3 historic bills to fund outdoor recreation, conservation and backcountry safety
On June 21, 2021, Governor Polis signed bills HB21-1326 General Fund Transfer Support Department Of Natural Resources Programs, SB21-249 Keep Colorado Wild Annual Pass and HB21-1318 Create Outdoor Equity Grant Program to expand recreation access initiatives and increase conservation funds for natural resources in Colorado. These bills will direct significant resources to make our outdoors and public lands more equitable and support broader CPW conservation and recreation initiatives for years to come.
The Keep Colorado Wild pass will:
Provide access to Colorado’s 42 state parks and other participating public lands;
Increase the scale and pace of lands and wildlife conservation across Colorado and support key outdoor recreation programs;
Support locally-driven conservation efforts around the state, including the creation of new state parks;
Cost no more than $40 (half of a current parks pass), with a goal to achieve a $20 price via high participation reducing financial barriers for people to enjoy the outdoors;
Ensure that registrants are clearly and transparently given the option to choose not to purchase the pass;
Be available at a lower price to under-resourced and disproportionately impacted Colorado households; and,
Provide every Coloradan the opportunity to conserve and support what makes our state so unique.
Keep Colorado Wild Pass fact sheet
2021 Conservation in the West poll from Colorado College showing broad support of Coloradans for investment in our public land
The Outdoor Equity Fund
The Outdoor Equity Grant Program will bolster community-led organizations, nonprofits, tribal governments, and school and recreational districts with the funding needed to make the outdoors a space that serves ALL of Colorado’s youth and families.
El Programa de Becas para Equidad Afuera apoyara a las organizaciones comunitarias, de fines sin lucro, gobiernos tribales, y distritos escolares y recreacionales con los fondos necesarios para construir un espacio afuera que sirve a TODOS los jóvenes y familias de Colorado.
General Fund Transfer to Support Department Of Natural Resources Programs
In the 2020-21 state fiscal year, bill HB21-1326 transfers $25 million from the general fund as follows:
$750,000 to the Colorado avalanche information center fund for use by the Colorado avalanche information center in the department of natural resources (department) to support backcountry avalanche safety programs;
$3.5 million to the wildlife cash fund for use by CPW to implement its statewide wildlife action plan and the conservation of native species;
$2.25 million to the search and rescue fund for use by the department of local affairs in consultation with the division to support backcountry search and rescue efforts;
$1 million to the outdoor equity fund for use by the division to implement the outdoor equity grant program; and
$17.5 million to the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund for use by the division as follows: $3.5 million for staffing and maintenance projects; and $14 million for infrastructure and state park development projects.