DENVER — More of Colorado’s state trust lands will open to hunters and anglers starting the first of September.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said last week that about 77,200 acres will be added to the 480,000 acres of state trust lands currently open to hunting and fishing from September through February. The expansion is part of a plan to eventually make 1 million acres of the state lands available to sportsmen and women.

The announcement by CPW follows years of efforts to make more state lands accessible. A recent analysis by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and onX, a Montana-based digital mapping company, found that only 20 percent of Colorado’s 2.8 million acres of trust lands are open to the public, setting it apart from other Western states.

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In June, the state Parks and Wildlife Commission and the State Land Board approved a plan to open more state trust lands to hunting and fishing. The additional acreage is in eastern Colorado. The goal is to open another 200,000 acres by September 2020 and more in 2021.

Read the full story from the Denver Post here.