elkduds
Well-known member
I'll post this in sections over the next few days. The shiny object commanding all the attention in the meeting was the Data Summary of the Focus Group and hunter surveys concerning Resident/Nonresident big game license allocations, the future of preference points, potential for the return of point banking, and consideration of party point averaging. The memo summarizing potential impacts of the proposed changes should be posted for public review should be posted today on the CPW website/Commission/Sept Meeting. I don't see them, plan to keep watching. In the interim, these powerpoints of the Commission's recent training on license allocation issues are worth a look: https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/CommissionMeeting2022-8.aspx
The survey process and results took up most of the meeting. I have answers and opinions from one of the surveyors, NW Deputy Regional Manager Garret Watson, that I'll post when the Memo shows up.
There was of course a wolf update from program manager Reld DeWalt. The process of gathering advisory input from stakeholder groups and from the technical group of experts from other western wolf reintroduction states is complete. In that process, wolf advocacy groups presented plan revisions, large and small. Those were considered with equal weight to all other public comments. An initial reintroduction Plan will be presented to the Commission during their 12/22/22 meeting.
There will be a live meeting in each region to present the Plan, and a virtual meeting as well, during Jan/Feb 2023. The earliest a release of wolves could occur would be late 2023.Much later if the typical flurry of lawsuits happens. DeWalt anticipates hard releases of 15 or so wolves/year for the first 3 years. Hard release is from the transport cage to wild release with no pen time. He noted wolves rapidly disperse up to 75 miles from release sites, meaning that they will be throughout the mountainous areas of the state east and west of the continental divide despite the law's language limiting wolves to the west slope Native tribes are opposed to wolf reintroduction, which will alter release areas. The Plan is being drafted to manage for impacts, not for total wolf numbers. CPW paid USFWS $1 million to request 10-J designation for wolf management. This designation allows CPW to include harrassment and lethal control methods of managing wolves that would otherwise be illegal for this endangered species. While that plan could eventually include hunting of wolves in CO, the current plan does not propose hunting.
DeWalt noted sportsmen have been barely present at wolf planning meetings, greatly outnumbered by wolf advocates, 10-1. There is no plan for outfitter compensation though wolves will certainly relocate elk herds from their historic ranges. Experts from WY and MT have warned CPW to get ahead of the herd relocation impacts, though the means to do so were not detailed.
Stay tuned, I'll discuss the license preference survey when the Memo is posted . I'll also review the recruitment and appointment of some new RT members, and the diversity emphasis that influences that recruitment.
Finally, some scuttlebutt about suspended CPW Director Prenslow. He was not mentioned formally, in his place was acting Director Heather Dugan. CPW staff I asked have heard "nothing" about the investigation into allegations against the Director stemming from the 4/22 Outdoors Partnership conference. There he made the comment recognizing the black staffer who had mainly organized the conference, using language that she was in the back of the bus because she was at the back of the room. He immediately and profusely apologized. The Governor suspended him and the staffer, who lashed out on Twitter, and an investigation of the episode has them both suspended. The CPW staff who have expressed an opinion to me like and respect Director Prenzlow, and do not understand why they are not informed of developments with their Director.
The survey process and results took up most of the meeting. I have answers and opinions from one of the surveyors, NW Deputy Regional Manager Garret Watson, that I'll post when the Memo shows up.
There was of course a wolf update from program manager Reld DeWalt. The process of gathering advisory input from stakeholder groups and from the technical group of experts from other western wolf reintroduction states is complete. In that process, wolf advocacy groups presented plan revisions, large and small. Those were considered with equal weight to all other public comments. An initial reintroduction Plan will be presented to the Commission during their 12/22/22 meeting.
There will be a live meeting in each region to present the Plan, and a virtual meeting as well, during Jan/Feb 2023. The earliest a release of wolves could occur would be late 2023.Much later if the typical flurry of lawsuits happens. DeWalt anticipates hard releases of 15 or so wolves/year for the first 3 years. Hard release is from the transport cage to wild release with no pen time. He noted wolves rapidly disperse up to 75 miles from release sites, meaning that they will be throughout the mountainous areas of the state east and west of the continental divide despite the law's language limiting wolves to the west slope Native tribes are opposed to wolf reintroduction, which will alter release areas. The Plan is being drafted to manage for impacts, not for total wolf numbers. CPW paid USFWS $1 million to request 10-J designation for wolf management. This designation allows CPW to include harrassment and lethal control methods of managing wolves that would otherwise be illegal for this endangered species. While that plan could eventually include hunting of wolves in CO, the current plan does not propose hunting.
DeWalt noted sportsmen have been barely present at wolf planning meetings, greatly outnumbered by wolf advocates, 10-1. There is no plan for outfitter compensation though wolves will certainly relocate elk herds from their historic ranges. Experts from WY and MT have warned CPW to get ahead of the herd relocation impacts, though the means to do so were not detailed.
Stay tuned, I'll discuss the license preference survey when the Memo is posted . I'll also review the recruitment and appointment of some new RT members, and the diversity emphasis that influences that recruitment.
Finally, some scuttlebutt about suspended CPW Director Prenslow. He was not mentioned formally, in his place was acting Director Heather Dugan. CPW staff I asked have heard "nothing" about the investigation into allegations against the Director stemming from the 4/22 Outdoors Partnership conference. There he made the comment recognizing the black staffer who had mainly organized the conference, using language that she was in the back of the bus because she was at the back of the room. He immediately and profusely apologized. The Governor suspended him and the staffer, who lashed out on Twitter, and an investigation of the episode has them both suspended. The CPW staff who have expressed an opinion to me like and respect Director Prenzlow, and do not understand why they are not informed of developments with their Director.