First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. R25-1050.01 Olivia Nesselroade x2670
HJR25-1028
House Committees Senate Committees
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 25-1028
C
ONCERNING THE COLORADO LEGISLATIVE SPORTSMEN 'S CAUCUS,101
AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH , DESIGNATING APRIL 25, 2025,102
AS "SPORTSMEN'S DAY".103
WHEREAS, More than a century ago, hunters and anglers were1
among the first conservationists who realized America's natural resources2
were in peril and could not sustain unregulated harvests and habitat3
destruction; and4
WHEREAS, Hunters and anglers took it upon themselves to5
support laws that: Stopped excessive harvesting of fish and wildlife,6
established game and fish agencies to protect fish and wildlife and their7
habitats, and established special fishing and hunting license fees to help8
fund efforts to provide healthy natural resources for future generations;9
and10
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Armagost and Lukens,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Pelton R. and Roberts,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. WHEREAS, Upon realizing that license fees alone were1
insufficient to restore and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations,2
hunters and anglers supported excise taxes on firearms; ammunition; and3
archery, hunting, and fishing equipment to raise additional funds to4
support the restoration and enhancement efforts of state agencies; and5
WHEREAS, This user-pay, public-benefit system became known6
as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish7
Restoration Program that began with the passage of the8
"Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act" in 1937, which was9
bolstered by the passage of the "Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration10
Act" in 1950 and further expanded with the passage of the Wallop-Breaux11
amendments to the 1950 act in 1984; and12
WHEREAS, Today, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is funded, in13
part, by sportsmen and women through the American System of14
Conservation Funding, and this user-pay, public-benefit system is still15
widely recognized as the most successful model for funding fish and16
wildlife management in the world; and17
WHEREAS, In 2021, Colorado's sportsmen and women generated18
over $136 million through this system to support the conservation efforts19
of Colorado Parks and Wildlife; and20
WHEREAS, Colorado's more than 1.2 million hunters and anglers21
contribute more than $3.2 billion in statewide economic output per year22
while engaged in their pursuits, which supports over 25,000 jobs and23
generates around $187 million in state and local taxes; and24
WHEREAS, The stated mission of the Colorado Legislative25
Sportsmen's Caucus, a nonpartisan caucus formed in 2002 by the26
Sixty-third General Assembly, is to:27
! Preserve and promote the traditional rights of American28
citizens to hunt, fish, and pursue outdoor activities;29
! Ensure that America's sportsmen and women have30
reasonable access to public lands to enjoy outdoor pursuits;31
! Protect the investment of sportsmen and women in wildlife32
and fisheries management by safeguarding the integrity of33
user-fee trust funds;34
! Support efforts to enhance multiple-use habitat35
management for wildlife and fisheries;36
HJR25-1028
-2- ! Recognize the importance of hunting, fishing, and other1
outdoor activities to our nation's economy;2
! Support the maintenance and growth of outdoor-related3
industries and activities; and4
! Work as a collaborative partner with the agricultural5
community in providing and protecting wildlife habitats;6
now, therefore,7
Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth8
General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:9
(1) That the General Assembly urges its members to join the10
Colorado Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus;11
(2) That the General Assembly urges Colorado's institutions, both12
public and private, to work with the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen's13
Caucus as it strives to assist sportsmen and women to uphold their critical14
role in maintaining an economically vibrant and environmentally healthy15
Colorado; and16
(3) That the General Assembly hereby declares Friday, April 25,17
2025, to be "Sportsmen's Day" in recognition of the sportsmen and18
women of Colorado and in honor of their many contributions to19
conservation across the Centennial State.20
Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent21
to Jeff Davis, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Governor22
Jared Polis.23
HJR25-1028
-3-