Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff presented a proposed 2026 commission meeting schedule on July 18 that would reduce regular meetings to six every other month beginning in January and include at least two west‑of‑Continental‑Divide meetings to satisfy state statute.

Katie Lanter, policy section manager, said the draft schedule keeps January and March meetings in Denver, schedules May in Montrose (to coincide with big game license draw), and proposes meetings in July (Southeast Region, location to be finalized), September (Southwest Region to facilitate tribal engagement), and November (Sterling, earlier than previous years). Lanter said meetings would follow a Wednesday/Thursday cadence and that the commission could call special meetings if urgent issues arise.

Commissioners asked about the workload implications of fewer meetings. Lanter said some meetings might expand to two full days to accommodate regulatory business. Commissioner Tutchton and others supported the every‑other‑month cadence but asked that staff track whether the new schedule allows the division to complete its regulatory and program work. Several commissioners offered preferences for specific months or regional swaps; staff said it would return in August with a revised schedule.

Commissioner May noted commissioners can request special meetings through the chair and that the chair may set special meetings if needed. Director Davis said agendas are set by the chair and the director in consultation and that staff will propose a process to prioritize future topics.

The item was informational; no vote was required. Staff will bring a revised schedule to the commission in August for approval.