DENVER, COLORADO — Colorado Parks and Wildlife will quadruple the small fee that helps pay for backcountry rescues, a change expected to send millions of new dollars to the state’s all-volunteer search and rescue system after decades of mounting strain.
Starting Jan. 1, the Colorado Backcountry Search and Rescue (BSAR) surcharge on wildlife licenses and boat, snowmobile and off-highway vehicle registrations will jump from 25 cents to $1.25, the first increase since the program was created in 1987, CPW announced this week in a news release. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
According to reporting by The Colorado Sun, that extra dollar is expected to generate about $2 million more each year for the statewide Backcountry Search and Rescue Fund — a six-fold boost over what the fee and related charges currently bring in. (The Colorado Sun)
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A big shift for a system built by volunteers
Colorado is home to roughly 50 county-based search and rescue organizations, all of them staffed by unpaid volunteers who respond to calls at all hours and in all conditions.
A 2022 study commissioned by Colorado Parks and Wildlife found that about 2,500–2,800 backcountry search and rescue volunteers collectively handle around 3,600 incidents each year — more missions than any other state. (9News) Many of those calls now involve technical terrain, winter conditions or complex medical evacuations.
To stay ready, each volunteer spends an estimated $2,000–$2,500 of their own money every year on gear, training and travel, adding up to roughly $5 million that individuals quietly invest out of pocket.
That doesn’t include the “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in team operating costs for trucks, radios, avalanche equipment and rescue sleds. (Summit Daily)
“We’re constantly amazed by the dedicated volunteer search-and-rescue professionals across Colorado,” Backcountry Search and Rescue program manager Perry Boydstun said in CPW’s news release, noting that teams need reliable funding to equip members and keep them safe.
The statewide Colorado Search and Rescue Association — which represents those local teams — has pushed for a fee increase for decades. Executive director Jeff Sparhawk told The Colorado Sun that “we’ve been discussing this fee bump since the ’90s” and credited a coalition of legislators, sheriffs, CPW staff and volunteer responders for finally getting it across the finish line. (The Colorado Sun)
Why now? A system flagged as “at risk”
The fee hike doesn’t come out of nowhere. In 2021, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 21-245 directing CPW to study the sustainability of Colorado’s backcountry rescue system and recommend reforms.
That 111-page study documented burnout, underfunding and legal gaps around worker protections. If unresolved, it warned, any one of those issues could lead to a breakdown of the system. A subsequent law in 2022 moved the Search and Rescue Fund from the Department of Local Affairs into CPW and gave the agency new authority to manage funding and provide workers’ compensation for injured rescuers.
The new BSAR surcharge is one of the most visible outcomes of that reform push. Under Senate Bill 22-168, CPW is allowed a one-time jump above the old 25-cent cap; from here on out, the fee can only be adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index.
In practical terms, that means this winter’s decision will likely set the baseline for search and rescue funding for a generation.
Free: Complete Colorado 14ers Planner
Every peak. Every trailhead. Every detail: in one spreadsheet.
- All 58 peaks ranked beginner to expert
- Safety notes and seasonal windows for each
- Route difficulty, mileage, and prep tips
How the new money fits with Keep Colorado Wild and SAR cards
Until now, the 25-cent surcharge on licenses and registrations has generated about $500,000–$600,000 annually for the Backcountry Search and Rescue Fund. (Post Independent) That money reimburses sheriffs and SAR teams for mission costs and is shared among teams at year’s end for equipment and training.
In 2023, the state layered on a second revenue stream: the Keep Colorado Wild Pass, an optional $29 add-on to vehicle registrations that functions as a parks pass. A portion of that money — up to $2.5 million each year — is earmarked for search and rescue and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
In September, CPW announced it had distributed $2.25 million in BSAR funding to 36 counties, largely powered by Keep Colorado Wild Pass revenue plus the existing 25-cent surcharge and sales of Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue (CORSAR) cards. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
The new $1 increase on the surcharge will sit on top of those sources. If revenue projections hold, SAR teams could see total state support in the range of $4–5 million per year when Keep Colorado Wild and CORSAR card contributions are included — closer to, but still below, what volunteers currently spend personally.
From a backcountry user’s perspective, most people will never notice the change. The higher surcharge gets baked into the cost of a hunting or fishing license, a boat registration or an OHV sticker. There’s no separate bill at the counter, and, crucially, no change to the long-standing policy that rescuers do not charge people for backcountry rescue in Colorado.
Who pays — and who benefits
One of the quirks of the BSAR surcharge is who ends up footing the bill. Right now, the fee applies primarily to people who buy wildlife licenses or register motorized craft. Many hikers, trail runners and backcountry skiers — who generate a significant share of SAR calls — don’t hold those licenses.
To broaden participation, CPW also sells standalone Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue cards, better known as CORSAR cards. A current card provides eligibility for mission reimbursement from the state fund and helps finance training and equipment, but it does not cover medical transport or helicopter evacuation.
According to CPW’s BSAR program page, the cards currently cost $5 for one year or $20 for five years when purchased directly through the agency. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
The statewide Colorado Search and Rescue Association notes that SAR teams also depend heavily on direct donations and local fundraising, from community events to online campaigns.
That mix of funding — a small statewide surcharge, a newer vehicle pass, voluntary cards and grassroots donations — means the people most likely to be rescued aren’t always the ones paying for readiness. Still, from the perspective of SAR leaders, even a small per-license increase spreads costs across the broader outdoor community that depends on rescues as a safety net.
Free: Complete Colorado 14ers Planner
Every peak. Every trailhead. Every detail: in one spreadsheet.
- All 58 peaks ranked beginner to expert
- Safety notes and seasonal windows for each
- Route difficulty, mileage, and prep tips
Will the fee hike fix SAR funding?
The short answer: It’s a big step, but not a cure-all.
Call volume keeps climbing. Growth in outdoor recreation, social media-driven adventure objectives and population increases along the Front Range have pushed mission numbers steadily higher. The 3,600-incident annual figure used in CPW’s 2022 study is already several years old.
Volunteer costs remain high. Even with better equipment grants, volunteers still buy boots, technical clothing, avalanche gear and fuel — expenses that add up quickly when they’re training 100–300 hours a year. (Engage CPW)
Teams need stability, not just spikes. Leaders interviewed in past coverage have stressed that predictable, multi-year funding is essential for long-term investments like rescue trucks, radios and mental-health support programs.
The BSAR fee increase will give county sheriffs and SAR teams more breathing room in their budgets and may reduce the need to pass the hat in their communities every year just to replace aging equipment. But teams and advocates say it still doesn’t fully compensate rescuers for the personal financial and emotional toll of the work.
How you can support Colorado’s search and rescue volunteers
Colorado’s SAR system is built on volunteers who respond so that others may live. The new BSAR fee will help, but it doesn’t replace the need for individual support. If you recreate in the Colorado backcountry — or simply value knowing help is there if you need it — you can take two concrete steps today:
Buy a Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue (CORSAR) card.
Purchase a card through Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Backcountry Search and Rescue Program page:
https://cpw.state.co.us/backcountry-search-and-rescue-programOpt in to the Keep Colorado Wild Pass when you register your vehicle.
Learn how the pass supports search and rescue, state parks and wildlife programs at:
https://cpw.state.co.us/keep-colorado-wild-pass
Together with staying prepared and speaking up for sustainable funding, those small actions help ensure Colorado’s volunteer rescuers have the gear, training and support they need — long after this year’s fee increase fades from the headlines.
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