Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting recap for Nov. 14-15, 2024
Joey Livingston
LAMAR, Colo. — At its Nov. 14-15, 2024 meeting, the Parks and Wildlife Commission heard proposed changes to regulations as follows. All final regulations approved at the Nov. 14-15, 2024 meeting will go into effect on January 1, 2025 unless otherwise noted.Updated chapters include: P-01, P-04, P-07, W-00, W-01, W-02, W-03, W-06, W-08, W-09, and W-16.
FINAL REGULATIONS
Agenda Item 12.b: Chapter P-7 - “Passes, Permits and Registrations” 2 CCR 405-7 (Step 2 of 2)
- The commission finalized changes to increase the daily vehicle fees for the following state parks:
- Chatfield State Park for the adoption of a $2.00 Water Quality fee pursuant to SB 23-267.
- State Forest State Park for the adoption of a $2.00 Local Access fee pursuant to SB 23-059.
- Golden Gate Canyon State Park for the adoption of a $2.00 Local Access fee pursuant to SB 23-059.
- The commission finalized changes including adjusting license fees and license agent commission rates according to adjustments to the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Consumer Price Index and a cleanup to align regulation with the changes from SB 24-161.
- The commission finalized changes including, but not limited to, consideration of regulations regarding season dates, bag and possession limits, licensing requirements, manner of take provisions and special conditions or restrictions applicable to waters of the state. Specific regulatory changes include the following:
- Removing salvage regulations on Bonny Reservoir.
- Modifying the take regulations on current and planned native greenback cutthroat trout conservation waters.
- Modifying the white bass size limit at Boyd Lake State Park.
- Modifying the East River Fishing closure to improve fishing opportunity.
- Adopting a fall fishing closure on Fish Creek, a tributary to the Yampa River.
- Modifying the brown trout bag and possession limits on the Fryingpan River.
- Modifying the take regulations for walleye and saugeye at Horseshoe Reservoir.
- Modifying the walleye bag, possession and size limits at Horsetooth Reservoir.
- Modifying take regulations for trout on Kerr Lake.
- Modifying the take regulations for lake trout and kokanee salmon on Lake Granby.
- Modifying take regulations on Los Pinos and Cochetopa Creeks.
- Modifying the take regulations for all waters in the Sand Creek Drainage, Rito Hondo Reservoir and creek above the reservoir.
- Modifying the water specific restrictions on Rocky Fork Creek.
- Modifying wiper special regulations at Union Reservoir.
- Removing Walker Lake State Wildlife Area from Chapter W-1 “Fishing.”
- Modifying take regulations on Wolf Creek.
- Cleanup for clarification to Blue River, Duck creek, and Hermosa Creek.
Agenda Item 19: Chapter W-3 – “Furbearers and Small Game, except Migratory Birds” 2 CCR 406-3
- The commission finalized regulations to adopt annual season dates and quotas for turkey hunting, added GMU 63 to the valid units for over-the-counter fall turkey hunting opportunity and approved a cleanup to the HIP phone number.
- The commission finalized changes to commercial use on state parks and state wildlife areas.
Agenda Item 16: Chapter W-2 - “Big Game” 2 CCR 406-2 and those related provisions of Chapter W-0 (“General Provisions” 2 CCR 406-0) necessary to accommodate changes to or ensure consistency with Chapter W-2 (Step 1 of 2)
- Open for consideration for changes to the draw methods, preference points, and the reissue process.
Open for annual review of the entire chapter, including, but not limited to:
Statewide
- Removing the ability to take coyotes by a hunter with an unfilled big game license.
- Creating a first rifle antlered deer season in data analysis unit D-3.
- Creating an early antlerless deer rifle season in data analysis unit D-3.
- Creating limited antlered and antlerless deer hunt codes in select units in data analysis units D-19, D-23, D-24, D-40 and D-57.
- Modifying the Ranching for Wildlife program to allow for management flexibility.
- Creating a private-land-only either-sex archery hunt code in data analysis unit E-10.
- Removing late antlerless elk seasons in data analysis unit E-13.
- Creating private-land-only archery hunt codes for limited archery elk data analysis units where over-the-counter archery licenses are valid on private land.
- Adding a late cow moose season in select game management units.
- Creating a bighorn sheep ram hunt in data analysis unit S-80.
- Adding a bighorn sheep ewe license in data analysis unit S-22.
- The commission considered changes to the harvest limits and group compositions for mountain lion hunting to implement the East Slope Mountain Lion plan.
Final Regulations
Agenda Item 3.1: Chapter P-4 - “Snowmobile Regulations” 2 CCR 405-4 (Step 1 of 1)
- The commission finalized considerations to implement an out of state permit program for snowmobiles in accordance with SB 24-056.
- The commission finalized a cleanup to the Landowner Preference Program disqualification section to align with statute.
Agenda Item 3.3: 2025-2029 Big Game Season Structure policy (Step 1 of 1)
- The commission finalized a cleanup to the antlerless moose licenses that “float” between seasons to exclude the late seasons.
- The commission rescinded the commission policy on Drawing License Limitations for Non-Residents.
- The commission finalized an amendment to the commission policy titled “Providing Public Comment to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.”
Agenda Item 3.6: Chapter W-1 - “Fishing” 2 CCR 406-1 (Step 1 of 1)
- The commission voted to adopt the director’s written recommendation to DENY a petition for rulemaking related to increasing spearfishing opportunities across the state.
Agenda Item 3.7: Chapter W-2 - “Big Game” 2 CCR 406-2 and those related provisions of Chapter W-0 (“General Provisions” 2 CCR 406-0) necessary to accommodate changes to or ensure consistency with Chapter W-2 (Step 1 of 2)
Deer
- Adding game management unit 512 to the over-the-counter white-tailed–only (DE048U6R) hunt code.
- Modifying the limited bull archery hunt code to a limited either-sex hunt code in data analysis unit E-16.
- Modifying the list B antlerless elk licenses to be list A licenses in the northwest elk data analysis units below population objective.
- Creating a local drawing limiting regular-season hunt participation in Baca National Wildlife Refuge.
- Combining antlerless elk license hunt codes in game management units 68 and 681.
- Adding a second rifle season hunt code in data analysis unit PH-1.
- Adding wilderness only hunt codes to data analysis unit M-2.
- Splitting cow moose hunt codes under game management unit 44 into different hunt codes for units 44 and 45.
- Creating a regular rifle season for cow moose in data analysis unit M-5.
- Modifying the geographic boundaries for the BE084P5R hunt code to target bear harvest on private lands with the highest potential for human-bear conflicts
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.