Need CPW inspection solutions!!

Yeah I agree there's a major problem with the powers that be preventing us from boating for way too much of the season. Some of the most popular lakes in the state are closed to boating for a month or more after ice out in recent seasons, and others close for the season two months prior to the lake freezing over. I saw one lake up by Leadville got stocked the last week of Aug, then closed to boating for the season on 1 Sep. Meanwhile, lakes up in Walden county are open for boating without any AIS inspections required. Seems they either need to do a better job of making AIS inspections available throughout the open water season, or allow boating without AIS inspections when not available. I'd be willing to pay $40 or $50 for my inspection pass instead of $30, if they kept the lakes open for more of the year. Not sure how we protest or make enough of a stink about this for the state to care or do anything...

This doesn't offer a solution to your question but I can say I don't use my boat in Colorado anymore. Wy only. Inspections are so simple and once your in the state it's done!

A simple solution that wouldn't require inspectors at every lake would be to set up regional inspection stations where you could go and get your boat inspected and sealed before going to the lake. Drop your seal in a lock box at the lake when you launch, and make it a very expensive fine if you get caught on the water without dropping a seal in the lock box.
They wouldn't even have to be dedicated inspection stations. Train any employee at the county sheriff's office or court house and let them inspect and seal your boat right there in the parking lot.

I believe the inspections are managed by various entities. For example Larimer County manages Carter and Horsetooth reservoirs. They get money from the state and manage inspections as they see fit. Boyd is managed by CPW. I agree that it is frustrating as a boater. I agree that Wyoming does a better job.

Welcome to the new CPW where catering to virtue signaling pinko bags is more important than the hunters and anglers who pay their salaries.

Here's a link to a CPW web page where you can find information about speaking at a CPW Commission meeting.

[log in for link]

There's also information on creating a citizen petition to modify or remove an existing regulation, or create a new regulation.

I'd be happy with the inspection stations posted at the entrance of each park and if you don't leave the park you don't have to get redundant inspections.

Man, "virtue signaling pinko bags"??? Sure is a lot of Hate and Anger being directed at CPW.

Maybe a day of fishing would help!

^^ lol thats not hate and anger.. that's just Coyute being Coyute. 😁 He musta been a military guy... it's our "I like you" language ask SGM

I found there is a citizen commision board for cpw and actually most of the people on the board surprisingly look like reasonable people to me. I saw you can submit suggested changes to the board prior to meetings. This seems like the best path and I believe someone suggested that as well.
I like to believe that maybe they aren't aware of concerns and they can't be fixed if they don't know about them.
What frustrates me is when I speak to inspectors it is always stated it is a money issue, but I see 2 - 4 people doing basically doing nothing for much of the year and the job could easily be done by one person and extend the year and/ or hours. Or maybe stop building/staffing big visitor centers that parks survived lots of years without and instead fix toilets and keep boat ramps open.
The other option I think would be to train many of the other people driving around the parks just enforcing rules to do inspections and you just call them up when you need to get on/off the lake. Think UBER inspector.
I'll try submitting suggestions and see what happens. Others should do the same.

CPW should have an option for boat owners to pay a fee for a boat inspection course, thus enabling them to be permitted to self-inspect their vessels. Many responsible boat owners do this already. Give us a "certified inspector card" or something like that. This could generate money for more staff at the ramps, while also removing some pressure from CPW. Maybe if CPW didn't spend who knows how much money on ridiculous things like electric car charging stations at the visitor center down in John Martin. Who decided that was a good idea?

I hear that! It is very frustrating, especially at Stagecoach. They have staff there 24/7. We used to be able to go to the ranger station and get a boat inspection if there was no one at the ramp. Did you know that they actually have a little apartment in that building for the rangers so they are always staffed! I think that they should be able to do boat inspections at a more reasonable time at least?