Home > Legislative Tracker > Limits on Protecting Wildlife Habitat

Public Lands:
Limits on Protecting Wildlife Habitat

Our Position: oppose
Bill Number: HB1137
Sponsor: Representative Sonnenberg and Senator Brophy
Legislative Session: 2008

The bill died on a bipartisan vote in the House Agriculture Committee. This bill would have required the wildlife commission to sell land or water equivalent to new land or water that is acquired, so that the Division's property assets can never grow. This would have limited the Commission's ablity to protect habitat, recreational areas and endangered species.

Status

The bill died in the House Agriculture Committee by a vote of 7-5.

Action Needed

The Division of Wildlife plays an important part in preserving and maintaining Colorado’s great outdoors. The services they provide are innumerable such as providing wildlife habitat, including habitat for endangered species, and places for outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing, hiking, and wildlife watching, among other activities. Without public land supported by the Division of Wildlife, many of the activities we Coloradoans enjoy would not be possible and we would loose part of our heritage.

Protection of these lands benefits all of Colorado, and protects a legacy for our children!

Thank Representatives Fischer, Hodge, McNulty, Scanlan, Solano, Gallegos, and Curry for voting to kill this bad bill in committee.

To see a full copy of the bill as a PDF, go to HB 1137.

Background

Land acquisition is a valuable tool in the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s (DOW) toolbox to address needs of wildlife and of wildlife recreationists.  Use of this tool is necessary when purchase of an easement either would be inadequate or if the landowner wishes to sell land only in fee title.  For example, frequently land the DOW purchases is valuable wildlife habitat but marginal agricultural land, such as river bottom habitat.  Acquisition also provides a benefit to the farmer or rancher who gains additional income from the sale.  In fact, such transaction often has helped a farmer or rancher to remain on the land and in business.  In some other situations intensive management may be needed on habitat that is critical for a species of concern, such as the Gunnison Sage Grouse, to assist efforts by the local community to prevent it from becoming listed under the Endangered Species Act.    

DOW owns less than ½ of one percent of the land in Colorado.  The lands that the DOW does own provides valuable habitat for species conservation and for public access to wildlife-related recreation.

The DOW purchases land only from willing sellers, who in some circumstances prefer to sell the land in fee title instead of granting an easement because they no longer wish to manage the land for personal health, financial or other reasons.  CWF supports the individual right of landowners to sell their land to whom they wish, including the DOW.   When the DOW owns land, the county may apply for payment in lieu of taxes.

Whenever the DOW proposes an acquisition it complies with the legislative review process.  The General Assembly maintains full control over decisions to acquire land. This process is far better than passage of this bill, which would place unnecessary restrictions on the DOW and the legislators, inhibit the Wildlife Commission from achieving its mission, and increase expenses.