Lawsuit targets CPW over SWA regulations

[Poser]

Lawsuit targets new Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations for State Wildlife Areas

A coalition of animal advocacy groups has sued Colorado Parks and Wildlife over new rules at State Wildlife Areas that restrict recreation by visitors who are not hunting or fishing. The lawsuit argue...

www.durangoherald.com

 

[sndmn11]

"Noting that hunting and fishing license sales fell 10% between 1990 and 2020"

That is interesting.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Don’t they realize hunting and fishing licenses pay for the SWA’s….

 

[Poser]

Don’t they realize hunting and fishing licenses pay for the SWA’s….

You do have to have a hunting/fishing license or a SWA license to access SWAs these days, however, there is almost zero enforcement. I have an SWA trailhead less than 5 minutes from my house that o do training hikes on. It’s in a $$ HOA neighborhood and the trail is very popular. I’d wager 90% of users lack a license to use the area.

 

[doc holiday13]

Don’t they realize hunting and fishing licenses pay for the SWA’s….

Limiting access to hunting is "preferential" and arbitrary. In VA if you want to go into a WMA for activities other than hunting, an OTC access permit is required(unless you already have a hunting license) . With an access permit, EVERYONE pays

 

[Hnthrdr]

Limiting access to hunting is "preferential" and arbitrary. In VA if you want to go into a WMA for activities other than hunting, an OTC access permit is required(unless you already have a hunting license) . With an access permit, EVERYONE pays

I agree, if they want access they can pay into the pot… otherwise shut up. But what they will do is get access and then complain about duck hunting or whatever else is happening there. And as poser said there is basically 0 enforcement of this rule to begin with, but schills will schill…

 

[doc holiday13]

I agree, if they want access they can pay into the pot… otherwise shut up. But what they will do is get access and then complain about duck hunting or whatever else is happening there. And as poser said there is basically 0 enforcement of this rule to begin with, but schills will schill…

I want to say that the VA DWR states that entering game management zones during hunting season is restricted for safety reasons but I can't fully remember

 

[Dirtbag]

I wish CPW would nut up and say "ok, this isnt a State Wildlife Area, Its a State Hunting and Fishing Area, Eat S***. Die".

 

[JeffP_Or]

Oregon turned it over a few years ago - used to be only hunters needed parking passes; they had to pay for them in addition to hunting licenses and SWA fees for accessing state land. Oregon Hunters Association lobbied and got the parking passes to be included with hunting licenses for free - since hunters already pay the state for that - and established a parking fee process for all other non-hunting visitors to pay into the pot.
It seems to work well.
Hunting areas are off-limits to non-hunters during hunt periods. Everyone gets access and pays upkeep for the state lands.
I can't speak about enforcement - it is rather minimal as far as I have herd but it does happen.

So I would say - pay to participate; the lawsuit is another bad one.