Oct 2 - Eighty Wildlife Experts Endorse Bill
A bipartisan, statewide coalition of more than eighty former Colorado Division of Wildlife officials and employees have endorsed Bill Ritter for governor because of his support for sportsmen and his plans to protect Colorado’s great outdoors. The coalition includes the three most recent directors of the Division of Wildlife and six previous wildlife commissioners.
In addition, a group of Colorado wildlife biologists have released a sharply critical analysis of Congressman Beauprez's "elk relocation plan," which proposes to change wildlife migration patterns to allow for additional oil-and-gas drilling. The analysis has been submitted to newspapers across Colorado.
"We believe the future of wildlife and wildlife habitat is at a critical crossroads and it is time to chart a course that will bring more balance to Colorado's natural resource decisions," the endorsement letter states. "We want a Colorado Governor who understands the issues facing wildlife and wildlife habitat and has a sound conservation ethic."
"We think Mr. Ritter represents the right road for wildlife and wildlife habitat and is the best choice for Governor of Colorado and for the future of Colorado’s wildlife heritage," the letter states.
Ritter said he is honored to have the backing of so many well-respected wildlife leaders. "As a native Coloradan and an avid fisherman, I will serve as a stubborn steward of our land, air and water," Ritter said. "Hunters, anglers, and conservationists are critical to our way of life and our quality of life in Colorado. The people who have signed this letter have devoted their lives to wildlife conservation, and I will continue to draw on their expertise as governor."
The critique of Beauprez's "habitat initiative" was written by John W. Seidel, a retired Glenwood Springs Department of Wildlife Manager; Bob Elderkind, a former Bureau of Land Management range conservationist; and Dennis Bechler, a retired U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service mitigation specialist.
These wildlife experts found Beauprez’s plan deeply flawed: it ignores accepted habitat and wildlife recovery practices; its funding mechanisms are "wishful thinking;" and it expects wildlife to suddenly change thousands of years of migration patterns virtually overnight, rather than changing the way oil and gas companies drill in wildlife habitat.
"We are concerned about the cavalier 'plant it and they will come' attitude of Beauprez's habitat initiative. We know from experience that it is very difficult to create new, high quality big game habitat. … Also, it is difficult to get displaced animals to locate to new or improved habitats once they are in place, especially migration routes."
Click here to read the complete endorsement letter from statewide wildlife experts.
- Bill Haggerty, haggerty20@bresnan.net, 970.245.7208, Grand Junction.
- Gordon East, eastgp@aol.com, 303.465.3104, Westminster.
- Eddie Kochman, eddiekochman@aol.com, eddiekochman@msn.com, 303.457.1532, Northglenn.
Contact information:
Click here to read the complete analysis of Congressman Beauprez's flawed habitat plan.
For more on Ritter’s wildlife and outdoor plans, please read "The Colorado Promise." (PDF file format requires Abobe Acrobat Reader.)
Read an additional article about Bill's support among outdoor enthusiasts:
- Greeley Tribune: (AP story) Oct 3 - Conservationists keep spotlight on environment in governor’s race
- Rocky Mountain News: Oct 3 - Dentry: Conservation establishment is assisting Ritter
- Rocky Mountain News: Oct 2 - Ritter reaches out on outdoors
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