After contentious votes, public and officials demand clarity on furbearer petition and wolf actions; commission agrees to replay audio and restate motions
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Summary
Hundreds of public commenters at the March 5 CPW meeting urged the commission to revisit a prior-day vote on a furbearer petition and to spare a young 'Copper Creek' wolf; commissioners acknowledged procedural confusion, agreed to replay audio and restate motion language, and took two unanimous votes on a chronic depredation permit denial and a Bar Lake acquisition.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission spent substantial time on March 5 responding to public concern about its prior-day actions and to repeated calls for procedural clarity.
Multiple speakers — including former commissioners, county elected officials and livestock producers — told the commission they were confused by the way a furbearer petition vote unfolded the previous day and asked that the body reconsider or at least restate the exact motion for the record. Speakers repeatedly said the motion appeared to conflate multiple, separately noticed agenda items and that several commissioners and staff seemed uncertain during the vote.
"Please reconsider that," urged a member of the public who reviewed the video and said the motion was made without a clear second. Former commissioners and county leaders echoed those concerns in person, with many calling for the commission to replay yesterday’s audio and clearly enter the intended motion into the record. Commissioner Silva Blaney and others requested a public restatement; the chair said staff would re-listen to the audio over lunch and bring clarified language back to the meeting.
The meeting also featured intense public testimony on wolf-management actions, especially pleas to spare a young wolf referred to repeatedly as the 'Copper Creek' wolf. Dozens of speakers described the animal as an orphaned survivor and asked CPW to prioritize nonlethal coexistence and moratoria on lethal removals until more wolves can be translocated. "This wolf deserves to live," one commenter said, summarizing comments heard across multiple speakers.
At the meeting itself the commission took two formal, unanimous actions. First, it adopted the department’s proposed order and affirmed the denial of a chronic depredation permit in a confidential appeal (the motion was made by Commissioner Tutchin and seconded by Commissioner May; roll-call votes were recorded as yes by all commissioners present). Second, after an executive session to receive legal advice about a fee-title acquisition for Bar Lake State Park (Project 25070), the commission authorized CPW to attempt purchase and to spend up to 110% of the appraised value; that motion passed by voice vote.
Commissioners repeatedly acknowledged the tension between the commission’s oversight role and staff expertise. Several commissioners and speakers urged better calendar and agenda organization to prevent multiple petitions from being debated as a single item, and to give the public and commissioners clearer notice of what specific action is being taken. The chair said the commission will replay yesterday’s recorded audio and restate the motion language for the public record at this meeting.
