Colorado Sportsmen Look Ahead to Legislative Session, CPW Changes
~Anne Boswell
Colorado Sportsmen are busy this time of year, it's hunting season but many got together this week to talk about what is coming up in the legislative session.
Hosted by Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management, the zoom call had close to 50 in attendance Thursday afternoon.
Representative Ty Winter summarized a recent two day meeting in La Junta he attended of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Commission and said he was disappointed to put it mildly. Winter said the Commissioners didn't want elected leaders who were there to speak and not everyone who signed up to speak got the chance to do so.
Winter added, however, that one of the commissioners on the board made a way for them to have a say, "It was nice to see Commissioner May to, ya know, stand up for the people." Winter said.
"There was some people in that room that weren't happy but at the end of the day, we see a lot going on with this board, so we've got to protect the right to hunt and fish in this state and have to protect the right, ya know for agricultural producers to mitigate damage to their property."
Winter said the most contentious part of the two day meeting was the prairie dog issue that was discussed. Not allowing hunting prairie dogs on public lands that back up to private ranch lands is a problem for ranchers. Prairie dogs often destroy land and bring disease. Many Southeast Colorado ranchers back up to the Comanche grasslands and the Southern Plains Land Trust.
Senator Rod Pelton also attended the Colorado Parks and Wildlife meeting. Pelton is now working on possibly running a bill that would place requirements on those appointed to the CPW board.
"We saw this demonstrated at the CPW commission meeting in La Junta, that there were people on that board, just got put on it through interim appointments that were voting and didn't have their orientation behind them and didn't really know anything other than what the first floor of the state capitol had told them to vote," Pelton said.
Pelton wants the legislation to require those appointed to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission board to require the newly appointed to sit on the board for two months before voting and complete proper training in order to vote.
Pelton finished saying the goal would be to reign in those appointed who might be acting only as activists.
Other updates on the call included Representative Winter previewing that he wants a bill that would make it easier for hunters to donate the meat they harvest.
While Winter said overall the CPW had a productive meeting, he feels that the front range is trying to put rural areas of the state aside. He said he will continue to fight for the sportsmen, farmers, and ranchers in District 47 and throughout the state.
"I think we're on a united front to stop regulation, get the CPW board to be more fair with the sportsmen, and the rural folks and push back on some of this overreach that not only affects the way we recreate in the state but it also affects family business and the way they feed their family."
The Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management's social media page states their mission is to Enhance, Promote and Defend the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and Responsible Wildlife Management.
You can follow their page on updates and dial into the next zoom meeting.
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