Gunnison Wildlife Association Supports Colorado’s Amendment 83: The Right to Hunt and Fish

Hunting and fishing are longstanding traditional practices that connect people to our landscapes, provide healthy and sustainable food sources for families, and are deeply woven into the social and cultural fabric of Colorado. They also play an essential role in supporting our wildlife conservation system, public lands network, and local economies. For generations, hunters and anglers have helped fund wildlife management, habitat restoration, public access, species recovery, and outdoor recreation opportunities that benefit all Coloradans. Coloradans do not have to hunt or fish to benefit from wildlife management, habitat conservation, and outdoor access this system supports.

Amendment 83 recognizes the value that hunting and fishing provide to Colorado’s citizenry and wildlife populations. Amendment 83 will preserve the authority of Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to responsibly manage wildlife through science-based regulation.

Amendment 83 affirms a value that has long been part of Colorado's outdoor heritage while ensuring that professional wildlife managers and Colorado Parks and Wildlife retain the tools necessary to conserve fish, wildlife, and their habitats for future generations.

Why This Matters

Colorado's wildlife conservation success is the result of a proven partnership, and trust between anglers, hunters, wildlife professionals, private landowners, conservation organizations, and the public.

For more than a century, hunters and anglers have been among the strongest advocates for wildlife conservation. Their support helped establish the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, a system that treats wildlife as a public resource managed through science, law, and public involvement. This model is one of the most successful conservation systems in the world and has contributed to the recovery and conservation of iconic Colorado species including elk, wild turkey, river otter, peregrine falcon, cutthroat trout, and Canada lynx, while protecting millions of acres of habitat.

Today, hunting and fishing remain central to a modern, meaningful, and healthy lifestyle for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans and their families. Hunters, anglers, and organizations representing them provide a significant source of project funding and volunteer capacity through license sales, habitat stamps, federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing tackle, and motorboat fuels, and individual donations. These investments support wildlife conservation programs that benefit both game and non-game species across the state.

Hunting and fishing also contribute over $3.25 billion annually to Colorado's economy and support more than 25,000 jobs across every county in our state. The economic impact of hunting and fishing is particularly important in rural communities where outdoor recreation and conservation are closely tied to local livelihoods.

What Amendment 83 Does

Affirms Colorado's Legal, Ethical, Regulated Hunting and Fishing Opportunities for All

Amendment 83 recognizes current legal methods for hunting, fishing, and harvesting fish and wildlife and directs the state to regulate these endeavors to preserve the future of hunting and fishing opportunities statewide, for all who may wish to learn and experience these unique ways of connecting to nature and harvesting wild food now or in the future. 

Preserves Science-Based Wildlife Management

Amendment 83 explicitly preserves the authority of Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to regulate hunting and fishing through setting season dates, licensing requirements, bag limits, and methods of take. Wildlife populations will continue to be managed using the best available science and biological expertise. These investments also support healthy landscapes, resilient wildlife populations, and outdoor opportunities enjoyed by Coloradans who may never hunt or fish.

Protects a Proven Conservation Model

The amendment reinforces the principles that have made wildlife conservation in North America one of the world's most successful conservation systems: public ownership of wildlife, responsible use of natural resources, sustained collective investment, and professional wildlife management guided by science.

Supports Conservation and Public Access

Amendment 83 reinforces the important, consistent role hunters and anglers play in conserving wildlife and funding habitat improvement, species recovery, wildlife research, and public access programs that benefit all Coloradans.

The above information was developed by the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project, an alliance of diverse wildlife organizations with a common interest in conserving wildlife and wildlife habitats, and in preserving our hunting, angling, and conservation heritage, of which Gunnison Wildlife Association is a member.