Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Conservation Policy

Montrose Commissioner Pond: Why I’m Drawing the Line and Standing Against Federal Land Grabs
Commentary, Local, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Montrose Commissioner Pond: Why I’m Drawing the Line and Standing Against Federal Land Grabs

By Sean Pond | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The views expressed here are my own and do not represent an official action or position of the Montrose Board of County Commissioners. I was appointed to represent the people of District 3 in Montrose County, and I took an oath to uphold the Constitution. That includes defending our land, our rights, and our way of life here in Western Colorado. In recent months, there’s been a coordinated push to place more of Colorado under federal control. We already fought back against the proposed Dolores National Monument, a 500,000-acre land grab, and we won.  Then came a 68,000 acre National Conservation Area proposal in Mesa and Montrose Counties. We stood our ground again and stopped it.  But now we’re facing two more ...
Activism over science? Proposed ballot measure #82 would gut CPW authority, opponents say
Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Activism over science? Proposed ballot measure #82 would gut CPW authority, opponents say

By Amanda Hardin | Rocky Mountain Voice Correction: We mistakenly said Initiative #82 was already in the signature-gathering stage. As of June 2, 2025, it hasn’t gone before the Title Board yet and isn’t cleared to collect signatures. We regret the error and have updated the article accordingly. Critics across Colorado’s hunting, ranching, and wildlife management communities are sounding the alarm over a 2026 ballot measure they say could upend science-based conservation and rural land rights. Initiative #82, called the Colorado Wildlife and Biodiversity Protection Act, would create a new regulatory body, the Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation Commission (WECC). The commission would hold far-reaching powers over endangered species protections, wildlife corridors, land use, and ev...