Wildlife
New pass to access State Wildlife Areas available May 1
American White Pelicans spend a lazy afternoon in the waters at Prewitt Reservoir State Wildlife Area.
Callie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate
SWA pass aims to address growing use of properties
As of May 1 of this year, there will be a new way for those who want to enjoy natural areas to access state wildlife areas (SWAs). Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages more than 350 SWAs, which are acquired using hunter and angler dollars for the express purpose of conserving wildlife habitat and providing wildlife-related recreation. These funds are matched by federal dollars from the excise taxes collected on the sale of hunting and fishing equip-
ment. But the growth of the state’s population and a boom in tourism and visitation to Colorado in recent years have resulted in a growing number of people using these properties for activities that run counter to their intended purpose. These issues run the gamut from illegal camping to engaging in recreational activities that disturb and displace wildlife, thus disrupting the hunters and anglers whose contributions were critical
to acquiring these properties. While hiking, for example, has been allowed on SWAs, it was never an intended use of the properties. And many SWAs are closed periodically during the year when wildlife are reproducing and nurturing their young or on critical winter range. To address this trend and ensure SWAs continue to exist for the benefit of wildlife, the Colorado Parks and Wild¬life Commission voted in 2020 to require
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everyone 18 and older who enters an SWA to possess a valid license to hunt or fish in Colorado. That regulation went into effect in July 2020. Late last year, CPW received approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a new accounting approach that is allowing the state to provide another kind of pass to access these areas feasible. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had historically set stringent guidSee SWA PASS, pg. 21
