Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting recap for March 5-6, 2025
Joey Livingston
DENVER — At its March 5-6, 2025 meeting, the Parks and Wildlife Commission heard proposed changes to regulations as follows. All final regulations approved at the March 5-6, 2025 meeting will go into effect on May 1, 2025 unless otherwise noted.Updated chapters include: P-7, W-0, W-2, W-3, W-5, W-9, W-16.
FINAL REGULATIONS
Agenda Item 12: 2028 Draw regulation changes and Chapter W-2 - “Big Game” - 2 CCR 406-2 and those related provisions of Chapter W-0 (“General Provisions” - 2 CCR 406-0), Chapter W-3 (“Furbearers and Small Game, except Migratory Birds” 2 CCR 406-3) and Chapter W-16 (“Parks and Wildlife Procedural Rules” - 2 CCR 406-16) necessary to accommodate changes to or ensure consistency with Chapter W-2 (Step 1 of 1)
The commission finalized regulations including the following:
- Adopting the changes for the 2028 draw season structure.
- Any necessary corrections or administrative clean-ups to regulations previously adopted by the Parks and Wildlife Commission for the 2025 big game seasons.
- Adopting regulation enabling nonresident, enrolled members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to redeem Landowner Preference Program vouchers yielded by the Pinecrest Ranch for hunting licenses valid only on the Pinecrest Ranch at a discounted price equivalent to the resident license price.
The commission finalized regulations including the following:
- Increasing the resident snowmobile and nonresident snowmobile permit prices.
- Updating the reference to the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines applicable to the Centennial Pass to correspond with the requirements of other income-eligible licenses and passes offered by CPW.
Final Regulations
Agenda Item 3.1: Chapter W-3 – “Furbearers and Small Game, except Migratory Birds” 2 CCR 406-3 (Step 1 of 1)
The commission finalized regulations including the following:
- Annual changes to game bird seasons, excluding turkey, and other small game seasons and related provisions, including season dates, bag and possession limits and manner of take provisions.
- Adopting a permit to take greater sage-grouse, mountain sharp-tailed grouse and white-tailed ptarmigan. (Step 2 of 2)
- Opening a greater sage-grouse hunting season in game management units 2, 4, 5 and 10. (Step 2 of 2)
- Opening a mountain sharp-tailed grouse hunting season in game management unit 23. (Step 2 of 2)
The commission finalized regulations including annual changes to migratory bird season dates, bag and possession limits and manner of take provisions.
Agenda Item 3.3: Chapter W-9 - “Wildlife Properties” 2 CCR 406-9 (Step 2 of 2)
The commission finalized regulations related to generally applicable and property-specific requirements for, or restrictions on use of, wildlife properties controlled by the Division of Parks and Wildlife, including State Trust Lands leased by the Division. Specific considerations include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Adopting property-specific regulations for a new Axial Basin State Wildlife Area.
- Adopting regulations for the launching of watercraft from trailers on Delaney Butte Lakes State Wildlife Area.
- Cleanup of regulations on the Emerald Mountain State Wildlife Area.
- Adding the Big Sandy Creek State Trust Land property to the State Trust Land Hunting and Fishing Access Program.
- Adopting property-specific regulations to allow motorized travel on designated roads on Cold Springs Mountain State Trust Land.
- Extending the public access period on the Pine Tree Gulch State Trust Land to May 31 to provide a spring turkey hunting opportunity.
- Expanding the hunting access permit requirements for archery, muzzleloader and
- September rifle bear hunting on James M. John SWA and Dorothey SWA. (Step 1 of 1)
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 CPW’s website.
The commission meets regularly and travels to communities around the state to facilitate public participation. 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.
Learn more about the Parks and Wildlife Commission on CPW’s website.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 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.
DISCLAIMER: The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) website maintains press releases containing historical information that may no longer be accurate. Press releases are dated, which should be noted to determine whether the information provided is current. Please review our current regulations and brochures for up-to-date information.