Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to meet March 15 - 16

Joey Livingston
Statewide Public Information Officer
303-345-4658 / [email protected]

AURORA, Colo. – At a hybrid meeting in Aurora, the Commission will make final considerations on changes to small game and game bird seasons, excluding turkey, including creation of a white-tailed ptarmigan, greater sage-grouse, and Columbian sharp-tailed grouse permit that would be required in addition to a small game license to take these species.

The Commission will also make final considerations of:

• Changes to no longer require sportspersons only pursuing furbearers to take the Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey. 
• A cleanup to the season dates for big game previously adopted by the Commission.
• Regulations related to waterfowl and migratory bird hunting seasons, including the closure of the crow, sora and Virginia rail seasons.
• Modification of the Colorow State Wildlife Area closure period, the hunting restrictions at Oxbow State Trust Land, adoption of permanent regulations for the new SKCK fishing access easement, and administrative cleanups for the Bill Patterson State Wildlife Area, the Ruby Mountain State Wildlife Area Fishing Easement and the Bighorn Springs State Wildlife Area Fishing Easement. 
• Wildlife possession, scientific collecting and special licenses regulation changes.
• A cleanup to the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines in Chapters P-7 and  W-0.

The Commission will also open for consideration a review of general provisions and property-specific provisions in Chapter W-9 for state wildlife areas, and any necessary changes to implement and administer the Search and Rescue program. 

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission will also consider changes to big game license distribution, including preference point banking, averaging group points, an across-the-board allocation, and/or updating the high-demand hunt code split, such as from 80% for residents and 20% for nonresidents to 90% for residents and 10% for nonresidents. 

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Wed., March 15 and adjourn at 5 p.m. The commission will reconvene at 8 a.m. on Thu., March 16, enter a closed Executive Session at 9:40 a.m. and adjourn at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be streamed live on CPW’s YouTube page.

Additional agenda items include:

• Department of Natural Resources update
• Department of Agriculture update
• Financial update
• GOCO update
• Overview of the City of Fort Collins' Halligan Water Supply Project
• 2023 Non-Motorized Trail and Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Funding Recommendations
• Habitat Stamp Committee Updates 
• Golden Gate Canyon State Park Management Plan 
• Colorado Wildlife Habitat Program - 2022 Recommended Proposals Overview and vote 
• Wolverine Update
• Furbearer Program Update
• Public Comments

The Commission will also enter Executive Session to interview candidates seeking to serve as the Director of the Division and maintain the confidentiality of such applicants, identifying two preferred candidates to refer to DNR Executive Director Dan Gibbs. The Commission will also consider the purchase of private property for public purposes, receive legal advice, and maintain the confidentiality of analyses and maps compiled or maintained by CPW related to private lands.

A complete agenda along with all materials for this meeting can be found on the CPW website for public review. The public is encouraged to email written comments to the commission at [email protected]. Details on providing public comments for hybrid meetings are available on the CPW website.

The Commission meets regularly and travels to communities around the state to facilitate public participation. Anyone can listen to commission meetings through the CPW website. This opportunity keeps constituents informed about the development of regulations and how the commission works with Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff to manage the parks, wildlife and outdoor recreation programs administered by the agency. Find out more about the commission on the CPW website.

Upcoming Wolf Reintroduction Plan Meetings

The final Wolf Reintroduction Plan, and associated regulations, will be adopted via a two-step approval process at Commission meetings on April 6 in Steamboat Springs and on May 3 - 4 in Glenwood Springs. Visit CPW’s Stay Informed page and sign up for the Wolf Reintroduction eNews to stay up to date with CPW’s Wolf Restoration efforts.