Colorado’s outdoor future was front and center at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 2026 Partners in the Outdoors Conference, where hundreds of organizations gathered to discuss conservation, recreation, habitat resilience, public access, and stewardship. These conversations matter. Conservation depends on partnerships, engaged citizens, and broad appreciation for our natural resources. But from the perspective of hunters and conservation advocates, one difficult question deserves honest discussion: are we adequately protecting the very constituency that has historically funded and defended wildlife conservation?
Recent regional data suggests a troubling disconnect. The Our Spacious Skies regional visioning report found that the scenic beauty and outdoor opportunities of the Pikes Peak region remain among the strongest drivers of quality of life, and more than three out of four residents believe the region’s peace and tranquility are under threat. Yet when residents were asked how they personally engage with the outdoors, 76% identified scenic sightseeing, 59% traditional recreation such as hiking and biking, and 49% local park use. Only 23% identified hunting or fishing as part of how they engage with the outdoors.
That statistic should concern every conservation leader.
Hunters, anglers, and shooting sports participants are not simply another outdoor stakeholder group. They are foundational to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Through hunting and fishing license purchases, habitat stamp revenues, volunteer stewardship, and the Pittman-Robertson Act’s 11% federal excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment, these communities directly fund wildlife restoration, habitat management, hunter education, access improvements, and conservation science. The very landscapes and wildlife populations many Coloradans cherish are sustained in large part because generations of hunters and anglers have invested directly in their protection.
Broad outdoor appreciation is a good thing. Greater access, stewardship awareness, and public engagement all matter. But appreciation alone does not fund conservation. Scenic viewing does not replace excise tax revenue. Passive enjoyment does not build future conservation advocates with skin in the game. If Colorado continues shifting toward a model that celebrates outdoor enjoyment while underinvesting in hunter recruitment, retention, reactivation, youth shooting sports, mentored hunting pathways, and family participation in traditional outdoor recreation, we risk weakening the most proven conservation funding mechanism ever created.
The question is simple: is Colorado prepared to lose one of its most effective conservation resources, or will we intentionally invest in preserving the communities that make wildlife conservation possible?
