House Joint Resolution 25-1028

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 25-1028

BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Armagost and Lukens, Bacon, Barron, Bird, Boesenecker, Bottoms, Bradfield, Brooks, Brown, Caldwell, Camacho, Carter, Clifford, DeGraaf, Duran, Espenoza, Froelich, Garcia Sander, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Jackson, Johnson, Joseph, Keltie, Lieder, Lindsay, Lindstedt, Marshall, Martinez, McCormick, Paschal, Phillips, Richardson, Rydin, Smith, Soper, Stewart K., Suckla, Taggart, Titone, Velasco, Weinberg, Willford, Winter T., Woodrow, Woog, McCluskie;

also SENATOR(S) Pelton R. and Roberts, Amabile, Baisley, Ball, Bridges, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Cutter, Daugherty, Exum, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Liston, Lundeen, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Pelton B., Rich, Rodriguez, Simpson, Snyder, Sullivan, Wallace, Weissman, Winter F., Coleman.

CONCERNING THE COLORADO LEGISLATIVE SPORTSMEN'S CAUCUS, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, DESIGNATING APRIL 25, 2025, AS "SPORTSMEN'S DAY".

WHEREAS, More than a century ago, hunters and anglers were among the first conservationists who realized America's natural resources were in peril and could not sustain unregulated harvests and habitat destruction; and

WHEREAS, Hunters and anglers took it upon themselves to support laws that: Stopped excessive harvesting of fish and wildlife, established game and fish agencies to protect fish and wildlife and their habitats, and established special fishing and hunting license fees to help fund efforts to provide healthy natural resources for future generations; and

WHEREAS, Upon realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to restore and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations, hunters and anglers supported excise taxes on firearms; ammunition; and archery, hunting, and fishing equipment to raise additional funds to support the restoration and enhancement efforts of state agencies; and

WHEREAS, This user-pay, public-benefit system became known as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program that began with the passage of the "Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act" in 1937, which was bolstered by the passage of the "Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act" in 1950 and further expanded with the passage of the Wallop-Breaux amendments to the 1950 act in 1984; and

WHEREAS, Today, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is funded, in part, by sportsmen and women through the American System of Conservation Funding, and this user-pay, public-benefit system is still widely recognized as the most successful model for funding fish and wildlife management in the world; and

WHEREAS, In 2021, Colorado's sportsmen and women generated over $136 million through this system to support the conservation efforts of Colorado Parks and Wildlife; and

WHEREAS, Colorado's more than 1.2 million hunters and anglers contribute more than $3.2 billion in statewide economic output per year while engaged in their pursuits, which supports over 25,000 jobs and generates around $187 million in state and local taxes; and

WHEREAS, The stated mission of the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, a nonpartisan caucus formed in 2002 by the Sixty-third General Assembly, is to:

●Preserve and promote the traditional rights of American citizens to hunt, fish, and pursue outdoor activities;

●Ensure that America's sportsmen and women have reasonable access to public lands to enjoy outdoor pursuits;

●Protect the investment of sportsmen and women in wildlife and fisheries management by safeguarding the integrity of user-fee trust funds;

●Support efforts to enhance multiple-use habitat management for wildlife and fisheries;

●Recognize the importance of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities to our nation's economy;

●Support the maintenance and growth of outdoor-related industries and activities; and

●Work as a collaborative partner with the agricultural community in providing and protecting wildlife habitats; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:

(1)  That the General Assembly urges its members to join the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus;

(2)  That the General Assembly urges Colorado's institutions, both public and private, to work with the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus as it strives to assist sportsmen and women to uphold their critical role in maintaining an economically vibrant and environmentally healthy Colorado; and

(3)  That the General Assembly hereby declares Friday, April 25, 2025, to be "Sportsmen's Day" in recognition of the sportsmen and women of Colorado and in honor of their many contributions to conservation across the Centennial State.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to Jeff Davis, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Governor Jared Polis.