New venue, same nonsense with proposed fur ban | OPINION – Colorado Politics

Print Edition
By Dan Gates
Animal rights activists have introduced a new petition to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to ban the sale of fur in Colorado. Regardless of when commissioners take a formal vote on the petition — either at their March 4 & 5 Denver meetings or their May 6 & 7 Grand Junction meetings — it’s clear that science-based wildlife management and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (NAM) are once again under attack.
After the results of the last election cycle, one might have thought reckless wildlife proposals were in Colorado’s rearview mirror. The 2024 General Election saw citizens reject Proposition 127, a proposed ban on big cat hunting, by a ten-point margin. Even at the municipal level, about 60% of Denver voters denied Initiated Ordinance 308, which was materially the same as this new fur ban before the CPW Commission, with the only major difference being in scope. 
Like many Coloradans, the resounding defeats of Proposition 127 and Ordinance 308 — both of which were severely lacking in scientific evidence — made me optimistic that our state had turned over a new leaf when it came to wildlife management. In rejecting these two proposals, voters made it abundantly clear that science-based management practices should be the guiding voice in Colorado’s conservation efforts. While the animal rights groups backing these proposals incessantly argued that wildlife management issues should be decided by the will of the people, the people respectfully chose to abide by the NAM’s foundational principle of upholding science to inform wildlife-management decisions. One might hope these activists would finally take the hint and stop trying to impose radical wildlife policies that our communities don’t want.
Unfortunately, animal rights activists only seem to care about the will of the people when it’s convenient for them. Instead of letting the results of Proposition 127 and Ordinance 308 stand, they have made the calculated decision to subvert the will of voters by sneaking a fur ban through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission unbeknownst to a vast majority of Colorado’s electorate.
It’s important to note that members of the CPW Commission are not the experts who are on the ground applying the best available science to effectively manage the state’s 961 wildlife species. Rather, they are a collective of politically appointed officials that are handpicked by the Governor. This is not to say that CPW Commissioners are fundamentally biased or should not have any oversight on wildlife policies; however, it is to say there are times when it may be inappropriate for the commission to take a vote on state wildlife policy.
This latest fur ban is one such instance, as the petition relies exclusively on appeals to emotion and poorly constructed reasoning to support the ban. For example, the petition implies that a lack of available comprehensive data for furbearer populations indicates these animals are being threatened by harvest for their pelts. This argument completely ignores the fact that it has always been difficult to extrapolate exact data on these species by virtue of their reclusive nature. Simply having a lack of precise data is not evidence that these species are in danger, especially when qualitative observations from CPW suggest otherwise.
Other pieces of “evidence” that petitioners use to support the fur ban include an unsubstantiated allusion to climate change negatively impacting furbearers, as well as an argument that the current sale of furbearer parts violates the NAM. This latter piece of support is particularly suspect when you consider the petition also acknowledges that the NAM historically provides an exemption for the sale of furbearer parts. In short, petitioners provide no real evidence that furbearer populations are in danger, instead relying on leaps in logic and full-blown contradictions to support the fur ban.
The 2024 General Election made it clear that Coloradans want their wildlife managed through the best available science. Inciting statewide policy through a bureaucratic vote on a petition lacking substantial scientific evidence would be a slap in the face to Colorado voters, experts at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Colorado’s wildlife populations. I strongly encourage members of the CPW Commission to reject this proposed attack on science-based wildlife management and encourage readers to attend the commission’s hearings to speak out against this dangerous proposal.
Dan Gates is executive director of Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management. He is the current chair of the Colorado Sportspersons Roundtable and vice chair of the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project. Gates was previously appointed to the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp Committee by Gov. Jared Polis and Gov. John Hickenlooper, eventually serving as chair to the committee. Gates also served as chair to the Colorado Wildlife Council and was campaign spokesman for Colorado’s Wildlife Deserve Better, the issue committee that successfully defeated Proposition 127 in 2024.
Reporter

colorado-politics
Paula Noonan
paula-noonan@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 9 hours ago
Elected school boards and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) have hit the headlines with fired superintendents, superintendent resignations, failures of oversight, and misdirected dollars. Cherry Creek School District’s superintendent was fired. Jefferson County Schools’ superintendent found a less stressful…
colorado-politics
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 10 hours ago
Colorado Republican gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx said on Tuesday that he will participate in only one debate with Attorney General Phil Weiser before the November election — and he challenged the Democratic nominee to hold the event without a moderator….
colorado-politics
Colorado Politics
colorado-politics@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 9 hours ago
By Aashis Luitel On Jan. 1, organizations using covered automated systems must begin complying with Senate Bill 26-189, Colorado’s new Automated Decision-Making Technology Act. They can identify those systems and start building the processes the statute clearly requires. What they…
colorado-politics
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 day ago
Each Colorado resident paid nearly $5,000 in state-sanctioned fees last year, according to a report by a policy think tank. The report, which analyzed how fees have affected Colorado’s economy, found that fee revenue has more than tripled since 2008…
colorado-politics
Marianne Goodland
marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 11 hours ago
Colorado officials said they have something to celebrate this week, in addition to the state’s sesquicentennial birthday on Saturday. U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday gave Colorado its top ranking for education efforts from pre-K to postsecondary, though it…
colorado-politics
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 1 day ago
Unaffiliated gubernatorial candidate Greg Lopez, a former Republican congressman from Elizabeth who left the GOP to run as an independent, has qualified for the ballot by submitting enough petition signatures, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said Tuesday. He’ll face…
colorado-politics
Tony Olivero
tony.olivero@gazette.com
Updated 2 days ago
Step Denver and Step Springs CEO Meghan Shay joins The OpEdge to explore addiction recovery, homelessness, and the role of accountability in lasting change. Shay tells host and investigative columnist Jimmy Sengenberger why she believes recovery is built on personal…
colorado-politics
Hal Bidlack
hal-bidlack@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 days ago
My kindly and forgiving editors understand that, from time to time, I can’t help myself from leaping atop my rickety soapbox to vent. And, like many other political commentators have already done, I could easily fill this entire missive with…
colorado-politics
Eric Mulder
jstooksberry@gmail.com
Updated 2 days ago
Spend enough time in Colorado’s Eastern Plains, the San Luis Valley, or the Western Slope, and you’ll see boarded-up storefronts, schools consolidating classrooms, and small rural communities stretching every dollar to keep basic services afloat. Once the backbone of Colorado’s…
colorado-politics
Marissa Ventrelli
marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 2 days ago
A Colorado board voted Friday to allow the Attorney General’s Office to fight an injunction against a price cap on a drug that treats arthritis. A U.S. district court judge had granted the company Amgen a preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking…
PREV
PREVIOUS
Colorado lawmakers advanced legislation Monday that would prohibit pet stores from selling dogs and cats sourced from large-scale commercial breeders, a move sponsors said would shut down the “puppy mill pipeline” but which critics warned would push sales into unregulated online and out-of-state markets. House Bill 1011 targets “brokers,” which the bill defines as individuals […]NEXT
NEXT UP
By Ryan Gonzalez Time and time again, we hear calls for “affordable housing” across party lines. Yet Colorado has failed to deliver meaningful reform that addresses the ever-rising cost of housing. Instead, the legislative majority has passed laws and policies that actively undermine affordability. From targeting landlords to eroding local control to failing to meaningfully […] Colorado Politics is proudly powered by WordPress
Welcome to the Denver Gazette
Subscribe to stay up to date with all things Colorado.

Streak: 9 days i
Stories you’ve missed since your last login:
Stories you’ve saved for later:
Recommended stories based on your interests:
About Us
Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday.
Transparency In Coverage
Terms Of Service | Subscription Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Secure your subscription to Colorado’s premier political news journal, in continuous publication since 1898. You can be in the know right alongside Colorado’s political insiders. Want the real scoop? Subscribe to Colorado Politics today!
© 2026 Colorado Politics

source