Wildlife and wildlife-related recreation define Colorado – the serenity of a flock of geese in flight, the majesty of herds of elk, the springtime gobble of wild turkeys are all emblematic of the natural abundance this state enjoys.
In the fall when the crisp air and shorter days signal the instinctive rituals of migration and breeding season, our unique tie to wildlife and wild places touches our very core.
Interestingly, viewing wild animals in their natural habitat is something that most citizens take for granted.
However, a mere century ago it was only through the hard work, determination and vision of a dedicated group of hunter conservationists that as a nation we reversed the downward spiral of all wildlife populations.
Today, many of Colorado’s wild places and the wildlife that depend on them are facing new challenges from development to climate change to loss of relevance in our rapidly changing society.
Hunter conservationists remain the driving force behind most wildlife management and still fund the lion’s share of conservation efforts.
Protecting our rich hunting tradition and heritage will ensure continued abundance of wildlife populations, and help sustain the most successful model of wildlife conservation the world has ever known – the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
This fall, as the elk bugle and the geese fly, Governor Bill Ritter, Senators Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar, and Congressman Mark Udall have an opportunity to help perpetuate this model and play an active role in planning for the next century of wildlife conservation.
Prompted by a Presidential executive order aimed at enhancing our great hunting and conservation heritage, the first national wildlife policy planning process in more than thirty years is underway.
Leaders from many of the nation’s most respected wildlife conservation organizations together with state and federal wildlife managers and other experts in the field have outlined the extraordinary challenges and issues facing wildlife and hunting today.
They have also identified potential solutions to address these issues and have participated in the formulation of a draft action plan. The final product will be a ten-year action plan that will define a comprehensive strategy for local, state, tribal and federal wildlife conservation management.
Senators Allard and Salazar and Congressman Udall are all members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, and, along with Governor Ritter, are respected leaders on natural resources and wildlife conservation. It is time for them to once again lead from the front and help craft this plan.
With their help we can all look forward to a final plan that it is non-partisan by design and will therefore succeed no matter who is in the White House or in control of Congress or the state house.
This October 2nd and 3rd, our Governor and members of Congress have been invited to attend the White House Conference on North American Wildlife Policy in Reno, Nevada.
In addition, they have been invited to attend the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation briefing in Washington, DC on September 16th. Both meetings will give them the opportunity to be actively engaged in determining the future of wildlife conservation.
Success for Colorado’s wildlife and wild landscapes will be a thoughtful plan that has input from and is embraced by a broad and diverse group of individuals, organizations and agencies that took the time to help craft it. I sincerely hope that Governor Ritter, Senators Allard and Salazar and Congressman Udall are part of that process.
Peter J. Dart was President & CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation until June 2007. He is a member of the Sporting Conservation Council, a federal advisory committee to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior. He lives in Boulder.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
