Colorado Parks and Wildlife is considering doubling the cost of in-state fishing and hunting licenses to help deal with what it calls “substantial budget shortfalls.”
The agency, which does not receive tax revenues, has cut more than 50 positions and $40 million from its wildlife-management budgets in recent years but estimates it could see an annual shortfall of 20 percent by 2023. Agency officials have held a series of informational public meetings around the state this summer to talk about the situation. The Denver Post reports that CPW last raised fees for in-state hunting and fishing licenses in 2005.