A bipartisan group of Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday, March 5, held the first meeting of its newly formed outdoor recreation caucus, setting the foundation for what they hope will be an opportunity to generate future policy. 

The caucus represents the latest state effort to elevate a key cultural and economic sector of Colorado that has experienced pressures in recent years amid a surge in recreation activity. Public land managers have called for more resources to deal with the influx of visitors, and the state’s tourism office last fall released a 10-year plan to manage sustainability. 

At the Capitol on March 5, more than a dozen lawmakers from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope discussed what outdoor recreation means to their districts, the status of pending recreation-related bills and ways they plan to engage in policy discussions outside the legislative session. 

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“When we were thinking about this caucus, we were thinking about how outdoor recreation is a major economic driver in our state,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “Also, a lot of what happens within the outdoor recreation industry is really, in my opinion, what makes Colorado Colorado.” 

Outdoor recreation generated more than $65 billion in economic output last year for the state and was responsible for over 400,000 jobs, or 12.5% of the state’s labor force, according to a 2024 Colorado Parks and Wildlife report. 

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Another report released late last year by the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows Colorado ranks in the top 10 for states with the largest outdoor recreation economies. 

Lukens said her district — which stretches across Eagle, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties — is home to a wide variety of businesses critical to the fabric of Colorado’s economy, from local hunting and fishing outfitters to gear and apparel manufacturers and — of course — ski resorts. 

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, said in many ways, outdoor recreation “is keeping rural communities alive,” especially in cities and towns seeking to diversify their economies. 

McCluskie — who represents Summit, Grand, Jackson, Lake, Park and Chaffee counties — used the example of the Leadville Race Series that began in 1983. 

“Had that kind of outdoor recreation opportunity not bubbled up … Leadville, an at-one-point dying mining town, wouldn’t be thriving the way it is today,” McCluskie said.

With the current legislative session halfway over, the window for lawmakers to introduce bills is closing. 

Lukens said she is still hoping to bring forward legislation that could expand the role the Colorado Department of Natural Resources plays in the outdoor recreation economy, such as by supporting trail expansion and development. 

Another bill led by Rep. Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction, would change the distribution of the state’s lottery fund to boost revenue for the outdoor equity fund, which doles out grant money to recreation-related initiatives across Colorado. 

Lawmakers said they want to continue meeting as an outdoor recreation caucus once the legislative session ends, possibly planning field trips to experience the recreation opportunities in their different districts. 

They also hope to generate future policy ideas that could be brought forward as bills in the next legislative session. 

“Hopefully, our goal can be to just be more mindful of how legislation could impact this space,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco. “Colorado’s a great state, and we can’t take it for granted that we are an outdoor rec hub, and there are some proactive things that we can do legislatively, administratively to make sure that we’re not losing out on that.”