The Colorado Division of Wildlife has made its first outright land purchase using funds from the Colorado Habitat Stamp. The agency used a $120,000 purchase to add 168 acres to Ramah State Wildlife Area in northeast El Paso County.
A formal dedication is scheduled 9 a.m., Sept. 15 in conjunction with the annual “Bang and Twang” Ramah youth shotgun and archery clinic, which lasts all day. The purchase involves an inholding of private property inside the original boundaries of the wildlife area.
It represents a riparian area that offers habitat for waterfowl, dove, turkey and deer, along with a number of nongame bird species.
Ramah Reservoir, centerpiece of the SWA, went dry following several years of drought. Bountiful rainfall this summer began a refilling process that allows hand-launched boats. The property will be available for teal season, which opens Saturday.
The agency earlier this summer made its first expenditure of habitat stamp funds to acquire a perpetual fishing access easement on the Arkansas River in Lake County.
Steamboat cast and blast
The Division of Wildlife will offer a fishing and shooting instructional session for women Sept. 22 in Steamboat Springs. This “Cast and Blast” attraction features a half day of instruction on fly-fishing basics, followed by a similar session of shotgun marksmanship. Participants must be older than 12 and are required to have a Colorado fishing license. Applications are limited, phone 970-870-2197.
