Earlier this week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was cited by Denver-based U.S. District Chief Judge Marcia Krieger for illegally paying for a program that paid hunters to kill dozens of mountain lions and black bears in what many call a questionable program.
Mountain lion photo courtesy of Unsplash
The killings, which the judge said the agency failed to do the required pre-analysis, was an experiment to determine if predators are responsible for the state’s declining mule deer population.
The program, which cost $4 million, was fast-tracked for federal funding in 2016, without environmental studies of what effect it might have on mountain lion and bear populations in the state, or their role in the state’s wildlife ecosystem. An Associated Press story this morning recapped the court decision stops the killings, which took place in the Upper Arkansas River Valley. There was a second Colorado Parks and Wildlife program in northwestern Colorado (the Piceance Basin) that has already ended.
It is true that there is concern about declining mule deer populations which are estimated to account for a significant portion of the state’s $1 billion hunting industry. Since the program was implemented, as many as 15 mountain lions and 25 black bears have been killed each year in an area near Rifle.
The study was to have lasted nine years. The idea was to determine if reducing the number of predators would increase the population of mule deer. But other environmentalists say that the mule deer populations are more likely to have declined because of loss of habitat, oil and gas leasing, the incursion of humans into their normal range, and lack of forage areas.
The funding for the now-canceled program came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Actual numbers of the predators killed don’t appear to be available. The Associated Press was in contact with the Colorado Division of Natural Resources, which oversees Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which hasn’t responded as of publication time.
Salida is off the charts busy. I have lived here for many years. I fear the future.
I wonder if the people who skirted the rules will be punished to the same degree as someone caught hunting or trapping without a license? Probably not…”rules for thee, but not for me”.
Ira Curry’s comment — THANK YOU. I agree completely. Humans have (earlier in our country’s history) eliminated beavers, bison, wolves, etc. Then everyone is outraged when they are going to be re-introduced. “Culling” is a glorified term for hunting. People here shoot anything and everything for sport. You don’t need “trophies” in your living room unless they’re fake gold statues. Anyway, I appreciate what is commented here.
Funny that us humans think we can control much of anything. The reason for declining populations of revenue worthy animals is not bears or mountain lions. It is us, the humans! Simply put, without trying to start a debate, we continue to encroach in many ways. Taking away habitat, fences, roads, you get the idea. Hey, gov. agencies, get over the fantasy and let nature do it’s thing.