Predators in a legal battle in Colorado

Predators in a legal battle in Colorado

Predators in Colorado are involved in a legal battle between various groups and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission(CPW). Back in December of 2016 the CPW passed two predator management plans for the state of Colorado, the Piceance Basin Predator Management Plan and, the Upper Arkansas River Predator Management plan. The plans are going to use the USDA to remove predators such as the mountain lion, black bears and other meat eaters from locations in the state due to wanting an increase in the mule deer population. These plans though are very controversial, the CPW is getting sued by various action groups like the Wildearth Guardians and the Human society of the United States. The reason for suing the CPW is because they have infringed the rights of certain trapping regulations in the state of Colorado. They also sued because they did not provide an environmental impact statement that allows the citizens to see the impacts of what will happen if these such predators are eradicated from the limits of Colorado. Even though the NEPA stated that Colorado did not have to provide and environmental impact statement, they said that the environment will see the smallest negative impacts possible to the ecosystem.

The Piceance Basin Predator Management plan is mainly focusing on the Mule deer population in the Piceance Basin area. The basin has been monitored for population since the 1940’s and have seen recent declines over the winter months losing many fawns and yearlings. The plan for this area is to conduct two test sites, one where the predators have been removed and one where the predators have been left in place to see the impacts if the predators were taken out of the area of the Mule deer and it will take place over a three year period. Hoping to see that the population will rise where the predators have been removed by the end of the three year program. The CPW wants to see an increase in fawn survival rate of about 20% when it is all said and done.

The upper Arkansas River Predator Management plan is a  plan that will be put in place to study the effects of allowing the mountain lion population to rise in certain areas to see what the effects are on the population of Mule deer and other potential prey of the mountain lions. When the population of mountain lions gets high enough they will allow hunting of the lion and see the effects of a harvest can do to the ecosystem that they are in.

Also right over in Idaho the legislation there passed a bill allowing chemicals to be used to get rid of predators, which you might not agree with, and your not the only one, many people are opposing this action because of the harmful chemicals that are being used to do so. The chemicals being used are explosive cyanide devices that will be launched into the habitats of the mountain lions. Many watershed groups are concerned with what these chemicals can do if it gets into the water and what the effects are going to be if that happens, it will not only effect the aquatic species but other species drinking out of that water system.

I do not believe any of these actions or plans that are put in place should happen at all. Why are we trying to alter these ecosystems? They are not having an impact on humans at all, it is a process of nature. Predation occurs, why are we trying to get rid of them, it will just make other species populations sky rocket because of no predators to control them in a way that will keep the numbers down. If these animals reach the carrying capacity it would be an even bigger problem than what is already happening. I believe that more hunting for predators can be done in these problem areas but complete dismissal of all predators in the area is not a good idea there are many other ways to control this. As for using chemicals to control predators in Idaho, I personally think that is obscured. Why put those chemicals into our environment? We know what they can do if it gets in the wrong place, it could wipe out many small ecosystems if not used in a careful manner. Colorado and Idaho need to go back to the drawling board and find a better solution to their problems rather than these insane plans that they came up with in the first place.

Citation:

Blake, Jamila. "Predator Control at the Center of Legal Actions." THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY. The Wildlife Society, 27 Apr. 2017. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.