BOARD02292

• Board Meeting Date: 3/29/1999
• Description: Directors' Reports
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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. Population growth (28%), housing and commercial development (14%), and loss of habitat (10%)
were volunteered as the top problems effecting wildlife in Colorado.

. Two-thirds (65%) of the public rated the DOW as performing an excellent or good job. Among seven
state and federal agencies that have responsibilities for land, water and the outdoors, the DOW came
in second after Colorado State Parks, which received a 71 percent rating.

· Coloradans said the top priority was enforcing existing wildlife laws (78%). Protecting and
preserving habitat (66%) and protecting and restoring declining, endangered and threatened wildlife
(60%) also were top priorities. Youth programs, either in the outdoors (61 %) or associated with
classroom work and teachers (58%) were another significant priority for residents.

· Forty-seven percent of the public rated managing and protecting elk and deer herds as a "5" on a
scale of importance from one to five. Nearly two-thirds said protecting threatened and endangered
wildlife was the most the important responsibility (63%). Closely following was protecting wildlife
habitat, which 61 percent of the public rated as very important

. Residents were evenly divided on the DOW's need for additional funding, with 44 percent
recommending an increase, 38 percent believing the budget should stay the same, and only three
percent preferring a decrease in the funding.

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. When considering sources of additional funding, the public strongly supported using lottery funds
(70%) and r~ising out-of-state hunter and angler fees (60%) to accomplish the DOW's mission. Also
receiving support were development fees (40% strong support) and dedicating funds from the state
general fund (43% strong support). Least supported were raising in-state hunting and fishing license
fees (27% strong support) and dedicating a portion of the statewide sales tax (28% strong support) to
wildlife programs.

. When asked a specific question pointing out that hunting and fishing license fees had not been raised
for eight years and were lower than surrounding states, Coloradans overwhelmingly supported
allowing the state legislature to raise out-of-state license fees (88%).

. Along with general support for using lottery funds for wildlife (90% strong and somewhat support),
the public prioritized lottery funding options as protecting land and water for wildlife (77% very
important) and protecting endangered wildlife (72% very important) as top priorities. Educating
people about wildlife (59%) was also of higher importance.

. A majority of the public (62%) believe licensed and regulated hunting should be allowed. Another 20
percent believe hunting is a basic right About 16 percent of the public either oppose hunting or
believe it should be limited to only wildlife professionals. These attitudes have remained largely the
same when compared to the same question in tile 1991 Division of Wildlife survey.

. More than 70 percent of households indicated they played the lottery in 1998.

. Twenty-nine percent of respondents indicated there was a licensed hunter in the household during the
last three years. Fifty-one percent said there waS a licensed angler in the household.

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