Members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe can enter state parks free of charge once a new law goes into effect Aug. 6
The act was signed into law in May and waives state park entry fees for enrolled members of the tribes.
“Long before Colorado was a state, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe were stewards of the land now known as our state parks,” said Rep. Katie Stewart, who sponsored the bill in the Colorado General Assembly.
Tribal members need only present a current tribal ID card to gain free access one of the state’s 43 parks.
A fiscal note from the Legislative Council Staff says that park passes range anywhere from $7 all the way to $74, with $27 being the most common fee.
Using population data from 2023, the legislative council says that more than 1,700 passes are purchased each year by Ute tribal members, which means an estimated loss in park fee revenue of about $40,000 lies ahead.
Despite that reduction, the law was enacted in an effort to respect the relationship between tribal members and the land.
“Today, it is critical that our tribal youths and elders be able to access and visit these sites and traditional areas to ensure that our cultural practices are carried going forward into future generations,” Southern Ute Indian Tribe Vice Chair Marvin Pinnecoose told lawmakers during a hearing on the bill in February.
“From Mancos State Park in Southwest Colorado, to Golden Gate State Park in the foothills, this law is one part of the state’s continued commitment to honor and support the ancestral land reconnection for the longest continuous residents of our state,” Stewart said.
A provision in the law also requires Colorado Parks and Wildlife to conduct outreach and engagement with the tribes and other native stakeholders “on opportunities related to state parks.”
Reuben M. Schafir contributed to reporting for this article.
