S1E1: 1.1 - Director Dan Prenzlow - State of the Union on Colorado's Outdoors - Oct. 22, 2020

On this introductory episode of CPW's podcast - Colorado Outdoors - we go in-depth with Director Dan Prenzlow on conservation and balancing that with the explosion in population and thirst for outdoor recreation in Colorado. Prenzlow mentions how the outdoors have been an outlet during COVID and how CPW focused on ‘managing to yes’ to be open to the citizens of Colorado during the pandemic. With that, CPW has seen park visitation hit record numbers and fishing and hunting license sales are up. Wildlife topics are discussed, as is the opening of Fisher’s Peak, the newest state park in Colorado.

TOPICS DISCUSSED

2:57 - background on Dan Prenzlow and how he became Director of CPW

5:45 - his perspective on being the Director

7:37 - talking about conservation - the “wise use” of our natural resources

8:42 - wildlife that we manage and restoring wildlife species

12:45 - ballot initiative on the restoration of Gray Wolves

14:45 - balance between conservation and outdoor recreation

21:37 - the outdoors have been an outlet during COVID in the state of Colorado

24:47 - fishing and hunting license sales are up

26:20 - a hunting story on how it took him 20 years to draw a mountain goat license

30:10 - why it is so important that people do not feed or try to domesticate wildlife

32:03 - bear conflicts and management

34:06 - Fishers Peak State Park opening