Several Outdoor Groups Spoke Out Against Proposed Legislation to Ban Hunting of Mountain Lions
It might be early in the 2022 state legislation session, but one proposed bill has already failed once it was presented to the committee. Once bill SB 22-031 made it to the committee it was voted down after around 100 people showed up to speak against it.
Before the bill (SB 22-031) failed, several groups in the state spoke out against it. Many have said that the bill, which would have banned the hunting of bobcats, lynx, and mountain lions in the state, is another attack on rural communities by urban legislators.
In recent years, rural communities have spoken against legislation that affects citizens where hunting and ranching are major parts of their livelihood. For instance, after the ballot initiative to reintroduce wolves to the state was passed, many members of rural communities spoke out against it saying that wolves could put more livestock and wildlife populations at risk.
Details of the Proposed SB 22-031
If the new proposed bill made it through the committee, and got signed into law, it would have made it illegal to hunt bobcats, lynx, and mountain lions within the state. Currently, a certain amount of mountain lions are allowed to be hunted, but the number of tags given is strictly controlled by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Division (CPW). Those wishing to hunt the predators must also get a special license and pass a course specifically for mountain lion and bobcat hunting, while hunting lynx is illegal in the state.
If the bill passed, anyone caught killing a mountain lion, bobcat or lynx could have been charged with a misdemeanor. If convicted, the violator could face between $500 and $2,000 worth of fines and sentenced to up to one year in jail.
The bill gave some exceptions when the animals are killed by a peace officer or licensed veterinarian acting in the scope of their duties. The only way private citizens could have killed or trapped the predators, if the law was passed, was if it was “immediately necessary to protect an individual from bodily harm.” There was also an exemption for ranchers that stated they could only kill or trap the animals on land they own or lease if it is immediately necessary to protect livestock and further livestock loss.
Proponents of the New Bill
The bill was brought up by Democrat State Senators Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Joann Ginal, as well as Democrat State Representatives Judy Amabile and Monica Duran. The bill saw significantly more opposition from leaders across the state than it did support.
In fact, when entering the bill into a search engine there are several posts asking people to oppose the proposed bill. There weren’t, however, any sites of organizations speaking out in support of the new legislation found at all.
According to the Teller County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dan Williams, most of the people who attended the legislative sessions have spoken out against the proposed bill. He said that he had not heard of anyone or any group that has supported the new legislation.
However, according to Representative Amabile, she originally sponsored the bill because she thought it would be something her constituents wanted. But then, after the bill was introduced she pulled her sponsorship because she didn’t think all of the necessary work had been done to bring it to the table.
Amabile said that the National Humane Society has been a “big driver of the bill.” “I think there is widespread support for the idea that trophy hunting is inhumane,” the state house representative said. “But, the counter argument is of course that we need to do something to manage wildlife because human beings have completely interrupted the natural order of things and now it’s irresponsible for us to just walk away. But are there more humane ways to manage the balance? That is kind of the question and I have a lot of constituents who are very upset with me for taking my name off the bill.”
According to Williams, by the end of January, three of the four sponsors of the bill withdrew their sponsorship after hearing so many people speak out against it. Senator Ginal has since taken her name off of the bill’s website as being a sponsor. Senator Jaquez Lewis was the only legislator to remain a sponsor of the bill which sent it to the committee.
New Bill Draws Criticism from all Rural Communities
During a Teller County Commissioners meeting on Jan. 13, all three of the leaders of the rural county had a lot to say in opposition to the bill. The general consensus was that the bill gets in the way of the work CPW does to control wild animal populations.
“I happen to be a hunter, but it’s not really a hunting issue,” the Teller County Board of Commissioners Chairman said. “We look at it as a sort of urban idea for what has been a rural issue. The bottom line for us is that we trust CPW. There is a lot of intensive management done by the division of wildlife’s biologists of our predators in Colorado. The system isn’t broken.”
Williams said that it is already illegal to hunt lynx in the state, so he is not sure why that animal was added to the hunting ban list. As for mountain lions and bobcats, the board chairman said that hunting of the animals is strictly controlled.
“The CPW only allows for very small numbers of bobcats and mountain lions to be hunted,” Williams said. “The number of animals that CPW allows to be hunted are based biology and science. As we know, they are apex creatures, so the numbers have to be controlled by something.”
Williams said that he and other county commissioners from rural areas fought to make sure that the bill died in the committee especially since three of the four sponsors of the bill pulled out. The county commissioners were applauded for their efforts to represent Teller County and speak against the bill.
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