DENVER — Fees that support Colorado Backcountry Search and Rescue , or BSAR, will increase from 25 cents to $1.25 to expand funding for the state's volunteer search and rescue teams.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced the change on Thursday afternoon. The increased fees will apply to wildlife licenses, as well as boat, snowmobile and off-highway vehicle registrations.

The fee was initially 25 cents — a price that was set in 1987. It has not changed since then.

CPW called the new reimbursement fee of $1.25 a "necessary step" to keep up with an increase in backcountry calls for help, account inflation, and more rescues and recoveries that are highly technical and risky. Plus, the overall cost of SAR operations, necessary equipment and training, and administration has gone up.

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