Finding a secure, sustained funding source for Colorado Parks and Wildlife emerged as the top priority among 45 members of the public who jammed a workshop in Durango on Wednesday to give input on the agency’s future.

Funding has emerged as a key issue as the popularity of hunting and fishing wanes.

Parks and Wildlife staff said in 2014, Colorado residents had 223 million trail activity days, 26 million fishing days and about 9 million hunting days. While hikers constituted the bulk of users, licenses bought by anglers and hunters make up 41 percent of the agency’s revenues, a little over $80 million. Fewer hunters and anglers means less funding for the agency.

At the workshop, held at the Durango Public Library, participants were asked: “What CPW successes would you be most excited to celebrate in 10 or 20 years?”

The workshop participants sat at tables and discussed their ideas; then, they were asked to put their top three ideas on separate sheets of paper.

After sorting the priorities into about 10 general options, participants voted for their top three priorities:

Sustained funding for the agency topped the list, garnering 21 percent of the votes.

The second priority was seeing the agency make decisions based on scientific research, at 15 percent.

More youth and family activities as well as habitat conservation tied for third, with 14 percent each of the votes.

The financial issue has been one of the top priorities from other public meetings held around the state.

All of the participants’ comments will be reviewed by Parks and Wildlife staff, said Patt Dorsey, Parks and Wildlife’s southwest region manager. One funding idea tossed out was a $10 annual state park permit that would be part of every vehicle registration in the state.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife operates 42 state parks that receive more than 12 million visitors annually. The agency also manages the state’s wildlife species and sells about 850,000 hunting and fishing licenses every year. The agency had revenues of $194 million in 2013-14.

To comment

Comment on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 2015 strategic plan:

Online: http://cpw.state.co.us/StrategicPlan

Email: DNR_CPW_Planning@state.co.us

Call: (303) 869-1350

Write: Strategic Plan 2015, 1313 Sherman, Suite 618, Denver, CO 80203.