Contact: Ellary TuckerWilliams, Rocky Mountain States, Assistant Manager
Why it Matters: While it may seem obvious to some, the unrivaled contributions of sportspeople to the conservation of wildlife and their habitats are not widely understood by the general public. By hosting Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol and adopting HJR22-1017, the hope is that more people will begin to understand that sportspeople are conservationists, and care deeply for the sustainability of wildlife, along with their time-honored traditions. CSF was proud to play a significant role in hosting Colorado Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol and applauds Governor Polis for enacting HB22-1168 and HB22-1072, taking significant steps forwards for the states outdoor sporting community.
On Thursday, April 21, 2022, the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol in recognition of the countless contributions of sportspeople to the conservation of wildlife and their habitats in the state. Earlier in the day, CSF’s Rocky Mountain States Assistant Manager, Ellary TuckerWilliams was recognized on the Colorado Floor prior to the final adoption of HJR22-1017. Upon its adoption, the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted a wild game cook-out in celebration of April 21, 2022, being designated at Sportsmen’s Day in Colorado.
Over the course of 3 hours, over 400 people attended the event on the East Lawn of the Golden Dome, enjoying a smorgasbord of wild game hot dogs and hamburgers, however, the crowd favorite seemed to be the rocky mountain oysters, a special request of Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Will.
As a tribute to the past, current, and future contributions of sportspeople to the state of Colorado, Governor Polis held a signing ceremony at Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol for both HB22-1168 and HB22-1072 which take significant steps towards safeguarding the future of sportspeople and their financial contributions to the conservation of wildlife and their habitats. As previously reported, HB22-1168, upon its enactment, allows public schools to offer hunter education as an elective, while HB22-1072 permanently reauthorizes the Habitat Partnership Program and grants Colorado Parks and Wildlife the authority to continue setting aside five percent of the total big game license revenues to be used for the program. The enactment of both these bills marks a significant victory for the sportspeople of Colorado. Both these bills were top priorities for CSF in the state this session.
CSF would like to thank all the Colorado Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol sponsors and volunteers, as the event would not have been possible without their support. Furthermore, CSF would like to express its sincere gratitude to all the individuals who took time out of their busy day to attend the event and sit down with their fellow sportsperson in support of hunters, anglers, trappers, recreational shooters, and wildlife conservation.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
