By Kris Hess
Hunting has been in the crosshairs across the state of Colorado in the past few years, with aggressive political challenges to both the scientific management of wildlife and access for hunters and anglers.
A recent example of this overreach might be changing, but anyone who hunts should be watching the Boulder County Commissioners and what associating hunting with threats to public safety can do to public access. On May 7, the Boulder County Commissioners will reopen debate on their Nov. 2022 Resolution 2022-096 to close the Sugarloaf area to the discharge of firearms, which also halted hunting with gun or bow. This closure encompasses about 12 square miles of land west of the City of Boulder and includes a mix of private, county, United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. This decision was made even though the overwhelming majority of complaints documented by Boulder County Sherriff were outside of legal hunting seasons.
I and the other members of the Colorado Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers do not believe that this resolution complies with federal law for the closure of federal lands to hunting. In the landmark conservation legislation known as the Dingell Act, it clearly states that “federal land shall be open to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting, in accordance with applicable law, unless the Secretary concerned closes an area.”
The United States Forest Service also contends that county-level enforcement of a hunting ban conflicts with the National Resources Management Act and with the procedure the Secretary of Agriculture must follow as laid out in the Dingell Act, which includes consultation with state fish and wildlife agencies and public scoping. Boulder County’s closure failed to take into account existing federal law, and this particular overreach has ramifications beyond just hunting access, including setting the precedent of county control over how federal lands are used.
I believe this is an access issue for our public lands. Hunting in Colorado requires high-quality habitat and access to those areas during our staggered hunting seasons. For many of the hunters who seek to put food on the table for their families during the hunting season, public access is a prime concern. Proper use of our shared public lands, waters and wildlife is a core part of being an ethical hunter or angler, but proper use also means that hunting or angling can happen on public lands where scientific management practices allow.
The Boulder County Commission made a decision that rejects scientific management practices and uses too broad a brush to paint hunting as a “safety concern,” which is not the case. Ethical hunters understand the importance of safety, of taking one great shot over a few good ones, and harvesting animals to feed their families. The sportsmen and sportswomen with Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are concerned that our elected officials are associating hunting with danger, and frankly, we disagree.
Tell the Boulder County Commissioners that hunting on federal lands should not be banned. Tune in to the May 7 Boulder County Commission meeting or send a letter to the commissioners ([email protected]). If you would like to learn more on how to fight for wildlife habitat and hunting access look up Backcountry Hunters and Anglers or come join us at any one of our events across Colorado.
Kris Hess is a member of the Colorado Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Hess lives in Nederland.
