[cobirds] Fwd: Re: Centennial SWA. Weld County

I passed your emails over to Polly Reetz. Here is her reply.

The Wildlife and Habitat Roundtable was not CPW's idea - it was the brain child of Nancy Stocker and myself, with lots of participation from Bob Broscheid, then director of CPW. It is still meeting (next meeting is May 26, a virtual one). I agree that it has not lived up to its potential, but we had to deal with a change in Directors and a strange (I think) apathy from groups other than Audubon and DFO. If someone from CFO wants to participate they are more than welcome, just email me.

Meanwhile: CPW said nothing to us about the requirement of a fishing or hunting license to enter SWAs at our last meeting in February. This seems strange - we were all there, and there was plenty of time to discuss it. Perhaps CPW folks thought we

would see it on the agenda of the May Commission meeting; I missed it entirely, looking for another item.

Obviously communication among members of the Roundtable needs improvement. CFO would be welcome to join.

Polly Reetz

Denver Audubon

Current Chairman, Wildlife and Habitat Roundtable

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From: cobirds@googlegroups.com <cobirds@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Joe Roller <jroller9@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2020 5:49:50 PM
To: John Malenich <john.malenich@comcast.net>
Cc: Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [cobirds] Re: Centennial SWA. Weld County

 

John,

About 3 years ago CPW reached out to CFO, DFO, Audubon Society of Greater Denver, Boulder Audubon and some other nature lovers. CPW sat up a "Roundtable" to meet quarterly with reps from the groups, and I was led to believe that communication, back and forth, two way, would be enhanced, just as you suggested. Boy was I wrong!

CPW seemed to have the idea that the birding and other nature groups would be there to 

listen to what actions CPW had already decided to take. Seemed to be a one-way street, as far as I could tell.

Maybe the Roundtable is still meeting. Don't know. Maybe someone has a good word to say

about it and its accomplishments.

In my opinion, to be charitable, the Roundtable never fulfilled its mission.

Hopefully some of the attendees can let us know if Roundtable is still meeting

and what input (if any) CPW has asked from us. What discussion occurred with 

birding groups prior to the fee structure for SWA's being set up?

John, you were spot-on when you wrote:

Perhaps groups like Denver Audubon, CFO and DFO might consider taking a more active and vocal role in proactively pushing for pro-birding policies with CPW and other decision makers.  It's often much easier to proactively impact these policies before they are put into place instead of trying to react to and undo a new policy that we find problematic. 

Maybe someone could explain to me why I shouldn't be bitter.

I am writing as an individual birder, NOT as a member of any organization.

Joe Roller, Denver

On Sun, May 24, 2020 at 5:27 PM John Malenich <john.malenich@comcast.net> wrote:

It seems to me that the interests of the birding community are not being taken very much into consideration in any serious fashion by Colo. Parks & Wildlife and that has been a longstanding problem.  This is not just specific to this issue, this SWA, or the new requirement mandating all users to have a fishing/hunting license to use SWAs, but really with regard to a whole host of issues for both SWAs and State Parks from usage policies to land and water management policies, etc.  I am well aware that--at least in the past--the birding community was at a disadvantage from the standpoint that CPW saw hunters and fisherman as their primary revenue source, particularly for SWAs, but the new rules change that equation.    

Perhaps what could be very effective here is greater action by our State's various birding organizations like Denver Audubon, DFO, CFO, etc.  I think one of the prime reasons hunting and fishing groups get policies in line with what they want from CPW is their groups are extremely active and vocal in pushing their agenda.  This is not to say individuals should not speak out themselves on these issues (they should), but larger groups who can speak for many do often carry more weight.  Larger groups can also organize campaigns to get more individuals (their members) to speak out on crucial issues, get the word out to members and keep in contact with CPW officials on new policies.  Perhaps groups like Denver Audubon, CFO and DFO might consider taking a more active and vocal role in proactively pushing for pro-birding policies with CPW and other decision makers.  It's often much easier to proactively impact these policies before they are put into place instead of trying to react to and undo a new policy that we find problematic.  

John Malenich

Boulder, CO   

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