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The I-70 Scout & Eastern Colorado News

Tag: Scout

  • Softball, baseball sign-ups scheduled

    Softball, baseball sign-ups scheduled

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    STRASBURG — Registration for the Strasburg Parks & Recreation District youth baseball and softball camps is coming soon.

    Each camp is limited to 25 players. Registration, which costs $20 per player, includes a camp T-shirt. Players should bring a glove, water bottle, bat and helmet, if possible.

    To sign up, visit www.strasburgparks.org.

    baseball

    The baseball camp will start with first- through third-graders from 5-6 p.m. each day; fourth- and fifth-graders from 6:15-7:15 p.m.; and sixth- through eighth-graders from 7:30-8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, July 13-16, at the north baseball field.

    Registration is due by Thursday, July 9.

    softball

    The softball camp will begin with first- through third-graders from 5-6 p.m.; fourth- and fifth-graders from 6:15-7:15 p.m.; and sixth- through eighth-graders from 7:30-8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, July 20-23, at the south softball field.

    Registration is due by Thursday, July 16.

     

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  • Wildlife Groups File Lawsuit to Protect Canadian Lynx Habitat

    Wildlife Groups File Lawsuit to Protect Canadian Lynx Habitat

    MISSOULA, Mont.—Wildlife advocates filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on July 1 over its failure to take any action in response to a 2016 court order striking down the agency’s exclusion of Canada lynx habitat in the species’ entire southern Rocky Mountain range from designation as critical habitat. This habitat is essential for the wildcat’s recovery.

    “Lynx were virtually eliminated from Colorado in the 1970s as a result of cruel trapping, poisoning, and development that lay waste to their habitat,” said Lindsay Larris, wildlife program director at WildEarth Guardians, based in Denver.  “Despite efforts to reintroduce these elusive cats to their native habitat from 1999 to 2010, without federal critical habitat protections, the lynx may never truly have the opportunity to recover in the Southern Rockies.”

    Critical habitat is area designated by the federal government as essential to the survival and recovery of a species protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Once designated, federal agencies must make special efforts to protect critical habitat from damage or destruction. In 2014, USFWS designated approximately 38,000 acres of critical habitat for threatened lynx, but chose to exclude the lynx’s entire southern Rocky Mountain range, from south-central Wyoming, throughout Colorado, and into north-central New Mexico. These areas are vital to the iconic cat’s survival and recovery in the western U.S., where lynx currently live in small and sometimes isolated populations.

    “Nearly four years later, the Fish and Wildlife Service has not lifted a finger to comply with the court’s order to reexamine the Southern Rockies for critical habitat designation for lynx,” said John Mellgren, attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center. “A federal judge unambiguously ordered the Service to fulfill its mandatory duties under the ESA related to potential critical habitat for lynx in the Southern Rockies, and the Service has not done so. Colorado, in particular, is full of excellent lynx habitat that deserves a heightened level of protection to help foster lynx recovery.”

    Perplexingly, USFWS’ latest designation decreased existing protections by 2,593 square miles compared to a 2013 plan. In doing so, USFWS excluded much of the cat’s historic and currently occupied, last best habitat in the southern Rockies and other areas from protection. In its 2016 order, the court found USFWS failed to follow the science showing that lynx are successfully reproducing in Colorado, and therefore excluding Colorado from the cat’s critical habitat designation “runs counter to the evidence before the agency and frustrates the purpose of the ESA.”

    The July 1 court challenge seeks to install hard, legally binding deadlines for USFWS to publish a lynx critical habitat rule, along with frequent progress reports, also legally binding, due to the agency’s long record of negligence and delay on the subject of Canada lynx recovery actions.

    More Canada lynx background information can be found here:

    https://wildearthguardians.org/press-releases/wildlife-groups-file-lawsuit-to-protect-canadian-lynx-habitat/ 

     

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  • Operation Dry Water aims to reduce boating under the influence this holiday weekend

    Operation Dry Water aims to reduce boating under the influence this holiday weekend

    DENVER – Boaters heading out onto Colorado waters this weekend will see additional Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers enforcing boating under the influence (BUI) laws as part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign from July 3-July 5.

    This three-day enforcement operation is timed closely to the July 4th holiday each year and is designed to both educate boaters on the dangers of boating under the influence, as well as reduce the number of accidents and deaths related to alcohol and drug use on our waterways.

    “It’s so important for people to understand the dangers of drinking and boating, especially heading into a busy holiday season,” says Grant Brown, Colorado’s Boating Safety Program Manager. “Alcohol use is the leading factor in recreational boating deaths in the United States. CPW wants Colorado boaters to get out on the water and have a great time, but you have to do so responsibly. At a minimum, you may receive a citation, but there’s a chance that serious injuries can also happen. Your adult beverages will be waiting when you get back to shore – taking chances with other people’s lives just isn’t worth it.”

    Operation Dry Water’s mission is to raise awareness among recreational boaters about the dangers and consequences of boating under the influence, which include:

          •  Alcohol impairs judgment, balance, vision and reaction time; on the water, that can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects           of cold-water immersion.

    • Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion are added factors found in a boating environment; all of these intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications. A general rule to remember is that one drink on land is equivalent to three drinks on the water.
    • Alcohol can be dangerous for passengers, too. Intoxication on board can cause injuries from slips, falls overboard, and other dangerous accidents. Penalties for boating under the influence include receiving fines, having your boat impounded, potential jail time and loss of boating privileges. Boaters with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level above the .08 state limit should expect to be arrested for BUI. In Colorado, Operation Dry Water operations will include increased patrols, breathalyzer tests, and checkpoints as well as boater education and outreach. Despite increased patrol activity, the best enforcement tool CPW has is hearing from other boaters out on the water.

    “If you’re on the water and see other boaters drinking while manning their boat, or acting dangerously on their watercraft, please let us know,” says Brown. “Just as you’d call 911 to report a drunk driver, calling 911 to report drinking and boating allows dispatch to get the nearest authorities out to help eliminate potential safety issues for your family and fellow boaters.”

    The dangers of operating under the influence of marijuana are the same as those from alcohol, and the penalties are identical for either substance.  Open display or use of marijuana is illegal on public property, which includes many of the lakes, reservoirs and rivers in Colorado.

    Learn more about the consequences of boating under the influence at www.operationdrywater.org. For more information on boating safety, visit cpw.state.co.us.

     

     

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  • USCIS to Celebrate Independence Day by Hosting Naturalization Ceremonies Across the Country

    USCIS to Celebrate Independence Day by Hosting Naturalization Ceremonies Across the Country

    Agency is prioritizing naturalization ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is celebrating the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our great country by hosting naturalization ceremonies across the United States from July 1 through July 7. Despite the pandemic, USCIS continues to welcome new citizens, demonstrating American resiliency and the importance of our independence.

    USCIS began to conduct limited naturalization ceremonies in May and began to fully resume ceremonies in early June, after temporarily pausing in-person services to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The ceremonies have been shorter to limit exposure to those in attendance, incorporating social distancing and other safety precautions that protect the health and safety of applicants and USCIS staff. USCIS has naturalized approximately 64,500 new citizens over the past month and anticipates completing nearly all postponed administrative naturalization ceremonies by the end of July.

    “Taking the Oath of Allegiance and embracing U.S. citizenship is a remarkable act of patriotism. We are a stronger nation today because of those who have chosen to become naturalized citizens,” said USCIS Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow. “I am proud of the USCIS employees who have worked diligently to ensure that our agency can conduct safe, yet meaningful, naturalization ceremonies during these difficult times.”

    USCIS is committed to promoting assimilation, awareness and understanding of citizenship by offering a variety of free citizenship preparation resources for applicants and teachers, including materials like the Establishing Independence lesson plan in the Citizenship Resource Center. Immigrant-serving organizations can register to receive a free Civics and Citizenship Toolkit to help lawful permanent residents prepare for naturalization.

    USCIS continues to encourage applicants to file their Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, online. To file online, individuals must first create a USCIS online account at myaccount.uscis.dhs.gov.

    Naturalization is the most significant benefit USCIS offers. Immigrants who lawfully join our country through naturalization express their attachment to our Constitution and commitment to assimilate into our society.

    We invite new citizens and their families and friends to share their experiences and photos from the ceremonies on social media using the hashtags #NewUSCitizen, and #IndependenceDay.

    For more information on the naturalization process and filing online, visit our website at uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.

     

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  • Governor Polis Extends Safer at Home and Updates Protect Our Neighbor Framework, Announces Closure of Bars

    Governor Polis Extends Safer at Home and Updates Protect Our Neighbor Framework, Announces Closure of Bars

    DENVER – Governor Jared Polis today extended the Safer at Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors Executive Order, and provided an update on Colorado’s next steps during the COVID-19 pandemic, introducing more details on the Protect Our Neighbors framework. The Governor was joined by Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment; Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state’s top epidemiologist; Joni Reynolds, the Gunnison County Public Health Director; and Jason Vahling, the City and County of Broomfield Public Health Director.

    “Protect Our Neighbors will allow Colorado to respond more swiftly and effectively at the community level in the event of another surge of cases. We live in a diverse state with cities, booming suburbs, small resort towns, and rural areas with plenty of wide-open spaces. Each community is having their own unique experience with this virus. Going forward, we want to increase our ability to tackle outbreaks at a community level and only issue statewide orders when absolutely necessary,” said Gov. Polis. “We are making some much-needed investments in our local public health agencies, so they can contain and quell an outbreak before it gets out of control. The fate of Colorado in both virus suppression and economic recovery is largely in the hands of Coloradans. If we continue taking the critical steps of staying at home, wearing masks when leaving the house and following social distancing practices, then we will get through this together.”

    The Governor did not announce any additional relaxing of restrictions today, but described the new phase: Protect Our Neighbors that will give local communities more freedom to provide economic opportunity while ensuring that they have the necessary public health capacity. The introduction of the new phase means that different parts of the state could be at different phases of reopening, based on local conditions and capabilities. 

    “Each day, we make progress to build the capacity of our public health system — from ramping up statewide testing sites to onboarding new case investigators and contact tracers systemwide, to identifying creative ways to aggressively acquire PPE. I am proud of the team at CDPHE who have stood strong during this very difficult time, and I’m grateful for our local public health partners who are leading the response against COVID in their communities,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment. “It is important that Coloradans don’t let up now, and this new phase – Protect Our Neighbors – isn’t just words. It means we all accept personal responsibility for the things we can do every day to keep ourselves and others healthy.” 

    Moving forward, communities that can demonstrate strong public health and health care systems, paired with low virus levels, can take on more control over their reopening plans. In order to reopen to this greater extent, communities must have: 

    • Low virus prevalence; 
    • Health care capacity to handle a surge; and  
    • Strong public health capacity to contain outbreaks and surges locally, including the ability to test, track, and trace.

    In order to qualify for Protect Our Neighbors, a county (or region) must do two things:

    • Certify qualification according to the scientific metrics; and
    • Submit a mitigation and containment plan on what the county or region will do if they fall out of compliance with any of the metrics. This containment plan must be accompanied by letters of support from local elected leaders including county commissioners and mayors, the hospitals that serve that community, law enforcement, county emergency management, local public health, and if applicable, tribes.

    The certification process will begin next week. To learn more about how a community can qualify, click here. 

    Communities in Protect Our Neighbors will be able to permit all activities to occur at 50 percent of pre-pandemic capacity, with at least six feet between non-household members and no more than 500 people in one setting at a time. Local communities may issue more detailed guidelines or public health orders for different settings, so long as the capacity does not exceed these caps. 

    The Governor also discussed funding and support for local governments as Colorado looks to move into Protect Our Neighbors. In total, the state is investing $346 million in state and local capacity, with $75 million going directly from the state to Local Public Health Agencies. Gov. Polis also announced two new sources of available funding: a Planning Grant or Infrastructure Strengthening Grant. 

    All counties or local public health agencies can apply for a Planning Grant of up to $50,000. If counties have already identified infrastructure needs, they may apply for Infrastructure Strengthening Grants, with a maximum state award of $150,000 and a maximum total grant of $300,000. These grants will require local matching funds and can be spent on investments such as technology, community resource coordination, communication activities to increase compliance with the public health orders, funding for community-based partners and cultural brokers, and enhanced prevention and containment efforts.

    Governor Polis announced the closure of bars. Bars that have taken steps to open as restaurants may continue to operate in-person service, so long as they have patrons seated with their own party only in set seating, spaced six feet apart, and with no mingling. Bars are permitted to sell alcoholic beverages to-go for takeout or delivery consumption if the alcoholic beverages are sold with food. All of the guidelines previously in place around social distancing still apply. Bars may still operate if open under a county variance pursuant to the terms of that county variance. More information can be found in the Governor’s Executive Order.

    View the Governor’s presentation. Watch the full news conference on the Governor’s Facebook page. 

     

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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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  • Fishers Peak Park One Step Closer to Opening

    Fishers Peak Park One Step Closer to Opening

    PUEBLO, CO– Governor Jared Polis today signed into law legislation sponsored by Representative Daneya Esgar to create and fund the new Fishers Peak State Park and to make improvements to parks all across the state to accommodate more visitors. The governor also signed legislation sponsored by Representative Dylan Roberts to fund Colorado Water Conservation Board projects and support endangered or threatened species conservation programs.

    “Colorado has some of the best state parks in the country, and soon we’ll add one more, the beautiful Fishers Peak in Southern Colorado,” said Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “Our state parks contribute significantly to our communities, and Fishers peak will draw visitors from across the region, boosting our small businesses and Southern Colorado’s economy. Parks like Fishers Peak create the outdoor recreation options that Coloradans love and our state is known for.”

    SB20-003, sponsored by Representative Esgar, provides $6 million in funding to the state’s parks to open Fishers peak and to make improvements at parks throughout the state to accommodate additional visitors and upgrade park facilities and infrastructure.

    “I’m proud of this bipartisan effort to fund the critical water projects that Colorado communities need and rely on, and to protect the wildlife and endangered species that live in our state,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon. “By investing in our water infrastructure and conservation, we are ensuring that our state is prepared for the future. These important projects are going to put people to work, revitalize environmental habitats, and protect our Colorado way of life.”

    HB20-1403, sponsored by Representative Roberts and Marc Catlin, provides funding for Colorado Water Conservation Board projects. These projects support and implement the Colorado Water Plan and are essential for the state’s water supply and the economic activity that relies on it. SB20-201, which is also sponsored by Representatives Roberts and Catlin, provides funding for programs at the Department of Natural Resources that protect endangered and threatened species and wildlife in Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists dozens of endangered or threatened species, including the American Bald Eagle and Lynx.  

     

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