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DENVER, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed bipartisan legislation into law to support outdoor recreation and rural economies.
“In communities like mine, outdoor recreation drives the economy, bolsters our workforce and supports local businesses,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “With this bill being signed into law, we’re taking steps to balance outdoor recreation, wildlife and our natural resources so that future generations can enjoy them as we do. This law improves collaboration among key conservation efforts, agriculture, private landowners and other public land users to maximize the outdoor recreation potential of Colorado and protect our open spaces.”
“No agency is better positioned to hold recreation and conservation together than Colorado Parks and Wildlife,” said Sen. Janice Marchman, D-Loveland. “This law gives them the coordinating capacity to engage partners, collaborate with tribal governments, and deliver the kind of strategic, integrated management that keeps Colorado’s outdoors from being loved to death.”
Colorado’s lands support a $65.8 billion outdoor recreation economy. HB26-1008 directs stewards of our lands to collaborate with stakeholders from all different land-use backgrounds, from wildlife and natural resource advocates to agricultural communities and private landowners. Specifically, this law formalizes Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) role in leading Colorado’s outdoors strategy to support conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience in the state.
The goal of HB26-1008 is to proactively streamline planning and management so that the state can continue to provide high-quality experiences to all outdoor users. CPW manages 43 state parks and over 350 wildlife areas, covering roughly 900,000 acres in Colorado. As the lead coordinator, CPW will ensure outdoor recreation needs are well-represented in its leadership and increase coordination to anticipate and respond to potential conflicts. The strategy prioritizes integrating data and metrics from existing efforts, partnering with local and federal agencies, and shoring up state capacity in this area.