Here's how busy 14ers were in 2020

Everyone knew the pandemic drove Coloradans into the mountains and open spaces in massive numbers, yet the latest figures from the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative are mind-boggling. Fourteeners group says the number of hikers exceeded the previous record by 18%. Read more …

Matthew Gray
The pandemic’s impact on Colorado’s wild places …

“(S)ome of our fragile public spaces are showing the results of misuse,” read a recent column from Susan Davies, the leading Colorado Springs steward, echoing counterparts across the Front Range. “Many open space trails are now wider. New ‘social’ trails have surfaced. And unique resources like El Paso County’s Paint Mines have been damaged.” Read more …

Matthew Gray
Sportsmen and Sportswomen Generate Nearly $1 Billion in Conservation Funding

Fish, Wildlife, Outdoor Recreation and Local Communities Benefit from Excise Tax Revenues. To date, the Service has distributed more than $22.9 billion in apportionments for state conservation and recreation projects. The recipient state wildlife agencies have matched these funds with approximately $7.6 billion throughout the years, primarily through hunting and fishing license revenues. Read More …

Matthew Gray