Colorado Parks and Wildlife distributes $2.25 million to support local search and rescue volunteers
Bridget O'Rourke
DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) statewide Backcountry Search and Rescue Program (BSAR) distributed $2.25 million in funding to 36 counties to support local search and rescue teams who assist people during outdoor recreational emergencies and keep communities safe.
Colorado is home to around 50 search and rescue organizations, which are 100 percent volunteer-based and provide search and rescue services free of charge to individuals lost, injured or stranded in the backcountry. While these organizations are county-based and coordinated through county sheriffs or county governments, CPW provides support and funding from the statewide level.
CPW sells products that incorporate funding for search and rescue teams, including the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card and a search and rescue fee of twenty-five cents with the sale of fishing and hunting licenses and OHV registrations. However, as the demand for outdoor recreation increases in Colorado, so does the need for search and rescue services.
To help bring in more BSAR funding for the state, CPW launched the Keep Colorado Wild Pass to residents in 2023. This pass allocates $2.5 million of annual sales to Colorado BSAR programs to fund rescuer training, mental health programs and team equipment. Funds are divided annually among eligible counties to be used over a two-year period to purchase items based on a county-designed project. The intent for this funding is to be a semi-fixed funding source that flexibly accommodates team strategies for priority purchases over time.
“We’re constantly amazed by the dedicated volunteer search and rescue professionals across Colorado who are ready to mobilize and help people in a time of need when they become stranded, lost or injured in the backcountry,” said CPW BSAR Manager Perry Boydstun. “These types of outdoor rescues often require a specific type of training and gear, so it’s really important for the state to provide our local teams with the resources they need to complete rescues without jeopardizing their own safety.”
In 2024, CPW distributed $1.5 million in Keep Colorado Wild Pass revenue and an additional $480,000 in traditional funds to 33 counties. CPW BSAR funding is distributed through incident reimbursement forms and a county allocation application process.
Counties may use funds to purchase equipment, training, vehicles, small capital improvement projects, mental health services, communications, computer software, subscriptions and maintenance, and some fixed costs.
For more information on CPW’s Backcountry Search and Rescue Program, visit
cpw.state.co.us/backcountry-search-and-rescue-program.
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.
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