COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE

CPW updating five-year Big Game Season Structure, public meeting scheduled in Grand Junction, Jan. 30

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Colorado Parks and Wildlife's current five-year Big Game Season Structure expires at the end of 2019 and the agency is now gathering input to develop the succeeding five-year plan. Once approved in July of 2019, the new season structure will go into effect from 2020 through 2024.

To provide the public with an opportunity to participate, CPW is hosting a meeting beginning at 6 p.m., Jan. 30, at the Mesa County Building, 200 Spruce Street, Grand Junction.

"The Big Game Season Structure sets a variety of important hunting-related parameters," said Area Wildlife Manager Kirk Oldham. "Folks will have the opportunity to let us know what they think regarding the dates seasons begin and end, the number of seasons for each species, season overlaps and breaks between seasons."

Oldham says Mesa County is considered a hub for outdoor recreation, with hunting at the forefront. He says the entire community has a vested interest in the season structure.

"It's very important that we have a good turnout at this meeting," said Oldham. "The more input we receive, the better the process will work. It will help us make decisions the public understands and accepts."

Other opportunities for input include telephone town halls, and through an online comment form

Prior to approval, the CPW Commission will also consider information provided by wildlife managers and biologists.

"There will be numerous opportunities to weigh in," said Northwest Regional Manager JT Romatzke. "If you have constructive comments and ideas, this is a great opportunity to let us know. We look forward to a robust process."

To see the current Big Game Season Structure, visit the CPW website.

Who: Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Grand Junction
What: Five-Year Big Game Season Structure meeting
When: 6 p.m., Jan. 30, 2019
Where: Mesa County Building, 200 Spruce Street, Grand Junction
Questions: Call 970-255-6100

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CPW is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 41 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.