[COLORADOPOLITICS] Even as officials of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife insist the recent killing of a calf by wolf is not their fault, the relationship with ranchers has soured to the point private landowners have begun considering to restrict state access to their properties, potentially jeopardizing programs that rely on the latter's help.Notably, private landowners play a significant role in the state's conservation work. Indeed, the state's private land program says without that support, "modern-day Colorado's remarkable wildlife abundance — and equally rich hunting and fishing opportunities — simply would not exist."
That support is now in jeopardy.
Last week, as CPW officials maintained they were just trying to do their jobs, a letter from the Yuma County Cattlemen’s Association said ranchers will be less likely to help Colorado Parks and Wildlife and open land to the public because of how the wolf reintroduction transpired.
One or more of the wolves released in Grand County in December — which came from wolf packs in Oregon with a history of killing livestock — killed a calf near Kremmling on April 2. It was the first kill by one of the December wolves, although the predators from Wyoming who moved into Jackson County have already killed at least 16 livestock, sheep, and working dogs.
Commissioner Marie Haskett of Meeker addressed the wolf kill and CPW’s involvement during an April 5 commission meeting. "It's been quiet, but depredation has begun," she said. "I would like to ask people not to blame CPW for the wolf depredations. What we did was mandated (by law)."
Haskett said the wolf introduction was the people's will, adding, "We need everybody to work with us, so please remember that. And don't hold it against CPW. It was just something that we had to do by law."
CPW Director Jeff Davis echoed Haskett, saying, "CPW is just implementing the law" Folks, he said, tend to see the agency as "doing this to them."
I just followed orders isn't a valid defense, bud.
Erin Karney, executive vice president for the Colorado Cattlemen's Association, isn't buying that argument.
Karney said the state agency decided which wolves would be brought to Colorado, including animals that came from packs with a history of killing livestock. As an agency, officials must take responsibility for releasing the wolves, Karney said, adding the officials know wolves are apex predators - that's animals atop the food chain with no natural predators.
Hence, Karney argued, it's not reasonable for agency officials to claim they aren't responsible.
During the April 2 hearing, Davis claimed that wildlife staff have attempted to minimize the conflicts, adding that the agency stands with ranchers "in their anger and their fear."
Goddamn liberal assclowns coming here and fucking up the state even more to make themselves feel better while taxing us into poverty. Fuck Colorado. Sad to see my native state go so downhill and I'm leaving.
