AVON, Colo.—Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed several bills aimed at preserving and improving Colorado’s outdoor experience, including hunting, fishing and the habitat that makes them possible.
Hickenlooper said business leaders talk about quality of life when they consider moving to Colorado.
“First they talk about the mountains, and soon they talk about the people attracted to the mountains,” the governor said as he signed the bills on Saturday in Avon.
Among the bills Hickenlooper signed was a measure creating a “Protect Our Rivers” specialty license place Colorado motorists can buy.
Ken Neubecker, of Colorado Trout Unlimited and director of the Western Rivers Institute, said every dime in additional revenues raised goes to protect rivers, according to the Vail Daily ().
Montana has a similar program that has been successful in raising money.
“We decided that Montana did, and so can we,” Neubecker said.
Another new law continues the wildlife stamp program, a voluntary program that raises money for wildlife habitat preservation and improvement and increases public access to lands.
Hickenlooper said the money has preserved and improved 173,000 acres of wildlife habitat, opened 80,000 acres to public access and created 25 miles of public fishing access to Colorado’s rivers and streams.
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Information from: Vail Daily,
