Colorado Wildlife Federation
Bills CWF has testified on or is tracking:
New bill was introduced on March 19 to prevent motor vehicle collisions and protect Colorado’s wildlife (HB 2025-1303). Numerous organizations including CWF have been working intensively and effectively for several months to gain this bill. The bill will be scheduled for hearing in the Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee. Here is the press release
CWF testified in support of the bill to continue the Colorado Habitat Stamp program (SB25-049). It is a clean bill that will remove the sunset and continue this important program indefinitely. The program began in 2006 and has operated smoothly, investing funds generated from the annual purchase of the habitat stamps into strategic investments to benefit wildlife habitat and access to habitats through landowner conservation easements, public easements and fee title transfers. The bill passed out of the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on a 6-1 vote, passed the Senate and is now in the House.
CWF testified in support of local government review of fencing projects on Sangre de Cristo land grant lands in the San Luis Valley that are planned to be at least five feet in height and exceed a specified length. (HB 25-1023). Although CWF traditionally does not weigh in on private property matters, this bill is important as local government review would likely enable elk, deer and pronghorn on these lands to continue safely crossing fences that lie along their established local migration routes and habitats. The bill passed out of the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resource Committee on a 11-2 vote. The bill Passed the House and has been introduced in the Senate, assigned to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
Another bill we are tracking would classify bison that wander into Colorado from Utah as big game (SB 25-053). Currently, all bison are classified as agriculture. The first hearing is not set before the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. CWF will support the bill IF amendments proposed by the Department of Natural Resources are adopted in committee. The hearing is scheduled for March 20.
“Scientific Wildlife Management” (HB 25-1258) was introduced in the House and is set for hearing on March 6. CWF opposed the bill. The bill was tabled indefinitely after losing in committee March 6. CWF strongly supports the use of sound science in Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) administration of wildlife management. Unfortunately, this bill is a thinly veiled bill aimed at reducing Colorado’s long history of utilizing hunting and angling as a primary wildlife management tool by changing the requirement that CPW “shall” use hunting and angling as a wildlife management tool to a reduced standard of “may.” It undercuts CPW’s ability to determine what constitutes the best available science and to use their own data and research. Currently, CPW faces no limitations on its ability to use a wide range of wildlife management tools for the benefit of all of Colorado’s wildlife including threatened and endangered species. The bill does not specify what constitutes best available science nor who shall make that determination. It does not recognize the value of data collected and interpreted by CPW’s professional field biologists and researchers. The bill could inadvertently stifle advancement of wildlife science and the application of scientific hypothesis. The best available science available today was only an idea yesterday. Reducing the role of hunter and angler harvest may result in revenue losses to CPW, which is largely funded by license sales.