cpw.state.co.us

C O L O R A D O P A R K S & W I L D L I F E

2017 Fact SheetA REVIEW OF STATEWIDE RECREATION AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

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“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” — Warren Buffett.

Sportsmen and women provide 80 percent of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) funding for wildlife through hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. As Warren Buffett might say, the price of buying a hunting or fishing license corresponds to the value received. CPW finds it increasingly difficult to provide the value sportsmen expect for the prices being paid. The last price increase for resident licenses was in 2005. Since that increase, the costs of doing business have climbed while revenues from resident licenses have remained unchanged. We cut $40 million from the wildlife budget and defunded 50 positions in order to keep our costs down. Without increased revenue, CPW will have to continue scaling back wildlife management and conservation in Colorado, impacting wildlife and the quality of outdoor recreation.

That’s why in 2016, CPW held 18 public meetings across the state ask-ing for input on the price of resident hunting and fishing licenses. More than 85 percent of meeting attendees voiced support for a resident license fee increase. Future conversations between CPW and sportsmen and women will focus on how to best fulfill CPW’s mission to perpetu-ate the state’s wildlife resources.

By state and federal law, funding sources for wildlife are kept completely separate from parks funding. The cost of doing business in state parks is also rising. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is authorized to adjust park pass and camping fee prices but that authority is con-strained by a statute that limits the amount of total revenue parks fees can generate. An increase in the sales of parks passes caused revenues to meet that cap. As a result, even though state parks are facing rising costs and increasing pressure to accommodate more visitors, the Commis-sion cannot raise fees to cover these costs.

Commission authority to set park fees is set through the legislative pro-cess. CPW is communicating with our partners about the situation and discussing opportunities for the future. Preserving the Commission’s authority to set fees puts CPW in a better position if we need to bring in more revenue to meet demand and keep pace with the rate of inflation.

Let’s keep working together to overcome financial challenges and con-serve Colorado’s beautiful places and wildlife.

Bob D. Broscheid, DirectorColorado Parks and Wildlife

Charlie Meyers State Wildlife Area

Roxborough State Park

Bull elk

Colorado Parks and Wildlife At-A-Glance

Funding Sources: $212.4*

*All figures shown in millions.

Use of Funds: $212.4*54% $114.0 - Licenses, Passes, Fees and Permits

15% $30.8 - Federal and State Grants/Loans

5% $9.7 - Sales, Donations, Interest and Other

4% $9.3 - Registrations

4% $9.0 - General Fund and Severance Tax

19% $39.6 - Lottery and Great Outdoors Colorado

43% $92.0 - Personal Services

11% $23.8 - Capital Equipment/ Improvements

6% $12.9 - Payments to Other Agencies

6% $12.6 - Grants to Others

5% $11.2 - Reserve Fund Increase

2% $5.3 - Land and Water Acquisitions

26% $54.6 - Operating

Colorado Parks and Wildlife relies on user fees, not general tax dollars, to pay for wildlife management and state parks. However, those fees are not keeping pace with rising operational costs and inflation. CPW’s financial sustainability has reached its limit. Outdoor recreation is vital to Colorado’s economy.

Hunting contributes $919 million in total economic impact to Colorado, fishing contributes $1.9 billion and wildlife viewing adds an additional $2.3 billion. Colorado state parks contribute $1 billion to Colorado’s economy, attracting more than 12 million visitors each year.

Employees and VolunteersColorado Parks and Wildife relies on its permanent and temporary staff, as well as skilled volunteers, to execute its mission.

Authorized Permanent Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 886Temporary Employees . . . . . . . . . . . 1,708Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,842Volunteer Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298,884Volunteer Dollar Equivalent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,041,707 FTE Equivalent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

GOCO and Lottery FY15-16 AwardsSince 1992, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) has awarded more than $400 million from its share of Colorado Lottery proceeds to Colorado Parks and Wildlife projects and programs.

GOCO to Parks Purpose . . . . . . . . . . $19,011,044GOCO to Wildlife Purpose . . . . . . . . $11,800,000Lottery to State Parks. . . . . . . . . . . . . $14,400,000

Wildlife Viewers

$2.3Billion

Anglers

$1.9Billion

State Park Visitors

$1Billion

Hunters

$919Million

Did you know? These activities have an annual impact in Colorado of $6.1 billion.

Hunting and wildlife viewing benefit every county in the state — urban and rural.

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Steamboat Lake State Park

These principles provide an opportunity to unite Coloradans on the importance of our natural resources, and our responsibility to one another in promoting and protecting them. Colorado became the first state to adopt the principles in November.

We believe the uniquely American public-land heritage is a privilege and a birthright, and Colorado’s abundant open space and outdoor recreation opportunities contribute to our quality of life and economic vitality. Combined with the North American Model of Wildlife Management and private-land conservation, Coloradans and our visitors enjoy spectacular landscapes in which to work, play and live.

1. Outdoor recreation and conservation require that a diversity of lands and waters be publicly owned, available for public access and cared for properly.

2. Within Colorado’s diversity of land and waters, private land provides a balance of conservation and access for outdoor recreation and conservation of landscapes.

3. Both recreation and conservation are needed to sustain Colorado’s quality of life. Both are beneficial to local economic well-being, for personal health and for sustaining Colorado’s natural resources

4. All recreation has impact. Coloradans have an obligation to minimize these impacts across the places they recreate and the larger landscape through ethical outdoor behavior.

5. Proactive management solutions, combined with public education, is necessary to care for land, water and wildlife, and to provide the protections needed to maintain quality recreation opportunities.

6. Physical, biological and social science must inform the management of outdoor recreation.

7. Stable, long-term, and diverse funding sources are essential to protect the environment and support outdoor recreation.

CPW Adopts New Principles on Conservation and Outdoor Recreation

Visitation and Participation, FY15-16

State Park Visitation

13,615,312

Total Hunting and Fishing Licenses Sales

1,715,057

Hunting Fishing Combination Licenses Licenses (Small Game/Fishing)Resident 377,952 686,973 83,590 Nonresident 109,712 394,888 —

Colorado state parks are visited by almost half of Coloradans, making more than 12 million visits to our state parks each year and contributing $1 billion to the state economy. Colorado’s population is projected to grow by more than 2 million people in the next 25 years, putting more pressure on our parks and other natural areas. Here too there must be a balancing of recreational interests with conservation of natural resources.

Sportsmen and women provide 80 percent of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s funding for wildlife through hunting, fishing and recreational shooting.

Parks have implemented numerous cost-saving measures to stretch existing budgets, such as installing energy efficient lighting and compact-ing trash to reduce waste disposal costs.

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Cheyenne MountainState Park

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Check Out Colorado State ParksThe new program is a partnership between Colorado Parks and Wild-life, the State Library and local public libraries across Colorado designed to encourage learning at a state park and provide a new unique service offered by the libraries. There are currently 574 backpacks with a free parks pass that are available for check out from 287 libraries statewide. In 2017, Colorado state colleges and university libraries will be included in the program. In a Dec. 2016 library survey, 53 library dis-tricts reported 2,671 checkouts in 2016 and there were 454 current holds at the time of the survey for those waiting to check out the program.

Schools and OutdoorLearning Environments (SOLE)The SOLE program started in 2013 as a pilot program through Colorado Parks and Wildlife by funding from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) with one simple mission — connect kids to the outdoors. The program is designed to increase interest and participation in the outdoors. We connect Colorado 4th-grade students and their families to local environmental education programs and outdoor locations.

SOLE Last Year 2015-16• 24 participating schools 12 Den-

ver area and 12 non-Denver area Colorado schools

• 1,707 students in program, 69 - 4th-grade classrooms participated

• 67 Field Trips• 24 Family Nature Nights• 36 Partner Organizations• Art Contest: There were three

Grand Prize Winners, sponsored by Cabela’s in Thornton, Lone Tree and Grand Junction

SOLE 2016-17• 35 participating schools 16 Den-

ver area and 19 non-Denver area Colorado schools

• 2,327 students in program, 69 - 4th-grade classrooms participated

• 97 Field Trips• 32 Family Nature Nights• 65 Partner Organizations• Art Contest: Deadline is Apr. 7,

2017

Partnering for ConservationThe Private Lands Wildlife Biologist Program is a partnership with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (BCoR), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Projects enhanced 2,517 acres and 963 linear feet of instream channels statewide utilizing $377,792 in federal Farm Bill funds and $97,500 in partner funding.

Throughout 2016, the team has worked with landowners on 20 pending projects, totaling 4,412 acres as well as 2,600 linear feet of water channels. This work has offered significant technical assistance on 32 other habitat projects totaling 18,584 acres.

Outdoor Adventure ExpoColorado Parks and Wildlife will host its first-ever Outdoor Adventure Expo Sept. 23-24 at Cherry Creek State Park. This free event invites participants for a taste of the many outdoor recreation possibilities at CPW’s 41 state parks and other properties. From biking to boating, clay pigeons to climbing, the Outdoor Adventure Expo will provide a little something for everyone.

New State Trails PlanTrail use, both motorized and nonmotorized, is the No. 1 recreational activity in Colorado. Each year, Coloradans access trails more than 250 million times. Over the past decade, CPW’s Trails Pro-gram distributed more than $54 million for trail grants, capital im-provements that benefit trail use and winter trail grooming operations.

CPW recently completed a strategic plan to guide future trails-related work. The plans goals include:1. Provide statewide leadership for trail recreation in Colorado.2. Facilitate trail development and man-agement across Colorado.3. Serve as the advocate for trails.4. Emphasize responsible stewardship for all phases of trail development and use.5. Advance ethical use and cooperation among trail recreationists.6. Seek financial sustainability for the Trails Program.

Conservation is at the heart of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s mission. And no other scientific principle is more responsible for creating Colorado’s enormous abundance of fish, wildlife and its world-class outdoor recreation. Yet, in spite of its importance to our state, conservation — in the context of wildlife and outdoor recreation management — is a concept that’s often overlooked and misunderstood.Established in 1897, CPW has a rich history of managing Colorado’s wildlife and recreational resources through conservation science. In fact, CPW’s own mission statement embodies the primary themes of conservation: “The mission of Colorado Parks and Wildlife is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado’s natural resources.”Whether you’re a hunter, angler, hiker, kayaker or just someone who enjoys Colorado’s wildlife and wild places, here are just a few of the things that Colorado Parks and Wildife is doing to further its mission.

COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE • 1313 Sherman St., Suite 618, Denver, CO 80203 • (303) 297-1192 • cpw.state.co.us

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Discover archery at the OutdoorAdventure Expo.

Water channels have been enhanced by the Private Lands Wildlife Biologist Program.

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