Optional Vehicle Registration Fee Earns Residents A 'Keep Colorado Wild Pass'
GOLDEN GATE STATE PARK, Colo. (CBS4) -- Monday Gov. Jared Polis signed the Keep Colorado Wild Annual Pass bill. It gives car owners a reduced-price annual state parks pass when they register their vehicles.
Currently an annual affixed vehicle parks pass costs $80. While the price of the Keep Colorado Wild Pass has yet to be determined, it'll be no more than half the current price, so no more than $40. The price can drop depending on participation, with a goal to achieve a $20 price with high participation rates.
Bill sponsors say the revenue will help staff and protect Colorado's 42 state parks.
"Colorado's passion for enjoying the great outdoors has taken a toll on our beautiful state parks," said Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood, sponsor of SB21-249. "By creating the Keep Colorado Wild Pass, today we ensured that our iconic public lands stay preserved and well cared for while being enjoyed by more Coloradans of every stripe."
The money will be used for, among other things, supporting search and rescue volunteers, supporting avalanche safety and awareness, regularly maintaining state parks and state trails and conserving wildlife.
"The new visionary legislation passed this session will provide new tools to protect our wildlife, secure our existing outdoor recreation areas and increase access to the outdoors for more Coloradans for generations to come," said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
The pass fee will be automatically added to the vehicle registration fee, but car owners can opt out if they don't want the pass.
The passes will go on sale sometime between Jan. 1, 2023 and Jan. 1, 2024.
