After months of working‑group deliberations and more than two hours of public testimony at the January hearing, the Parks and Wildlife Commission approved a set of changes to Colorado’s big‑game draw process intended to balance resident opportunity, limit long‑term preference‑point “creep,” and improve administrative clarity. The package is a mix of new allocations, retained rules and a newly adopted fee for preference points.

Key decisions taken by the commission (roll‑call votes recorded in the minutes) included:

- Primary draw allocation: The commission voted to apply a 75% resident / 25% nonresident allocation to limited hunt codes as a baseline for the primary draw. That percentage will apply to the first two choice slots of each applicant’s primary draw (the commission ultimately approved applying the allocation at least to the first two choices in the primary draw). Commissioners debated several alternatives (including 80/20 for historically high‑demand codes); the working group’s 75/25 recommendation prevailed for the primary choices as a step to increase resident opportunity while keeping administrative simplicity.

- Secondary draw: The commission retained the status quo — allocation percentages will not be applied to the secondary draw (staff had warned that applying the caps there could create substantial revenue risk). The commission therefore voted to keep secondary draws uncapped (no 75/25 allocation) while the agency monitors demand and revenue impacts.

- Preference points (how points are gained and spent): The commission adopted staff recommendations that preference points will be gained and used under a first‑choice model (status quo for point burning), meaning points only burn if the applicant draws a first‑choice license. The commission discussed, but did not adopt, a broader change that would have used points across all application choices.

- Preference‑point fee: The commission approved a new, optional preference‑point fee: $15 for residents and $30 for nonresidents on a per‑species, opt‑in basis. The opt‑in option mirrors the way CPW handles points for sheep, goat and moose and was included to provide a revenue pathway that could offset reduced nonresident sales caused by allocation changes. The fee passed on a roll call vote and staff will implement opt‑in procedures with vendor work for future seasons.

- Pick‑one rule for sheep/goat/moose: Commissioners decided to retain the status quo for the limited mountain species (no forced ‘‘pick‑one’’): applicants may continue applying for multiple limited big‑game species; the working group’s “pick‑one” proposal was discussed but not adopted.

- Technical and implementation items: The commission approved the remainder of the working‑group package — such as reissue process clarifications, veil‑to‑pay handling, and transitional rules for weighted points to bonus‑point conversions where applicable. Staff indicated the vendor will need time to implement new reporting and reissue automation; some changes will be phased in for regulatory years that require software updates.

Why it matters: Colorado’s draw system determines who can hunt high‑demand tags in a state with rising demand and limited quotas. Commissioners said the package reflects a compromise intended to increase resident opportunity without destabilizing license revenue or hunting seasons; many stakeholders told the commission the changes still leave tradeoffs in place, while staff pointed to the need for technical updates and a multi‑year transition to avoid abrupt disruptions.

Votes and next steps: Several elements were approved in separate roll‑call votes recorded in the meeting minutes. Staff will return with implementation steps, timeline and vendor milestones and will also publish guidance for hunters on how to opt into the point fee, how auto‑reissue will work and how weighted points will convert under any new bonus‑draw models. The commission asked staff for additional public education about the new rules and for a possible targeted workshop to explain how the new draw will operate in practice.