DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Gov. Polis announced Friday that a new state wildlife area is coming soon in Colorado.
The new 1,860-acre wildlife area will be about 60 miles southwest of Denver at Collard Ranch in Park County, surrounding part of Tarryall Creek.
The area will “preserve an important elk migration corridor and five miles of excellent fishing habitat along Tarryall Creek, increasing hunting and fishing opportunities for Coloradans,” according to a press release from CPW.
The Western Rivers Conservancy bought the ranch in December and held it until CPW funding was in place. CPW purchased the land from WRC for $2 million using revenue generated through sales of the $12.15 Habitat Stamp, which hunters and anglers in Colorado buy with a hunting or fishing license. Ownership was officially transferred to CPW last Friday.
Great Outdoors Colorado invested $6.25 million in the Collard Ranch project as part of GOCO’s Centennial Program, which strives to protect and create access to valuable outdoor places for Coloradans.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Gov. Polis announced Friday that a new State Wildlife Area is coming soon near Tarryall Creek in South Park. (Photo: Christi Bode/Western Rivers Conservancy) 
Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Gov. Polis announced Friday that a new State Wildlife Area is coming soon near Tarryall Creek in South Park. (Photo: Christi Bode/Western Rivers Conservancy)
Soon, CPW said hunters, anglers, recreators and wildlife viewers will be able to access the wildlife area with a hunting or fishing license, or with the purchase of a state wildlife area pass.
According to the Western Rivers Conservancy, the ranch is part of a primary route that thousands of Rocky Mountain elk use in their annual migration from high peaks to lower-elevation grasslands.
Along the creek are several beaver ponds, which WRC said are rare on Colorado’s valley floors. The beavers add “vital habitat complexities” by building dams, creating ponds and wetlands and channel structures that improve spawning habitat for fish.
Other wildlife that frequent the area include mule deer and pronghorn.
“The Colorado way of life is deeply rooted in protecting and enjoying the great outdoors,” Gov. Polis said. “By purchasing and protecting this land we are expanding fishing and hunting opportunities for all Coloradans, safeguarding and enhancing the Colorado we love. I look forward to enjoying all the Collard Ranch State Wildlife Area will have to offer once it opens to the public.”
The area will not open as Collard Ranch State Wildlife Area until infrastructure needs and accessibility enhancements are made. CPW did not specify when it plans to open to the public.
