Posted on 07/03/2020 1:05:12 PM PDT by Ben Dover
DENVER (CPW Release) - 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.
Click here for more information on State Wildlife Areas.
“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.
Tyranny
Just a clever fundraising action by a broke state agency.
GULAG DENVER
Why can’t they sell passes? I imagine you have to share a lot personal info to get a hunting/fishing license.
I thought it would make protesting hunting more expensive.
Colorado needs to have it government overthrow, the liberals run out of the state and freedom restored.
Good point ... I was just exploring the possible reasons for such a significant overnight change. Cheers!
And government people have no idea why they are despised.
Freepers should be cheering this move (as most probably already have the requisite licences). Once a critical mass of non-hunters (or, worse, anti-hunters) are traipsing through those woods, they will start to protest against hunters being there too.
Just a tax by another name. Why doesn’t CO cut some damn lazy-ass government employees instead? Taxes are used to expand the state and can control the productive people. F’n government workers need to experience what it like to fend for themselves instead of being leaches on people that actually make this country great. (sorry for the rant, I’m in a mood right now)
Just a clever fundraising action by a broke state agency.
Yep weeks ago it,was predicted that every tax, fee, violation gov’t has anything to do with is going to be hiked and expanded because gov’t shut down the economy and now must raise cash.
No, it’s not tyranny. If you are going to use certain lands you have to help pay for its up keep. Just like those who pay to hunt or fish. It makes more since then taxing people who will never use it.
Good, let the bike riders, bird watchers and tree huggers pay their fair share for once.
I agree......
Unless I'm misreading the article, this is about as fair and voluntary a "tax" as a tax can be.
Per the article, "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."
Simply put, these areas have been historically maintained exclusively through licensing fees paid by hunters and anglers, yet open to the public at large. All this measure is doing is asking anybody who wants to use the land to become part of the population that has maintained it. Don't want to pay the "tax"? Go hike somewhere else.
It allows me to shoot invasive species of house sparrows and starlings as well as tray nuisance animals such as coons and possums..........
Now...THAT is ELITISM
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.