Position Statement

Denver Audubon urges you to vote “No” on Amendment 83.   This amendment would restrict the ability of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission and the Colorado General Assembly to protect bird populations and manage state lands for conservation purposes.  We make this recommendation in accordance with our mission to protect birds, other wildlife, and their habitats through conservation.

Amendment 83 would entrench a “right” to hunt, fish, and trap in the Colorado Constitution, using vague and subjective terms – allowing hunting using any “traditional methods,” and permitting hunting regulations only if they are “necessary” for purposes including conservation and management.

Voting “No” on this amendment does not limit access to hunting, fishing, and trapping, which are already legal in Colorado.  This includes the ability to hunt a number of bird species:  ducks, mergansers, geese, doves, Sandhill Cranes, American Coots, Soras, Virginia Rails, Wilson’s Snipe, and American Crows.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission currently manages these activities in accordance with state law.  By adding a “right” to hunt, fish, and trap to the Constitution, however, Amendment 83 would undermine the Wildlife Commission’s and the General Assembly’s authority and make it harder for them to regulate these activities.

Amendment 83 also establishes that hunting and fishing are the “preferred means” for managing wildlife populations – but Denver Audubon believes that habitat conservation and restoration should be the primary means of managing birds and wildlife in the state.

Furthermore, the Wildlife Commission and General Assembly’s regulations for hunting, fishing, and trapping are subject to the democratic process: if people would like changes to current hunting policies, they may petition the Wildlife Commission or the Colorado General Assembly.  But under Amendment 83, instead of relying on the democratic process to petition for changes, anyone who does not think that current hunting regulations are “necessary” will be able to sue in court to invalidate these policies under the Constitution.  The result is that unelected judges will be able to set aside state laws and policies to make their own decisions about what is “necessary” for wildlife management and conservation.  But judges do not have the scientific expertise to decide what actions are “necessary” for wildlife.  Those decisions should be made by experts with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, subject to the laws passed by our democratically elected representatives.

Additionally, much of the state’s public land on which hunting, fishing, and trapping is permitted is also popular with birdwatchers.  Denver Audubon believes it is important to ensure that this land remains open and safe for birders to enjoy, and that the interests of our birdwatching members are balanced alongside the interests of hunters.

For these reasons, Denver Audubon urges you to vote “No” on Amendment 83.