Take action now to oppose HB 1361, a bill that would weaken the Division of Wildlife's ability to purchase properties to protect habitat and provide access! Call members of the House State Affairs Commitee and ask them to vote "no" on HB 1361.
Issue: HB 1361 unreasonably limits the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s ability to use Habitat Stamp funds to purchase properties to benefit fish, wildlife and sportsmen. Such restrictions will make it harder for CDOW to purchase fee title ownership of lands - the kind of purchases that allowed to CDOW in the past to secure permanent public access to legendary waters such as the Dream Stream. The bill’s language on maintenance of properties is also unclear and could lead to depletion of habitat stamp funds, leaving less dollars available to protect habitat and secure hunting and fishing access.
Take Action: HB 1361 has been referred to the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee and is scheduled for a hearing on March 23.Contact members of the House State Affairs Committee, particularly if one represents your district, and urge them to vote “no” on HB 1361. A list of committee members appears at left. Points to make in your call:
- HB 1361 would unduly constrain CDOW’s ability to purchase properties to benefit fish, wildlife, and sportsmen.
- While CDOW must assure appropriate maintenance of its properties, HB 1361’s approach to the issue lacks clarity and could divert large sums of habitat stamp funds away from use in protecting habitat and providing hunting and fishing access.
- HB 1361 is a solution in search of a problem. Those concepts in the bill that have merit – such as addressing CDOW operations and maintenance needs, or considering selling CDOW properties back into private hands after placing conservation and access easements on them – can be pursued without this legislation.
- Please vote “no” on HB 1361!
Fee title purchase of land enabled the CDOW to protect and provide fishing access in perpetuity to the "Dream Stream" (left), now called the Charlie Meyers State Wildlife Area. Yet HB 1361 would seriously restrict the CDOW's ability to make such purchases in the future with Habitat Stamp funds.
Background: The Habitat Stamp is a $5 (soon to be $10) charge added onto a hunter or angler’s first license purchase of the year, with proceeds dedicated to protecting fish and wildlife habitat and providing for hunting and angling access. Currently, CDOW is directed to “emphasize the acquisition of easements” over fee title acquisition of property, but retains the flexibility to use fee title purchases where that is the most appropriate tool. However, HB 1361 would further restrict the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) in using Habitat Stamp funds, allowing fee title purchases only where “no other type of interest is viable or available.” HB 1361 an inappropriate limit on CDOW’s judicious use of fee title purchases to benefit wildlife and sportsmen.
HB 1361 also sets up a requirement for CDOW to transfer funds from Habitat Stamp sales into a new operations and maintenance fund. While it is important for CDOW to assure appropriate maintenance of its properties, the bill language is unclear – and could require transfer of enough funds to cover operations and maintenance in perpetuity. This could divert significant dollars from the habitat stamp program and reduce its ability to protect additional habitat and secure additional access. The bill also recognizes only operations, maintenance and improvement needs for properties owned in fee title – ignoring the needs of other CDOW properties that are provided for fishing, hunting and habitat protection through easements or leases. HB 1361 contains an unclear approach that threatens to deplete funds that could be used for further habitat protection and hunting and fishing access, while still failing to address some valid enhancement and maintenance needs.
For more details on HB 1361, click here to read our fact sheet.