimmerman Lake and the Leadville National Fish Hatchery.  

    All of the fish that are stocked into Zimmerman Lake are given a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag, each with a unique alphanumeric code, and a color coded Visual Implant Elastomer (VIE) tag, with each color representing a different year class and family group. During the spawn operation at Zimmerman Lake, each fish was scanned for its PIT tag and visually checked for its VIE tag.  Additionally, aquatic biologists measured length and weight and identified sex of each fish. All of this information enables biologists to assess individual fish growth rates and estimate survival of the different year classes and family groups, and thus evaluate CPWs efforts to maximize genetic diversity in the broodstock.  

    The broodstocks at Zimmerman Lake and the Leadville National Fish Hatchery, and associated hatchery operations, represent the backbone of efforts to recover the Federally Threatened State Fish of Colorado, the Greenback Cutthroat Trout.

    “It is fun and rewarding work for the biologists, even though the weather isn’t always ideal,” said Boyd Wright, CPW Native Aquatic Species Biologist.

     

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  • Fishing is Fun grants awarded for 8 Colorado angling projects

    Fishing is Fun grants awarded for 8 Colorado angling projects

    In-stream habitat improvements for brown trout on this section of the Conejos River in the San Luis Valley will occur thanks to this year’s Fishing is Fun grants. This is one of eight projects providing funds to improve angling opportunities in Colorado.

    DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife has awarded $650,000 to eight Fishing is Fun (FIF) projects, all geared to improve angling opportunities in the state of Colorado. The approved projects include improved angling access, habitat improvement, and trail and boat access. Funding recipients include projects in the San Luis Valley, on the Yampa and Crystal rivers, and in the northern Front Range in Denver and Mead.  

    “The angling opportunities that Colorado waters provide are part of what makes this state so special,” said Dan Prenzlow, Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Not only does the Fishing is Fun program help revitalize aquatic ecosystems across the state, it also ensures that residents and visitors will continue to have improved angling access for years to come.”

    Among the projects approved for funding are:

    Wolf Lake in El Paso County

    Angling access will be significantly improved with the construction of two fishing piers on a newly constructed reservoir in a rapidly growing area on the northeastern side of Colorado Springs. The project will increase angling access on a 12-acre reservoir in a part of El Paso County that currently has limited angling options. “It is great to have a project like this that local kids can use to get introduced to the sport and that experienced anglers can use to stay engaged,” said Jim Guthrie, CPW’s Fishing Is Fun Program Coordinator.

    Conejos Meadows in the San Luis Valley

    In-stream habitat improvements will occur on 1.75 miles of the Conejos River downstream from Platoro Reservoir in the San Luis Valley. The project will address low-flow conditions during droughts and winter reservoir operations and will protect conditions for the existing self-sustaining brown trout population.

    “The Conejos Meadows Resilient Habitat project is a model for projects that benefit fish habitat and wild self-maintaining trout populations, while also providing benefits to irrigation water users below a working reservoir,” said Kevin Terry, Rio Grande Basin Project Manager for Trout Unlimited. “Partnerships on the Conejos River between Trout Unlimited, CPW, and the Conejos Water Conservancy District ensure that each project identifies and maximizes benefits for the entire water community and the environment at the same time.”

    Uncompaghre River in Montrose

    This grant will restore quality angling conditions along a 0.65-mile section of the Uncompaghre River in the heart of Montrose. The multi-year project will cover 1.6 miles of river and develop in-channel habitat, stabilize river banks and connect to a major new GOCO-funded trail system.

    “This project delivers on the Montrose community’s desire to see stewardship of the city’s natural resources, which was identified as a top priority during the city’s comprehensive planning process,” said City of Montrose Grant Coordinator Kendall Cramer. “The restoration of our river enhances aquatic and wildlife habitat, provides new opportunities for anglers and other recreationists, and will serve as a catalyst for economic growth, particularly in the outdoor industry sector in Montrose.”

    Fishing alone contributes $2.4 billion dollars in economic output per year, supporting over 17,000 jobs in Colorado according to CPW’s 2017 economic study.

    For over 30 years, FIF has supported more than 375 projects in nearly every county in the state, improving stream and river habitats, easing public access to angling waters, developing new angling opportunities for youth and seniors and more.

    The program typically provides up to $400,000 annually from the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program (SFR). This year the program awarded an additional $250,000 from revenue generated through the wildlife sporting license plate. “Sportsmen and women who have signed up for the license plate have helped make more projects possible. That is a big boost to making angling accessible to many more people,” said Guthrie. The $650,000 total was met with more than $2 million in local support for the eight projects approved in 2020 (matching funds are required for the program).

    Additional Fishing is Fun program details and requirements can be found on CPW’s website.

    Fishing is Fun 2020 grants include:

    Denver Parks and Recreation

    Lily Pond bank stabilization and habitat improvement

    $40,000

    Yampa Valley Stream Improvement Charitable Trust

    Planning for 0.8 mile of in-stream habitat improvement at Pleasant Valley

    $30,000

    San Luis Valley Trout Unlimited

    1.75 miles of in-stream habitat and low-flow improvement at Conejos Meadows

    $110,600

    City of Montrose

    In-channel habitat improvement and realignment on Uncompaghre River

    $284,588

    Nor’wood Development Group, El Paso County

    Fishing piers and angler platform at Wolf Lake

    $38,075

    Town of Mead

    Fishing pier and boat ramp at Highland Lake

    $89,625

    Town of Carbondale

    In-stream habitat and angler access at Crystal River Riverfront Park

    $30,000

    Town of Parachute

    2 vault toilets near boat ramps on Colorado River

    $27,112

     

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  • Gov. Polis signs funding bill to aid CPW in developing next state park

    Gov. Polis signs funding bill to aid CPW in developing next state park

    TRINIDAD, Colo. – In a sun-soaked open space flanked by 9,633-foot Fishers Peak, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law Monday a bill that provides $1 million to support Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s development of Colorado’s next state park.

    Polis called the funding critical toward achieving his goal of CPW opening the 19,200-acre park to the public as the 42 state park.

    The governor also called the next state park an economic engine that will drive the economy of Trinidad and the region as he signed Senate Bill 3 in front of a small group of lawmakers and dignitaries including Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources, and CPW Director Dan Prenzlow.

    “This is a big day because developing our 42nd state park is not as simple as opening the gates and inviting the public,” Prenzlow said. “CPW parks staff, wildlife and aquatic biologists, engineers, wildlife managers and all our partners are deep into the process of transforming this former ranch into a showplace for all who might want to recreate here.

    “CPW staff is committed to meeting the governor’s challenge to open this park by 2021 by accelerating the designing and construction of state parks from a multi-year process down to a single year. This funding will help us expedite the process. I’m confident when we finally open these gates, the public will be thrilled at the park that will greet them.”

    Gibbs and Prenzlow were joined by Representatives Daneya Esgar and Perry Will, local government and business officials from Trinidad and Las Animas County as well as leaders of CPW’s non-profit partners The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), each playing a critical role in the purchase of the Fishers Peak property.

    “We could not have gotten this far without the hard work of our partners from GOCO, the City of Trinidad, TNC and TPL,” Prenzlow said. “Nor could this happen without our partners in the Legislature and in the hunting and fishing communities who provided millions in revenue from hunting and fishing license sales.”

    In February 2019, CPW partnered with the City of Trinidad, TNC, TPL and GOCO to purchase the mostly undeveloped property, prized for its variety of habitat, wildlife and the linkage it provides between grasslands to the east with foothills and mountains to the west.  

    On April 2, the partners signed over ownership of the property to CPW and the agency, with its partners, immediately ramped up master-planning efforts to create a park that will protect the natural treasures and wildlife found there while welcoming visitors, including hunters, hikers, mountain bikers, wildlife watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

    For months, biologists have been combing the property to inventory the flora and fauna. Among their discoveries was the presence of the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse. In 2014, the mouse was listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to loss of habitat and low population numbers. 

    Bird surveys continue and are going well; biologists believe they have found a potential golden eagle nest as well as a nesting pair of peregrine falcons. They also report owl sightings. 

    Herptile surveys have found an unusual lizard species, a variable skink, making the property likely the only state park with this species.

    Biologists have also deployed dozens of trail cameras across the property to study everything moving on the ground. There’s even coordinated weed-mapping underway with experts studying plants to formulate the appropriate seed mixture to use when landscaping areas of the park.

    The information gathered will then be combined with research into the archaeological and cultural history of the property. Next comes the public process as planners gather input to set management goals for the property and design recreation areas that include roads, parking lots, restrooms, picnic areas, trails and wildlife-viewing areas for the public to enjoy.

    In recent weeks, crews have begun grading and laying gravel on a new access road and parking lot.

    Installing vault toilets is expected to be completed in the coming days. To stay informed on continuing progress of the park, please sign up to receive CPW eNews emails or visit cpw.state.co.us.

    The property remains closed to public access.

    Photos courtesy Colorado Parks and Wildlife / Bill Vogrin

     

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  • New Laws to Boost Rural Economies and Hire Rural Peace Officers Signed Into Law

    New Laws to Boost Rural Economies and Hire Rural Peace Officers Signed Into Law

    PUEBLO, CO– At Musso Farms in Pueblo, Governor Jaerd Polis today signed four bills that will boost rural economies, help smaller communities afford the costs of peace officer training programs, improve seed regulation and better protect energy consumers.

    “We can’t leave Colorado’s rural communities behind as our state recovers from the pandemic,” said Rep. Bri Buentello, D-Pueblo. “The legislation signed today will improve a critical economic development initiative and enhance seed regulation to help Colorado’s agriculture producers. To support our communities that are struggling with smaller and smaller budgets, we created a new scholarship to help them afford to hire and train new law enforcement officers. I’m proud of our work to boost rural economies and help build an economy that works for all parts of our state.”

    HB20-1229, sponsored by Representative Bri Buentello, establishes a scholarship fund for rural and small communities to assist in paying for the cost of potential police officers to attend an approved basic law enforcement training academy. SB20-002, sponsored by Representatives Barbara McLachlan and Buentello, strengthens and cements a successful existing program, REDI, in the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to ensure that the program continues and make improvements to spur rural economies. HB20-1184, sponsored by Representatives Buentello and Rod Pelton, improves seed regulation in Colorado to help agricultural producers.

    “Colorado’s rural communities have been hit hard by ongoing trade disputes, declining tourism revenue from the pandemic and dwindling town budgets,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “Today, the governor signed my bill to spur rural economic growth. The law makes the successful Rural Economic Development Grant Initiative permanent and bolsters the program to help our small businesses and rural communities recover faster and get back on their feet.”

    SB20-030, sponsored by Representative Daneya Esgar, imposes various requirements on public utilities and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) related to information reporting, billing, and customer interactions. The bill nearly doubles the level of income that the PUC may use to means test the medical exemption, allowing more Coloradans with medical needs to take advantage of the program.

    “Across our state, hardworking Coloradans are struggling to make ends meet and pay their electricity bills,” said Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “We can lower electricity costs by strengthening consumer protections and increasing transparency in billing. Importantly, this new law provides utility relief that so many Coloradans rely on to a lot more older Coloradans with medical conditions to help them make ends meet.”

     

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  • Colorado State Wildlife Areas: New rules and what they mean for all Coloradans

    Colorado State Wildlife Areas: New rules and what they mean for all Coloradans

    DENVER – The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission recently adopted a rule change, requiring all visitors 18 or older to possess a valid hunting or fishing license to access any State Wildlife Area or State Trust Land leased by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. This new rule will be in effect beginning July 1, 2020.

    “Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages over 350 State Wildlife Areas and holds leases on nearly 240 State Trust Lands in Colorado, which are funded through the purchase of hunting and fishing licenses,” said Southeast Regional Manager Brett Ackerman. “The purpose of these properties is to conserve and improve wildlife habitat, and provide access to wildlife-related recreation like hunting and fishing that are a deep part of Colorado’s conservation legacy.”

    Because these properties have always been open to the public, not just to the hunters and anglers that purchased them and pay for their maintenance, many people visit these properties and use them as they would any other public land. As Colorado’s population – and desire for outdoor recreation – has continued to grow, a significant increase in traffic to these SWAs and STLs has disrupted wildlife, the habitat the areas were acquired to protect, and the hunters and anglers whose contributions were critical to acquiring these properties. 

    Because funding for these properties is specifically generated by hunting and fishing license sales and the resulting federal match, requested options such as “hiking licenses” or “conservation permits” would not allow for the maintenance and management needed. Any funding from one of these conceptual licenses or permits would reduce the federal grant dollar for dollar and thus fail to increase CPW’s ability to protect and manage the properties.

    “This new rule change will help our agency begin to address some of the unintended uses we’re seeing at many of our State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands,” said CPW Director Dan Prenzlow. “We have seen so much more non-wildlife related use of these properties that we need to bring it back to the intended use – conservation and protection of wildlife and their habitat.”

    “We do anticipate some confusion based on how the properties are funded, and the high amount of unintended use over time in these areas. We plan to spend a good amount of time educating the public on this change,” said Ackerman. “But in its simplest form, it is just as any other user-funded access works. You cannot use a fishing license to enter a state park, because the park is not purchased and developed specifically for fishing. Similarly, you cannot use a park pass to enter lands that are intended for the sole purpose of wildlife conservation, because a park pass is designed to pay for parks.” State law requires that the agency keep these funding sources separated.

    CPW is a user-funded agency and, unlike most government agencies, receives very little money from the general fund. The new rule requires all users to contribute to the source of funding that makes the acquisition and maintenance of these properties possible. But the activities that interfere with wildlife-related uses or that negatively impact wildlife habitat don’t become acceptable just because an individual possesses a hunting or fishing license. Each SWA and STL is unique and only certain activities are compatible with each property.  

    Many questions on the new rule are answered through our State Wildlife Area Frequently Asked Questions document. Visit cpw.state.co.us for additional information on agency projects and funding. 

    photo credit: MGN

     

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  • Red Cross Opens Evacuation Center in Highlands Ranch

    Red Cross Opens Evacuation Center in Highlands Ranch

    DENVER, COLORADO, MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2020 — The American Red Cross of Colorado has opened an evacuation center at Thunder Ridge High School, 1991 W. Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Highlands Ranch, CO.

    The Chatridge 2 Fire started earlier today. Due to high winds, dry vegetation and difficult terrain, the fire continues to burn. Residents living in and near the impacted areas have been asked to evacuate. The Red Cross has opened an evacuation center to provide a place for people to gather. Due to COVID19, we are asking residents to stay inside their vehicles at the evacuation center, in order to provide the healthiest environment possible. Red Cross volunteers will be on hand to provide emergency supplies, snacks and water.

    For more information, visit our blog at http://cowyredcrossblog.org.

    Follow Red Cross on Twitter as @COWYRedCross, Facebook @RedcrossColorado.

     About the American Red Cross:
    The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

     

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