Dear Voters,

Amendment 83, misleadingly titled the “Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish,” seeks to fundamentally change how wildlife management decisions are made in our state, and would potentially limit the ability of voters, lawmakers and wildlife professionals to respond to ever-changing conservation needs.

Amendment 83 would establish hunting and fishing as the “preferred means” of managing wildlife populations and would create new constitutional standards for wildlife regulations, requiring them to be necessary for scientific conservation, public safety or to preserve future hunting and fishing opportunities.

While these are important considerations, holistic wildlife management involves much more. Considerations such as protecting biodiversity, restoring habitats, maintaining healthy ecosystems and finding ways for people and wildlife to coexist would no longer qualify as legitimate reasons to change wildlife regulations.

That is not okay.

Colorado's wildlife policies should reflect all of the aforementioned priorities, not elevate hunting and fishing above other aspects of conservation.

Supporters argue that Amendment 83 would protect Colorado's “hunting traditions.” But hunting and fishing are not under threat of prohibition. The use of intentionally vague language in the amendment is deceptive and could lead to legal challenges of local ordinances and state law. Our laws currently prohibit barbaric and antiquated practices such as baiting (outlawed in 1992) and the use of steel-jaw traps (outlawed in 1996). These prohibitions could be over-ridden if Amendment 83 is passed.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that these hunting methods are tradition - they are abuse, and should remain illegal. Wildlife conservation is complex and the challenges we face are evolving. Climate change, habitat loss, and shifting wildlife (and human) populations require policies that are flexible, grounded in science and place intrinsic value on non-human life. Enshrining in our constitution one management approach that views wildlife only as a resource would make reasonable wildlife conservation impossible to maintain.

Colorado voters should reject Amendment 83 to keep wildlife management flexible, science-based and fair to our animal neighbors.

Seneca Wolman

Nederland