§ 33-11-102 — Legislative declaration

Colorado § 33-11-102

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 33: Parks and
• Art.: Recreational Trails

Text

(1) In order to provide for the greatly
increasing outdoor needs of a rapidly expanding Colorado population for public
access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the out-of-doors areas
of Colorado and for the conservation, development, and use of natural resources
against fire and other natural and geological hazards, it is hereby declared to be the
public policy of this state and among the purposes of this article to: Increase the
accessibility and encourage the use of such natural resources by the residents of
this state and by nonresidents; provide opportunity for the development of public
and private facilities for persons visiting and utilizing the natural resources of this
state; encourage an increase in riding, hiking, bicycling, and other compatible
recreational activities as influences for the improvement of the health and welfare
of the people; and to provide for the needs of specialized recreational motor
vehicles. It is recognized that joint simultaneous trail use by motorized and
nonmotorized interests may at times be incompatible, and it is the intent of this
article to provide separate trails and facilities for each of such motorized and
nonmotorized interests, when feasible.

(2) To implement the provisions of subsection (1) of this section and as
additional purposes of this article, the state may: Establish and maintain trails on a
statewide basis to connect, when feasible and practical, the units of the parks and
outdoor recreation system, federal recreational lands, and other trails systems;
perpetuate and provide the use of and access to regions and trails of special or
historic interest within the state; assist local governments in serving the
requirements of the urban and other population centers of the state; encourage the
multiple use of public rights-of-way and utilize to the fullest extent the existing and
future scenic roads, highways, parkways, and federally administered trails where
feasible as recreational trails; encourage the development and maintenance of
recreational trails by counties, cities, and special improvement districts and assist
in such development and maintenance by all means available; coordinate trail plans
and development among legal jurisdictions and with the state and federal
governments; encourage, when possible, the development of trails on federal lands
by the federal government; and promote at all levels of government a more
complete use of all or any portion of public property for recreational purposes.

(3) A further purpose of this article is to promote the establishment and
operation of a statewide network of trails, to be known as the Colorado greenway
trails system, along and between the state's lakes, streams, or reservoirs linking
cities, towns, communities, and river basins. The Colorado greenway trails system
shall be established and operated in a manner that promotes recreational
opportunities along lakes, streams, or reservoirs, that provides access to and is a
part of an integrated trail system, that protects water rights and real property
rights, and that minimizes conflicts between recreationists and others to minimize
adverse impacts on natural features and sensitive habitats.

Legislative History

Source: L. 84: Entire article added, p. 888, � 2, effective January 1, 1985. L. 90: (3) added, p. 1533, � 1, effective May 29.