HomeMy WebLinkAbout20242733.tiffRESOLUTION
RE: EXPRESSION OF OPPOSITION TO PROPOSITION 127, CONCERNING THE
PROHIBITION OF BOBCAT AND MOUNTAIN LION HUNTING IN COLORADO
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to
Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of
administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and
WHEREAS, Proposition 127 is on the November 5, 2024, General Election ballot for Weld
County's registered electors to consider, and
WHEREAS, if passed, Proposition 127 would ban the hunting of mountain lions and
bobcats, thereby disregarding decades of proven, data -backed wildlife management by Colorado
Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and upending practices that have long been in place to ensure balanced
ecosystems, protect public safety, and support Colorado's rural communities, and
WHEREAS, for decades, CPW's researchers, biologists and wildlife managers have
utilized regulated hunting as an essential tool for maintaining sustainable mountain lion and
bobcat populations, and these efforts, grounded in extensive research, have helped keep wildlife
populations in balance with their natural habitats and Colorado's expanding development for
communities, and
WHEREAS, removing CPW's authority to manage these predator species could have
significant unintended consequences; without professional wildlife management, communities —
especially rural areas throughout Colorado — would bear the brunt of the impacts, including
increased conflicts between predators, people, and livestock, and
WHEREAS, since the introduction of regulated mountain lion hunting in 1965, Colorado
has seen increasing populations throughout the majority of mountain ranges (and some Front
Range urban areas), with the species being carefully managed to ensure long-term sustainability
while reducing potential dangers to human health and safety, and
WHEREAS, Proposition 127 risks undoing decades of successful wildlife conservation,
posing new dangers to both public safety and ecological balance, and
WHEREAS, fees collected from mountain lion and bobcat hunting contribute to Colorado's
state parks and conservation efforts and these funds help keep Colorado's state parks open and
well taken care of, as well as provide jobs for scientists and wildlife professionals in Colorado,
and
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10/23/2`i
2024-2733
BC0058
EXPRESSION OF OPPOSITION TO PROPOSITION 127
PAGE 2
WHEREAS, for the above -stated reasons, the Board of County Commissioners opposes
Proposition 127 and encourages Weld County's registered electors to vote "NO" on
Proposition 127 in the November 5, 2024, General Election.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld
County, Colorado, that the Board hereby expresses its opposition to Proposition 127 and
encourages Weld County's registered electors to vote "NO" on Proposition 127 in the
November 5, 2024, General Election for the reasons stated herein.
The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted
by the following vote on the 16th day of October, A.D., 2024.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WELD COUNT -C LORAD
ATTEST: C�, J
Weld County Clerk to the Board
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Deputy Clerk to the Board
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Date of signature:
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KevinRoss, Chair
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2024-2733
BC0058
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