RBC | Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC) has submitted a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request to determine if the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission and the Governor’s office are planning to “fast-track” the reintroduction of wolves into the state.
In an opinion piece on Colorado Politics (https://www.coloradopolitics.com/opinion/opinion-wolf-initiative-will-come-back-to-bite-us/article), AGNC Executive Director Bonnie Petersen said, “It causes grave concerns when we hear wildlife commission members advocating for a plan to introduce new wolves in Colorado circumventing the public process.”
The language on Proposition 114, which passed in November by less than 2%, scheduled reintroduction for 2023, following development of a comprehensive management plan and public input. According to Petersen and other AGNC members, a 2021 implementation is being pursued by the Governor’s office, prompting the CORA request.
AGNC is a council of governments representing Mesa, Garfield, Rio Blanco, Moffat and Routt counties. As of press time Tuesday, Moffat and Garfield county commissioners had expressed their concerns in public meetings.
The next CPW Commission meeting is scheduled for Jan. 13-14, 2021, and will be streamed via YouTube. Wolves are on the agenda beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, with the wolf plan process and timeline proposal and a period for public comment scheduled at 11 a.m.
To provide oral public comment at the virtual meeting, please complete the January 2021 oral public comment sign-up form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ-huKyXtYo-uccGkirnR2XxI7B_B5sCqdNYPxxcd1h-vpJg/viewform?usp=sf_link) by 12 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.
WHO: Colorado Parks & Wildlife Commission
WHAT: Meeting to review wolf plan
WHEN: Jan. 14, 2021 beginning at 8 a.m.
WHERE: livestreamed on YouTube
To submit public comment, complete the oral public comment sign-up form by 12 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8 (link above) or provide comments prior to the meeting via email to [email protected]
