Governor’s letter to community announcing Colorado’s newest state park.
Hello Colorado! I am so excited to announce Colorado’s newest state park located at Sweetwater Lake near the border of Garfield County and Eagle County, only about 15 miles off Highway 70. With the addition of our 43rd state park, we are continuing to expand outdoor recreation fun for every Coloradan and meeting the needs of all those who love to explore and play on Colorado’s public lands.
This will be our 2nd state park my administration has created since taking office, with Fishers Peak opening last year in Trinidad, and this newest one at Sweetwater Lake is the result of a one-of-a-kind partnership between the State of Colorado, U.S. Forest Service (White River National Forest), and Eagle Valley Land Trust.
Our new state park located at Sweetwater Lake is nearly 500 stunning acres of rugged park land with even more land adjacent with US Forest Service trails, and in the coming months we will be developing a site plan, in collaboration with members of the public, for expanding and managing recreational opportunities while preserving the unique, relatively undeveloped nature of the property. Starting next summer in June of 2022, Coloradans will be able to access improved facilities, including a new boat dock.
With an outdoor recreation economy that generates $62.5 billion in economic output, $9.4 billion in local and state tax revenue per year, and supports 511,000 jobs, this park isn’t just an investment in our public lands, it’s an investment in our economic recovery and conservation.
The addition of Colorado’s Newest state park gets at both of those challenges. By giving Coloradans another option for exploring the outdoors, we can continue to help alleviate the pressures being put on the heavily loved outdoor areas of our state, and give folks the experience they’re looking for when they head outside.
Colorado’s beautiful outdoor spaces are a big part of our identity as a state, and the reason that so many people travel from near and far to be here. That’s why we have worked so hard to make sure these lands are accessible for everyone and will be here for generations to come.
I was particularly excited about the recent U.S. Forest Service announcement that the humpback chub, a rare fish found only in the Colorado River Basin, was removed from the endangered species list. It’s just another example of how conservation efforts can support the ecosystems and wildlife that call our public lands home.
During this year’s historic legislative session, we partnered with Colorado lawmakers to take bold action for our public lands and reduce costs for an annual state park pass from $84 to about $30.
We passed legislation creating the Keep Colorado Wild Pass, which will save Coloradans money on their annual park pass and provide sustainable, long-term funding for our state’s world-class outdoors, wildlife and the professionals and first responders that protect them. The Keep Colorado Wild Initiative will also support more innovative federal-state partnerships, like the one we’re celebrating today, to better care for our public lands and outdoor economy.
And to ensure that our vision of a Colorado for All reaches the outdoors, we created the state’s first ever Outdoor Equity Fund, which will provide grants to promote equitable outdoor opportunities and access for Colorado children who might not otherwise have the chance to explore.
It was American Poet Henry David Thoreau who said, “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” The view from Sweetwater Lake makes that pretty hard to dispute, and I can’t wait until every Coloradan has the chance to take in this natural beauty for themselves.
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