KEEP COLORADO WILD PASS PRICING STUDY

In 2021, RRC worked with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to implement a state-wide study investigating the amount residents in the state would be willing to pay for a “Wild Pass”. This pass would grant annual access to Colorado’s state parks though a fee added onto yearly vehicle registrations. RRC distributed surveys to Colorado residents with various pricing options which helped determine price sensitivity, willingness to pay, and overall support for the additional fee. In turn, this data helped develop realistic and feasible price points for the Wild Pass that could also assist CPW meet their funding needs.

The study was a major success and provided CPW with a strong direction for pass pricing, which was ultimately implemented in 2023 and is available to Colorado residents today.

COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE LOCAL ACCESS FUNDING STUDY

Colorado State Legislature passed Senate Bill 23-059 in 2023. This bill required CPW to create a system which would allow local governments to request a $2 surcharge to daily vehicle fees that could then assist the applicant in funding maintenance to state park access routes. It also required CPW to inventory the state of local access routes across each of the state’s 42 parks, estimate the possible funding a local access funding fee at each would produce, and conduct outreach with the relevant park managers and local stakeholders.

RRC led the facilitation of this work with CPW, which also included utilizing mobility data to detail visitor origins and access route usage, as well as policy recommendations on the implementation of the fee. Tactics for addressing the requirements of the funding application were also provided by the project team. Work completed in November 2024 with RRC’s reports available to the public via CPW’s website.