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Today, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission votes on its final plan for merging the advisory boards for Colorado State Parks and the Division of Wildlife at its all-day meeting in Denver.
The meeting runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hunter Education Building on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife campus at 6060 Broadway in Denver.
The new agency was created last year by merging two existing branches of the Department of Natural Resources. Developing a merger plan began last April, with the creation of a merger transition team and employee work groups that identified specific functions of the two agencies as well as ways to enhance operations efficiency through the merger. A 240-page implementation document now exists. The draft plan was presented to the Parks and Wildlife Commission in January.
The new Commission includes 14 members appointed by the governor, who meet to set regulations and policies for Colorado's state parks and wildlife programs.
According to the plan recommendation, each of the former five Wildlife Commission districts should be represented by at least one commissioner and no more than three. No more than six of the members should be from the same political party. Membership should include agricultural landowners or producers, active sportsmen or women, members experienced in outdoor recreation, county commissioners, wildlife- or lands-oriented nonprofits, and at-large members. Ex-officio members include the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture commissioner.
As nonprofit advocacy group Rocky Mountain Wild keeps an eye on the finalized proposal, spokespeople commend the agency's inclusion of non-consumptive wildlife watching and conservation interests.
According to the plan summary, the nonprofit member should “support and promote the conservation and enhancement of Colorado's wildlife and its habitat, that recognizes and promotes primarily non-consumptive wildlife us, and that has expertise in wildlife issues, wildlife habitat or wildlife management.”
“This balanced approach recognizes the unique needs and perspectives of all the groups invested in a new, larger state wildlife and parks agency,” Rocky Mountain Wild officials say.
According to the agency, the public will have a final opportunity to comment on the plan before the Commission will be asked to finalize it.
The meeting runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hunter Education Building on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife campus at 6060 Broadway in Denver.
The new agency was created last year by merging two existing branches of the Department of Natural Resources. Developing a merger plan began last April, with the creation of a merger transition team and employee work groups that identified specific functions of the two agencies as well as ways to enhance operations efficiency through the merger. A 240-page implementation document now exists. The draft plan was presented to the Parks and Wildlife Commission in January.
The new Commission includes 14 members appointed by the governor, who meet to set regulations and policies for Colorado's state parks and wildlife programs.
According to the plan recommendation, each of the former five Wildlife Commission districts should be represented by at least one commissioner and no more than three. No more than six of the members should be from the same political party. Membership should include agricultural landowners or producers, active sportsmen or women, members experienced in outdoor recreation, county commissioners, wildlife- or lands-oriented nonprofits, and at-large members. Ex-officio members include the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture commissioner.
As nonprofit advocacy group Rocky Mountain Wild keeps an eye on the finalized proposal, spokespeople commend the agency's inclusion of non-consumptive wildlife watching and conservation interests.
According to the plan summary, the nonprofit member should “support and promote the conservation and enhancement of Colorado's wildlife and its habitat, that recognizes and promotes primarily non-consumptive wildlife us, and that has expertise in wildlife issues, wildlife habitat or wildlife management.”
“This balanced approach recognizes the unique needs and perspectives of all the groups invested in a new, larger state wildlife and parks agency,” Rocky Mountain Wild officials say.
According to the agency, the public will have a final opportunity to comment on the plan before the Commission will be asked to finalize it.
