New Southwest Region Office and Durango Service Center

CPW is currently seeking public input regarding construction of the new Southwest Region Office and Durango Service Center. See below for more information and to share input by the deadline of January 31, 2025.

CPW will begin construction of a co-located Southwest Region office with the Durango (Area 15) Wildlife Customer Service Center on the Durango Fish Hatchery property in 2025.

The new facility will provide adequate office space for CPW’s Durango customer service center, area wildlife office, and regional CPW administrative staff. It will also create meeting space that is not currently available at any of the Durango CPW offices. Additionally, the project will increase available parking on the property to better meet the needs of both staff as well as the public visiting the customer service center, hatchery, and museum.

Public input on the proposal is being accepted via the survey tool below through January 31, 2025.

Project Scope

The proposed CPW Southwest Regional Office Complex project is located at 151 E. 16th St. in Durango, CO. The proposed building consists of a two story structure totaling 9,621 gross square feet on the existing Durango Fish Hatchery and Durango Wildlife Museum’s 9-acre property. The project will include construction of the new Southwest Region Office building, associated parking and drainage facilities, associated utility services, existing utility relocations, and improvements to the 16th Street access drive.

Project Funding

Sixty percent of this construction project will be funded through a grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). This Federal Aid is provided by the Office of Conservation Investment (CI) through the Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson PR Act) of 1937 which comes from manufacturer taxes on ammunition, firearms, and archery equipment. The current Southwest Region Office is a temporary, modular annex that lacks parking, storage, and efficient place for game checks. This funding will allow CPW to provide a permanent space for customers to purchase hunting and fishing licenses, have game checked, and provide adequate parking for both customers and staff.

Project Objective

The Durango Area 15 Wildlife Office has been located in the original 1,000 square foot hatchery superintendent residence for the past 40 years. Currently, 16 full-time staff plus seasonal hires share offices and hallways converted to workspaces. The Southwest Region staff moved from the hatchery offices to a “temporary” facility at Bodo State Wildlife Area in 2004. In 2014, a modular annex was added to the property to serve as additional temporary office space for the region staff and a conference room. This facility serves 17 full-time employees and has only 12 parking spaces, which is especially problematic when there is any kind of meeting that includes non-region staff.

The new facility will provide a single location with adequate office space for the current staff for CPW operations in the Durango area, alleviating public confusion of multiple locations and allowing for a more efficient work environment while reducing the need to rent meeting space at locations around town.

This project proposes removal of the current Area Wildlife Customer Service Center that was originally the hatchery manager’s residence prior to a new one being constructed in 1978, after which the building was converted to the Durango Area Wildlife Office. Access to the public office was problematic as the structure has a semi-basement, with the main level being accessible only via stairs to the front porch. In 2007, an aluminum ADA access ramp was constructed. This ramp is functional but difficult to maintain, especially in winter when later hunting seasons are active, and is far from aesthetically pleasing on a campus that is focused on natural resource management.

Preserving History

The property is historic in nature, given that the hatchery is the oldest state-owned hatchery in Colorado and has been in operation for around 100 years. During construction, the Durango Wildlife Museum will be preserved, with all significant defining features of the building retained. The museum is the original hatchery building built in the late 19th century.

The Durango Area Wildlife Office building, while old, is not functional as a public-facing CPW property. The structure has been subject to several exterior updates, although the interior is not practical for necessary access for the public as well as for CPW staff. CPW and contractors, funded through the USFWS, are working with the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to ensure the preservation of historic properties that contribute to our nation and state's history. Based on this coordination, a plan is being drafted to identify the best course of action to protect the historic nature of the Durango Fish Hatchery property.

Disturbance will be limited to previously disturbed areas, and necessary precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of the public and historic properties during construction work.

Cultural Resource Surveys and Analysis

ERO Resources Corporation is completing a cultural/architectural historic resource impact study under their State of Colorado permit according to standards and procedures defined by USFWS and the Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP/SHPO).

Public Feedback

CPW is inviting the public to provide input on this proposed project and is taking feedback at this time. Public input will help inform the draft Environmental Assessment (draft EA) and can be submitted through the survey tool below through January 31, 2025. Once the draft EA is published, the Fish and Wildlife Service will have a 30-day comment period open for additional input.