Access to State wildlife areas

[Polly Reetz]

Lots of discussion going on about the change in policy by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) about accessing State Wildlife Areas.    While buying a fishing license, especially a senior license, is not a big financial burden for many birders, there is a general feeling, at least among the Audubon folks I've talked to,  that we want to be counted as wildlife watchers, not fishermen or hunters, so that CPW is more aware of this audience and listens to us on other policy issues.  

 

     No one has yet come up with a method to do this that doesn't result in a reduction in Colorado's  federal Wildlife Aid in Restoration grants which come from the excise tax on hunting and fishing equipment  (although we could argue that a lot of that money in fact does NOT come from hunters - you pay it if you buy a handgun too).    The Parks and Wildlife Commission is still discussing this question - it is on their agenda for Thursday morning, July 17 at 9:25 am.   You can listen in from the CPW website (About Us - Commission - Meetings).  And offer comments by email before the meeting.

   Suggestions have been: a wildlife watchers license, a maintenance fee dedicated to SWAs, a checkoff on the fishing or hunting license application for wildlife watchers/photographers so CPW can take count of us.... your ideas??   Send them to the Commission.  Some of this would take legislative action.

Polly Reetz

Denver Audubon COnservation Committee chairperson

[plarimer]

I see a lot of misconceptions about the new requirement that all users of State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands needing a hunting and fishing license.  First let me say that I am an avid birder, but I am also a hunter and a fisherman.  I am also full time fly fishing guide on the Arkansas River, and a senior, so I do get a discount now on some of the licenses that I buy each year. 

 

State Wildlife Areas (SWA’s) are primarily set up for hunting and fishing.  They are all different.  Where State Parks are pretty much all created equal,  SWA’s and certainly State Trust Lands are not.  While some SWA’s are on publicly owned lands, many are on private land that CPW pays the landowner for allowing access via easements.  Some of those easements are permanent, going with the land upon sale, others are not, and need to be renewed.  Both landowners and the state can put restrictions on the allowed uses of the SWA, such as fishing only, or youth hunting only, or no big game hunting, or no hunting.  Before visiting one, you should always check the current year edition of the State Recreational Lands Atlas, free where you buy licenses or at a CPW Office, and make sure that your intended use is allowed.

 

The money for paying for easements, or maintaining these lands comes from license sales and the Habitat Stamp, not from the state budget.  In the case of State Trust lands (School lands), CPW pays the State Lands Board for access.  Many State Trust Lands are leased by private companies, such as oil and gas, and are not open to the public.  The money paid to the State Lands Board goes back to schools.

 

There is one other aspect of the license purchase is often misinterpreted by the public.  The Search and Rescue fee is NOT an insurance policy for you in case you need to be rescued by a SAR team.  It is simply a donation to SAR to help them buy new equipment and train volunteers.  As a volunteer group SAR has no other funds except for donations.  If you need a rescue, especially if you need to be extracted by helicopter, you will pay a very hefty fee.  I carry a separate private company policy for my wife and I in case we need a rescue for ourselves or our vehicle from the backcountry. 

 

Finally, I also purchase a Federal Duck Stamp on my license.  This is from the US Fish and Wildlife service and goes to maintaining and establishing National Wildlife Refuges.  A few years ago, the USF&WS asked birders to buy a Duck Stamp to support refuges and migratory waterfowl.  Few birders did this, although every waterfowl hunter in the country is required to purchase one each year.  In Colorado, waterfowl hunters must also purchase a state duck stamp. A waterfowl hunter in Colorado must carry a state small game hunting license, a Habitat Stamp, a Colorado Duck Stamp,  and a Federal Duck Stamp.  

 

This shows how much hunters contribute to the protection of wildlife.  With National Refuges, SWA’s, State Trust Lands, and private landowner easements, Hunters and fishermen have carried the financial burden for these areas for years, even though many non-hunters and non-fisherpeople use them extensively.  I really feel it is time for all users of these areas to contribute a fair share. 

[Mike Hensley]

I actually think a watchers license that parallels the hunting/fishing license and whose cost contributes to the maintenance of SWA's is a great idea. It simultaneously broadens the base of people who are financially contributing AND provides a way to measure the number of people who are using SWA's for non-hunting/fishing purposes. Have any conservation organizations (Audubon?) proposed this change to state lawmakers?

On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 11:39:16 AM UTC-6, Polly Reetz wrote:

[Lori Pivonka]

Fantastic info!

I agree... I also strongly believe ALL birders should purchase a duck stamp. Many of us spend lots of time around and in the NWR’s.

Appreciate your insights!

Lori 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 13, 2020, at 7:31 AM, Mike Hensley <miked...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Nicholas Komar]



Mike I agree. I’m working on a CFO letter supporting this view.  I hope other organizations will do the same this week in advance of the Commissioner's meeting Thursday morning. 

Nick Komar

CFO President

[Timothy Barksdale]

CoBirders, 

I am not a resident of CO. So I do not presume to tell you how to handle this. 

However, due to the subject matter of my next film for PBS, I have been in Colorado several times recently, and had noticed signage. Through studying this subject area, I am focusing on one state in particular which has Long had a constitutional basis for its state wildlife programs.

Generally, statistics have shown that hunting and fishing are both declining in terms of Wildlife area usage. Photography, birding and general Wlidlife watching are all increasing. This trend is nearly 50 years on going. 

Only a few states have sales taxes, or portions thereof,  which are specifically earmarked for conservation. Legislators annually find means to poach these funds too. So with declining hunting, there is also declining revenue. Fee increases can make up some of this, but as others have suggested above, "broadening the base" can help to keep fees lower for a resource which every person benefits from. Healthy environments make for healthier - everything.

Our society is undergoing complete transformation, and now is an excellent time to be counted. Birding is still very under appreciated for the awareness enhancing activity it is. Meanwhile, if you have a gun and a license, you effectively control a good portion of any states land use each fall.

As a life long birder, I can't tell you how many times I would have liked to taken a walk in an area where I did not have to wear blaze orange to just go birding for half a day without worry. Refuges are somehow synonymous with killing... Huh?

Habitat has and is being purchased through many organizations, Including USFWS, but also very effectively in particular by Duck's Unlimited. Meanwhile, birders squabble about bird ID. Time to see that the birds we love require habitat to live in, and that habitat may be a breeding area in the northern hemisphere and a wintering ground in the Neotropics.

It is time for us to take a hard look in the mirror, admit what has been effective and is still working, building coalitions, while we plan to save the natural world and its beauty, but only  if we want to be a part of what survives the Anthropocene.

The first step may be in being counted as wildlife area users, independently counted from other groups.

Timothy Barksdale,

Birdman Productions 

Choteau, MT

Mokane, MO

[Adrian Lakin]

For anyone interested in what happened in the CPW meeting on July 16/17, the meeting video is on their site at the following URL.

https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/CommissionMeeting2020-7.aspx

You will need to go to the Day 2 video and skip ahead to the time of 1:51:13 to get to the relevant section. The discussion lasts until time 2:43:00.

There were a couple very well put together presentations and a few public comments. 

I didn't hear anything during those times that this discussion would be continued, but some of the people who commented did recommend that.

Adrian Lakin,

Mead, CO

On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 11:39:16 AM UTC-6, Polly Reetz wrote:

[Charles Hundertmark]

This is well worth watching for those who have a desire to understand the diverse interests that CPW must juggle in developing a plan to provide access to SWAs for non-consumptive use while respecting the intended uses of these areas. For those worried about enforcement, it is worth listening to Director Prenzlow’s comments.

Chuck Hundertmark

Lafayette, CO

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