I've contacted all of the committee members along with my House Rep. So far, two firm "no's" on this bill (both R's), one "still waiting for the full details" (D), and one "thanks for contacting and if you want to testify, please use this link ...." (D, Committee Chair). We'll see if any of the Dems actually consider their constituent's voices. The committee chair is from a very rural district that should have a strong hunting heritage. Hopefully her district speaks up for sanity. Not optimistic however given her past votes.
HB-1258 Scientific Wildlife Management
- Thread starter Oak
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bayoublaster7527
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Gonna bump this again, HB 25-1258 gets committee hearing tomorrow. Get your calls, emails, testimony in.
Updated HOWL link below:
www.howlforwildlife.org
Updated HOWL link below:
CALL Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee
HB 25-1258 proposes changing Colorado’s longstanding statutory language so that hunting and angling would merely be optional methods of managing wildlife rather than mandatory primary tools. It also requires CPW to rely on the undefined “best available science,” opening the door for politicized...
www.howlforwildlife.org
Thankfully this bill was defeated 10-3 in committee. Lots of great fact based testimony from the many opponents that spoke. The lack of clarity on who defines "best science" and the risk of extensive litigation from outside anti-hunting groups that could challenge on those grounds really helped sway a large number of Democratic committee members. There was nearly universal agreement that CPW already uses best available science in their management decisions so this bill really added nothing to their toolbox. One of the few positive wins for hunters in Colorado.
The two sponsors, Rep. Tammy Story and Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, and Rep. Mandy Lindsay.
What was mildly frustrating was that CPW was "neutral" on the bill. There were at least three (maybe four) former CPW Commissioners that testified against the bill and provided a lot of additional info and context during the Q&A session. Shout out to them and the reps from RMEF, BHA, and one other hunter/rancher focused org that escapes me at the moment.
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