PUB00067

• Year: 1993
• Title: Wetlands of Colorado
• Author: Kate Jones and Dr. David Cooper
• Description: Description and pictures of Colorado wetlands
• Publications - Doc Type: Historical

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Acre for acre, Colorado's wetlands
are some of the state's most valuable
real estate-not necessarily in terms
of dollars per acre, but in lerms of
importance to agricultural production...
to wildlife habital...to water quality...to
tourism and outdoor recreation.
As the 20th century draws to a
close, more and more people-from
farmers and ranchers to hunters and
anglers to members of conservation
organizations and private citizens-
are becoming more and more interested
in the future of the slate's wetland
resources. At the same time, human
activity in wetlands is coming under
increased scrutiny from federal agencies
and others charged with wetlands
regulation. This increased interest
has raised hard questions:

How can we balance the
values of wetlands as wet-
lands with the rights of
property owners to farm,
ranch or build on their land?

How can we conserve
both publically and private-
ly owned wetlands and their
important functions and still
allow traditional land uses
and vocations to continue?

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A njHlri(lfl {fetlalld 01/ private land al()!/.~ the Arikar('(' Rit:('f if! the plaif/s (lr !loff/was/I'm Colorado. Photo hy.foltl/ Field/'/:

The last portion of this booklet
focuses on creative approaches to
wetland issues, from city and county
ordinances to management initiatives
by land-management agencies to
cooperative efforts involving a variety

and riparian values-as well as the
human values and activities that built
the West.

of government agencies and private
groups that are interested in wetland
management in Colorado. Where wet-
lands are concerned, the challenge for
the 1990s is to forget labels and to
work together to conserve wetland