2019 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) Charts the Course for Conservation and Recre- Ation in the State for the Next Five Years
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THE 2019 STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN SCORP Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The 2019-2023 Colorado Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan is a collaborative effort administered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). This plan was developed with the assistance of a diverse group of outdoor recreation stakeholders. This plan was financed in part by a grant awarded to the State of Colorado from the National Park Service through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Colorado Parks and Wildlife would like to thank the December 11, 2018 many contributors who provided their time, expertise and support to the successful development of the 2019-2023 SCORP. Dear Fellow Coloradans, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff: Ernest House, Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs Jennifer Anderson, Education, Partnerships & Volunteer Manager Mallory Huggins, Next 100 Coalition It gives me great pleasure to present Colorado’s 2019-2023 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Shannon Bauman, Policy and Planning Assistant Betsy Jacobsen, Colorado Department of Transportation Recreation Plan (SCORP). Colorado’s outdoor heritage, natural beauty, and diverse landscapes Julia Clark, Policy and Planning Assistant Scott Jones, Colorado Off Highway Vehicle Coalition* make our state the perfect place to enjoy all forms of outdoor recreation. Nick Dellaca, State Trails Program Manager Allison Kincaid, Colorado Parks and Recreation Association* Travis Duncan, Public Information Officer Judith Kohler, National Wildlife Federation* As Governor, I launched the Colorado the Beautiful Initiative with the vision that, within a Tracy Gripp, Workforce Development/ADA Coordinator Stewart Lewis, Outdoor Industry Association generation, every Coloradan will live within ten minutes of a park, trail, or vibrant green Brad Henley, Southeast Deputy Regional Manager John Marriott, Larson’s Ski & Sport* space. I created the second Outdoor Recreation Industry Office in the country to ensure this Danielle Isenhart, Regulations Manager Lori McCullough, The Great Outdoors Fund* Heath Kehm, Southwest Deputy Regional Manager Anne Miller, Colorado Department of Local Affairs growing sector, which contributes $62 billion to Colorado’s economy, continues to thrive. And Jody Kennedy, Public Involvement Specialist Katie Navin, Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education* this October, I signed Executive Order 2018-10 to highlight the inextricable link between our Mark Lamb, Area 1 Wildlife Manager Len Necefer, Natives Outdoors growing outdoor recreation sector and the important conservation work that has gone on for Katie Lanter, Policy and Planning Supervisor Suzanne O’Neill, Colorado Wildlife Federation* decades in Colorado. The Executive Order directs state agencies to create the Inter-Agency Mary Lloyd, Terrestrial Data Analyst Emily Orbanek, Great Outdoors Colorado* Trails and Recreation Council, work with partners to implement the 2019 SCORP, and continue Kacie Miller, Planning Manager Teresa Penbrooke, Green Play, LLC & GP Red the important work under Colorado the Beautiful. Mike Quartuch, Human Dimensions Specialist Jim Petterson, The Trust for Public Land* Lyle Sidener, Area 9 Wildlife Manager Loretta Pineda, Environmental Learning for Kids Outdoor recreation opportunities contribute to increased quality of life, economic prosperity, Tyler Sewald, Jackson Lake Park Manager Robert Randall, Colorado Department of Natural Resources* and the health of Colorado communities and residents. The returns we enjoy from our Lauren Truitt, Public Information and Website Manager Jason Robertson, United States Forest Service* investment in the outdoors are extraordinary. And while there are clear economic and social Christine Zenel, Policy and Planning Assistant Rafael Salgado, Cal-Wood Education Center benefits to encouraging more people to pursue outdoor recreation in Colorado, the need to Dan Zimmerer, Statewide Partnership Coordinator Michelle Scheuermann, Colorado Department of Transportation balance growth of outdoor recreation with preservation and enhancement of water, land, and Chad Schnecknerburger, Bureau of Land Management* wildlife is as important as ever. The SCORP calls for all Coloradans and visitors to have SCORP Advisory Group and Contributors: Scott Segerstrom, Colorado Youth Corp Association* outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation while encouraging greater responsibility and Samantha Albert, Outdoor Recreation Industry Office Brian St George, Bureau of Land Management* Lloyd Athearn, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative* Andrew Todd, Running Rivers stewardship of our natural and cultural resources. Holly Barrass, Colorado Mountain Club* Cate Townley, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Lenore Bates, Colorado Department of Transportation Janie Van Winkle, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association* I applaud Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the SCORP Advisory Group, including the Colorado Luis Benitez, Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office* Tammy VerCauteren, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies* Outdoor Partnership, for crafting the 2019-2023 SCORP, and I certify that the plan was Jason Bertolocci, Berbur, LLC* Madeleine West, Colorado Department of Natural Resources* developed with extensive data collection and public involvement. This is a plan for all Andrea Blankenship, Colorado Tourism Office Scott Winans, Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association* Coloradans. Now, it is up to all of us -- local, state, and federal governments, conservation Scott Braden, Conservation Colorado* *Colorado Outdoor Partnership (CO-OP) members and recreation professionals, volunteers, and recreationalists -- to act upon the information Gary Buffington, Larimer County* Jody Kennedy, Public Involvement Specialist, and Kacie Miller, Planning and strategies provided in the plan. Chris Castilian, Great Outdoors Colorado* Manager, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) were the principal Project Aaron Clark, International Mountain Bicycling Association* Leaders for the 2019-2023 Colorado SCORP Sincerely, Daniel Cressy, United States Forest Service* Dr. Michael Quartuch, Human Dimensions Specialist with CPW, implemented Missy Davis, The Nature Conservancy* both quantitative data collection/research efforts and drafted the correspond- Ann Baker Easley, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado* ing technical report (Appendix D). Terry Fankhauser, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association* Jodi Stemler with Jodi Stemler Consulting, LLC wrote the SCORP report. John W. Hickenlooper Carlos Fernandez, The Nature Conservancy* Robin Strelow was responsible for final design and layout of the SCORP. Nathan Fey, American Whitewater* Governor CPW Policy and Planning staff who assisted in all aspects of project planning, Dan Gates, Colorado Trappers and Predator Hunters Association* implementation, data collection/analysis, and writing/editing include: Erik Glenn, Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust* Katie Lanter, Christine Zenel, Julia Clark, and Shannon Bauman. Brad Henley, Matt Gray, Friends of Colorado State Parks* CPW Southeast Deputy Regional Manager, provided meaningful input Sarah Hernandez, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment throughout the process and review of the draft report. Jim Hill, University of Colorado Denver Marty Holmes, Mule Deer Foundation* 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS COLORADO’S STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN – 2019-2023 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Governor’s Letter inside front cover Appendices Acknowledgements 1 Appendix A: LWCF History 49 Executive Summary 3 Appendix B: Colorado’s LWCF Open Project Selection Process 52 Introduction 8 Appendix C: Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation System 58 2019-2023 SCORP Planning Process 12 Appendix D: SCORP Stakeholder Engagement Technical Report 62 A SHIFT for Conservation and Recreation 14 Appendix D1: Public Survey with Summary Statistics 80 Trends and Research on Outdoor Recreation in Colorado 16 Appendix D2: Land Manager Survey with Summary Statistics 92 Colorado Travel Regions 18 Appendix D3: Top 30 Activities 105 The Growing State of Colorado 20 Appendix E: Targeted Outreach 106 Statewide Public and Land Managers Survey 22 Appendix F: 2017 Economic Contributions of Outdoor Recreation in Colorado 110 Public Survey of Outdoor Recreation 23 Appendix G: Colorado’s Wetlands 156 Land Managers Survey 24 Appendix H: Summary of Public Comment 160 Tribal Land Managers Survey and Targeted Outreach 26 olorado provides its residents and visitors with Colorado’s 2019 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recre- boundless outdoor recreational opportunities. It ation Plan (SCORP) was developed in close collaboration Economic Contributions of Outdoor is a synergistic relationship – the natural beauty of with a wide range of partners to provide a shared vision for Recreation in Colorado 28 the state beckons people outdoors, and they spend the future of Colorado’s outdoors. countless hours and much of their hard-earned money to pursue outdoor recreation. In return, Colorado’s out- This plan is the first time a Colorado SCORP considers both Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Priorities–2019-2023 30 Cdoor recreationists gain appreciation for sustaining the state’s conservation and recreation together as values that are close- outdoor resources. ly intertwined. In addition, the SCORP looks at current and Implementing Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Plan 46 changing demographics and recreation trends to help the However, conservation and recreation in Colorado are facing outdoor recreation sector be