Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting recap for November 16 - 17
Joey Livingston
BURLINGTON, Colo. – At the November 16-17, 2023 meeting, the Parks and Wildlife Commission heard proposed changes to regulations as follows. All final regulations approved at the November 16-17, 2023 meeting will go into effect on January 1, 2024 unless otherwise noted. FINAL REGULATIONS
Agenda Item 11: Chapter W-0 - “General Provisions” 2 CCR 406-0 and those related provisions of Chapter W-2 (“Big Game” 2 CCR 406-2), Chapter W-3 (“Furbearers and Small Game, Except Migratory Birds” 2 CCR 406-3), Chapter W-11 (“Wildlife Parks and Unregulated Wildlife” 2 CCR 406- 11), Chapter W-15 (“Division Agents” 2 CCR 406-15) and Chapter P-7 (“Passes, Permits and Registrations” – 2 CCR 405-7) necessary to accommodate changes to or ensure consistency with Chapter W-0 (Step 2 of 2)
The Commission finalized regulations including, but not limited to, the following:
- Cleanup to a disability accommodation procedure reference. (Step 1 of 1)
- Modifications to red swamp crayfish possession and licensing requirements.
- Adjusting license fees and license agent commission rates according to adjustments to the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Consumer Price Index.
- The Commission also voted to increase the resident bear license price to the statutory cap of $58.30. They also voted to increase the nonresident bear license price to $250.00 and the nonresident mountain lion license price to $500.00, both of which are still below the statutory cap.
The Commission finalized regulations 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 considerations include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Removing two special fishing restrictions on the Upper Arkansas River.
- Adopting special condition regulations for artificial flies and regulations for trout fishing on the Upper Square Top Lake, Lover Square Top Lake, Duck Creek to Duck Lake, West Fork Clear Creek, and Williams Gulch.
- Modifying regulations on the Blue River, Tenmile Creek and Dillon Reservoir in response to a decline in brown trout.
- Adopting regulations prohibiting fishing around Hermosa Creek Confluence Fish Barrier.
- Cleanup a property that is no longer open to the public and a misspelling in the chapter.
The Commission finalized regulations to adopt annual season dates and quotas for turkey hunting, and clean up the access permitting process for Higel and Rio Grande State Wildlife Areas.
ISSUES IDENTIFICATION
Agenda Item 19: 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)
The Commission initiated its annual review of the entire chapter, including, but not limited to:
Multiple Species
- Creating a Disabled Veterans Outreach License.
- Modifying the Game Management Unit (GMU) 43 and creating GMU 431.
- Modifying the Game Management Unit boundaries for 79 and 791.
- Creating a new 4th rifle antlered mule deer hunting season in data analysis Unit D-12.
- Creating a new 4th rifle antlered deer hunting season in Game Management Units 85, 140 and 851.
- Creating limited antlerless deer hunt codes in data analysis unit D-35.
- Replacing either-sex hunt codes in data analysis unit E-2 with antlered hunt codes.
- Removing hunt code EF003E1R.
- Modifying antler point restrictions on Ranching For Wildlife properties located in the Bear’s Ears (E-02) and White River (E-06).
- Modifying unlimited bull licenses in the Severe Winter Zone.
- Closing pronghorn doe hunting in data analysis unit PH-9 for all methods of take.
- Creating private land only rifle pronghorn licenses in data analysis unit PH-20.
- Replacing hunt code AF110L1R with two hunt codes in data analysis unit PH-8.
- Replacing hunt code AF128P5R with two hunt codes in data analysis unit PH-7.
- Creating a late pronghorn season in data analysis unit PH20.
- Adding a wilderness only hunt code to data analysis unit M-8.
- Limiting hunt codes for private land only in data analysis unit B-7.
- Modifying game management unit 61 archery, muzzleloader, and early October rifle bear hunt codes to be add-on over-the-counter licenses.
- Opening game management unit S-79 to hunting.
- Removing electronic calls as a legal method of take for mountain lions statewide.
Final Regulations
Agenda Item 22.1: Chapter P-3 - “River Outfitters” 2 CCR 405-3 (Step 1 of 1)
- Cleanup to a county name that is misspelled in regulation.
- Cleanup to remove regulations that are covered in Chapter W-9 and are no longer needed in W-2 relating to James John State Wildlife Area.
- Cleanup to realign regulations with operating procedures pertaining to the frequency of IPAWS agent bulletins.
Agenda Item 22.4: 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
- Modifying boundary language for the early season, high country rifle antlered deer hunt in GMU 74.
- Modifying the private land only antlerless elk licenses in GMU 104 to be list C.
- Removing hunt codes EF851O1M and EF851O3R.
A complete agenda along with all materials for public review for this meeting can be found on the CPW website. The public is encouraged to email written comments to the commission at [email protected]. Details on providing public comments at meetings are available on the CPW website.
The commission meets regularly and travels to communities around the state to facilitate public participation. Anyone can view Commission meetings on Youtube. 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.
The next commission meeting is scheduled to take place on January 10 - 11 in Denver.
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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.