Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) mission is to ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. Although our organization is formed around hunting and fishing, our members are also avid hikers, backpackers, trail runners, mountain bikers, off-roaders, and so-on. Most importantly we seek to conserve our natural resources so that all pursuits can be enjoyed responsibly for many generations.[1]
-“We are not content screaming into an echo chamber and complaining about everything wrong with the world … Conservation through mud, blood, sweat and grit is how we do things …”[2]
-Lt. Col. Andrew Ruszkiewicz & Luke Weingarten. “In Defense Of Public Lands And Waters.” Backcountry Journal: Fall 2021
-“In an increasingly aging national conservation scene, BHA has maintained a membership that is young (63% of BHA members are 45 and younger) and politically diverse, split almost equally among Republicans, Democrats and Independents.”[3]
-Staff Report. “Backcountry Hunters and Anglers announces departure of Land Tawney, longtime CEO and president.” Outdoor News: 7/19/23.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers has always been a quality over quantity outfit, although we’ve experienced extraordinary growth over the years since Mike Beagle and the Gang of Seven stood around our founding campfire in March 2004. And we’ve certainly seen a lot of that quality here in Colorado BHA recently (and historically). On a personal note, I was able to meet up with Mike Beagle (BHA founder and a former U.S. Army field artillery officer) in Denver during May. See a few related photos here.
BHA Issues Triad (PAF)[4]
- Public Lands & Waters (Public Lands = Freedom). Our public lands make each of us land-rich. Protecting and perpetuating public lands and waters is paramount. “Public lands personify this idea we call America—which is freedom. The human animal—the human spirit—is not intended to be confined to a cage.”[5] We are: “The voice for our wild public lands, waters and wildlife.”
- Access & Opportunity. We are intent on keeping public lands in public hands. Access has emerged as a priority issue for North American hunters and anglers, and lack of access is cited by sportsmen and women as the No. 1 reason why we stop pursuing our passions. Access to the more than 600 million acres of public land is part of being American. However, opportunity is diminished when “access becomes excess.”[6]
- Fair Chase & Restraint. “We must ensure that the ethical pursuit of fish and game is upheld as dearly as our own obligation to morality and citizenship,” BHA explains in its fair chase statement.[7] As Jim Posewitz wrote in Beyond Fair Chase, “The ethics of hunting deteriorate as machinery and modern technology are substituted for hunter stamina, skill, knowledge, and patience.”[8] “As America’s first conservationists, hunters have a century-old tradition of policing our own ranks.”[9]
Top Chapter Highlights (Q3)
-John Chandler was recognized as BHA Member of the Month (May 2023). John was instrumental in organizing the chapter’s biggest, most successful stewardship event (“Beers, Bands & Barbed Wire Strands”).
-Alex Krebs was recognized as BHA Member of the Month (June 2023). Alex helped stop a proposed mountain bike trail system impacting vital big game/elk habitat.
-Collin Hildebrand was appointed Northwest Group Assistant Regional Director.
-Army National Guard veteran Matt Lee was named Colorado Armed Forces Initiative Liaison.
-U.S. Marine Corps veteran Bryan Jones is our new BHA CO/WY Coordinator.
“Our most important asset is our volunteers.”
Chapter News
Chapter Leadership Team & Habitat Watch Volunteer Updates
(41 Chapter Leadership Team Members/45-plus Habitat Watch Volunteers)
We currently have eleven (11) Colorado BHA Groups (not all necessarily currently active): Northern Colorado, Boulder County, Denver Metro Area, Southeast Colorado, Central Rockies, Roaring Fork/Eagle Valleys, Routt County, Gunnison Valley/County, Southwest Colorado, Central West Slope, Grand Valley/Mesa County. For additional information see: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/group_leaders
-“Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest Habitat Watch Volunteer (Janet George) Appointed.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/31/23.
-We have Habitat Watch Volunteers (HWVs) who serve as our “eyes and ears” in all eleven Colorado national forests. Contact HWV Program Coordinator/Co-Chair Don Holmstrom ([email protected]) for additional information. Also see the following link for more information: Colorado BHA Habitat Watch Volunteer (HWV) program information.
BHA staffers based in Colorado include: John Gale (vice president of policy and government relations); Brittany Parker (Habitat Stewardship Coordinator); and Bryan Jones, BHA Colorado/Wyoming Chapters Coordinator.
-“Colorado BHA Chapter Appoints Paul Painter Denver Metro Area Work Projects Liaison.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/12/23.
-Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Welcome BHA Colorado/Wyoming Coordinator Bryan Jones.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/17/23.
-“Backcountry Hunters & Anglers State Policy Director Tim Brass Transitions To Colorado Department of Natural Resources.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/5/23.
-Katie McKalip. “Land Tawney, Longtime BHA President and CEO, Announces Departure.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/19/23.
-Staff Report. “Backcountry Hunters and Anglers announces departure of Land Tawney, longtime CEO and president.” Outdoor News: 7/19/23.
We have two Colorado BHA leaders who contributed articles/stories for the Summer 2023 Backcountry Journal:
-“Tearing It Down: BHA Colorado Habitat Stewardship Coordinator Brittany Parker explores the wildlife problems posed by livestock fencing, along with new, more wildlife friendly alternatives to traditional fencing and how BHA’s Colorado chapter is working with state and federal agencies to remove abandoned fencing on public lands.”
-“From Field to Convert”: Colorado BHA Roaring Fork/Eagle Valley Assistant Regional Director Genevieve Villamizar speaks to creating advocates at the butcher’s table.
-Katie McKalip. “Inside the Summer Issue of BHA’s Backcountry Journal.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/28/23.
Take a look at the desert (recipe) West Central Group ARD Leslie Keminskie served up for the BHA North American Rendezvous Field-to-Table dinner in Missoula: “French Belgian Waffle Cookies with Mascarpone & Spruce Tip Syrup.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/22/23.
-“Participation—and not just with your dollars, but with blood, sweat, and tears—is critical, because it will only happen if we all make it happen.” -Marilyn Vetter, Pheasants Forever CEO[10]
-“Colorado BHA State Chapter Leadership (Triad) Structure.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/26/21.
-“Empowering Leaders: It’s In BHA’s DNA.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/7/21.
-David “Elkheart” Petersen (a former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot) started the first BHA state chapter in Colorado. David is also one of North America’s most renowned hunting ethicists and trad bow elk hunters and his writings (in part) inspired Mike Beagle to start BHA. A documentary film, “On the Wild Edge: Hunting for A Natural Life,” about his life and love of hunting and all things wild is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-IE58L4bqEA. Also see: https://davidpetersenbooks.com/
-“You don’t inspire volunteers to action by decree from on high. Rather, you give them minimal direction and maximum freedom to do their own thing, within the realm of the group’s charter.” –David “Elkheart” Petersen, Colorado BHA founder/former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot
Chapter Communications Update-Derek Pankratz & Scott Heatwole
-Communications Co-Chair Derek Pankratz is our primary contact for Colorado BHA Newsletter input/content.
-If you have an event you’d like to promote on social media/Instagram, reach out to Communications Co-Chair Scott Heatwole and include a caption and image so he can post.
-“Colorado Chapter Newsletter Summer 2023.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/8/23.
-“Spring 2023 CO BHA Newsletter.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 4/10/23.
-“Winter Newsletter (Colorado BHA).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 12/23/22.
-“Colorado BHA Fall Newsletter 2022.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 9/1/22.
-CO BHA Communications Co-Chair (Scott Heatwole, Castle Rock): [email protected]
-CO BHA Communications Co-Chair (Derek Pankratz, Gunnison): [email protected]
Events-Colorado BHA/AFI
-Upcoming CO BHA Events: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/co_upcoming_events
-Upcoming BHA Armed Forces Initiative (AFI) Events: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events_afi
-All Things Colorado BHA: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/colorado
BHA Collegiate Program-Colorado State University (CSU) Fort Collins
Colorado has a BHA Collegiate Club at CSU in Fort Collins. Contact CSU Club leaders at: [email protected]. For additional information on the BHA Collegiate Club Program visit the webpage or Instagram page.
Armed Forces Initiative (AFI)-Colorado
-BHA’s Armed Forces Initiative (AFI) has two Colorado Clubs.
-Fort Carson AFI: Jonathan Dotson (President); Sean Stockmoe (VP); Bob Heckman (Secretary).
-CO BHA Armed Forces Initiative (AFI) Liaison (Matt Lee, Lakewood): [email protected];
-Check out the Colorado AFI Club Instagram page @colorado_bha_afi.
-Colorado BHA Fort Carson Armed Forces Initiative (AFI) 3D Open at Cheyenne Mountain State Park (7/29/23) photos.
-Colorado BHA Armed Forces Initiative (AFI) photos from Pint Nights at Trinity Brewing in Colorado Springs (5/9/23) & 105 West Brewing Company in Castle Rock (6/12/23).
-Thomas Plank. “Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Armed Forces Initiative (AFI) Names Matt Lee Colorado AFI Liaison.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/5/23.
-“AFI in the News.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 4/24/23.
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (4/19/23). “Backcountry Hunters & Anglers AFI Coordinator Trevor Hubbs Interview with The Weather Channel.”
-Hal Herring. “A Wild New Mission: Getting Our Military Veterans Outdoors” Field & Stream: 3/24/23.
-Trevor Hubbs. “What is the AFI.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 3/3/23.
-Trevor Hubbs. “AFI Year in Review 2022.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/4/23.
-“Giving Veterans a New Mission in Conservation”
-“Public lands = Freedom”
-“AFI has 11,500 members in 50 states and 34 active-duty installations. AFI membership has increased by 500% over the past two years.”[11]
-“BHA Members Serve Their Country: 20% of BHA Members Are Active Duty Military or Veterans. More Than Twice The U.S. Average.”[12]
-Become An AFI Volunteer; Armed Forces Initiative Leadership.
-BHA’s Armed Forces Initiative. “Armed Forces Initiative-Get Involved.”
-Become An AFI Volunteer; Armed Forces Initiative Leadership.
Land Tawney, BHA President and CEO
-Staff Report. “Backcountry Hunters and Anglers announces departure of Land Tawney, longtime CEO and president.” Outdoor News: 7/19/23.
-BHA President and CEO (2013-2023) Land Tawney (photos and related information).
-Katie McKalip. “Land Tawney, Longtime BHA President and CEO, Announces Departure.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/19/23.
-Rachelle Schrute. “Land Tawney, President and CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Steps Down: The iconic figurehead of the hunting and fishing lobbying group will end his tenure this month.” GearJunkie: 7/19/23.
-“After 10 years of dedicated service building an organization that has become the continent’s leading voice for hunters and anglers and public lands and waters, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers President and CEO @LandTawney announced his departure from BHA, effective the end of July.”
-“An old college coach I played against wrote a book called ‘Make the Big Time Where You Are.’ It’s a fitting title for Land Tawney and where he took Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. We were a tired, all volunteer group on the verge of collapse when he took the reins. And he took those reins and made BHA a big-time player in public lands conservation in North America. As our first chairman of the board, I will always be indebted to him for his passionate and incisive leadership the past decade as well as his attention to detail to keep BHA grassroots, boots-on-the-ground oriented. One hell of a leader! Here’s to you, brother.” -Mike Beagle, BHA Founder (7/20/23)
-“We are not a single-species or (ultimately) single-issue group (despite having a public-lands focus), which means we always have more issues to potentially engage on than capacity to do so. At best working/volunteering for BHA is challenging and—given our broad, often changing set of issues/engagement opportunities—not infrequent turnover at all levels (both paid staff and volunteers) is guaranteed.” -David Lien, Colorado BHA Co-Chair
Colorado Public Lands Day Bash Success
Two short videos (links below) highlight Colorado BHA’s most successful event to date, our Colorado BHA Public Lands Day Bash (“Beers, Bands & Barbed Wire Strands”) during May 2023. Thank you Planning Committee members (Britt Parker, John Chandler, Derek Pankratz, Leslie Kaminski, Chris Parmeter, Kyle Vistuba, Kassi Smith, Amber Leach and Christian Robertson) and everyone else who helped make this event a resounding success!
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (7/25/23). “Colorado Public Lands Day Recap With COBHA.”
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (7/26/23). “Barbed Wire Strands-Pullin' Fence in Gunnison Colorado.”
-Also see: “Member of the Month: John Chandler.” Backcountry Beat: May 2023.
-Colorado BHA Public Lands Day Bash (“Beers, Bands & Barbed Wire Strands”)photos (May 19-21, 2023).
-The event had 56 sponsors and drew people from all over the state and resulted in over 100 volunteers removing 5.25 miles of public lands fencing. More than 200 attendees were on hand for the evening festivities, and the chapter raised/netted over $15,000!
-This was the best (and biggest, if I’m not mistaken) Colorado BHA event so far and one of the best I’ve ever attended nation-wide during my nearly 20 years as a BHA member!!
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (7/26/23). “Barbed Wire Strands - Pullin' Fence in Gunnison Colorado.”
-Brittany Parker. “Beers, Bands, and Barbed Wire Strands Event Recap.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/6/23.
-“Colorado BHA (Stewardship Event).” Backcountry Beat: May 2023.
-Kendra Walker. “Stewardship festival this weekend for Colorado Public Lands Day: Fence removal workday, camping, BBQ and live music at the I Bar.” Crested Butte News: 5/17/23.
Trails vs. Elk & Jackson Mountain
-We were able to convince the Forest Service to pull the Jackson Mountain bike trail system proposal from consideration thanks to the hard work of Alex Krebs, Luke Kline, Blake Mamich, Dan Parkinson and many others who contributed to this win!
-“Colorado BHA Volunteer of the Month (Alex Krebs) June 2023.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/7/23.
-“Outreach is also really important, I think,” Alex said. “My wife coaches mountain biking, and a lot of our members are mountain bikers, hikers or otherwise. We all must be stewards. It’s the only way multi-use forests can be sustainable in the long run. Awareness of our impacts as users is a critical component to future conservation from all user groups, in my opinion.”
-“Member of the Month: Alex Krebs.” Backcountry Beat: June 2023.
-“Proposed Jackson Mountain (CO) Mountain Bike Trail System Withdrawn.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/12/23.
Illegal Trails Reward Program/Initiative
-“Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Increase Reward For Illegal Trail Construction (Help Stop Trail Building ‘Free-For-All’).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 4/10/23.
-“… the vast majority of us aren’t advocating for our desire to hunt, we are advocating for the protection of wildlife and their habitat,” explained Colorado BHA Board member Kassi Smith. “How can we compromise those protections? If the question of conservation was put back on us in the form of, ‘well, in order to protect the longevity of this species, you must give up hunting them or accessing their habitat,’ the majority of us would make that decision without hesitation.”
-“Trails vs. Elk: ‘They’re Just Dying Off.’” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 12/3/21.
-“Colorado BHA Report: Impacts of Off-Road Recreation on Public Lands Habitat.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/21/18.
-Sylvia Kantor. “Seeking Ground Less Traveled: Elk Responses to Recreation.” Science Findings #219 (U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station): September 2019. https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi219.pdf
-Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Colorado’s 2021 Guide for Planning Trails with Wildlife in Mind.” Appendix A includes standard protocols for how and where the trails are developed (i.e., Avoid, Minimize, Mitigate). The Guide recommends limiting trail densities to less than 1 linear mile of trail per square mile in mapped bighorn sheep, elk, and mule deer winter concentration areas and production areas. A 300-foot buffer for wetlands is widely accepted.
-Liz Rose. “40% of Most Important Colorado Elk Habitat Is Affected by Trail Use.” Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP): 9/27/22.
-Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). “Outdoor Recreation and Elk: A Colorado Case Study: Where do elk habitat and recreational trails overlap in Colorado, and why does it matter?” TRCP: 9/27/22.
Fair Chase & Restraint
-“We must ensure that the ethical pursuit of fish and game is upheld as dearly as our own obligation to morality and citizenship,” BHA explains in its fair chase statement.[13]
-“Hunting ethically is good, hard work.” Montrose Daily Press: 5/2/23.
-“Hunting Ethically Is Good, Hard Work.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/1/23.
-“Hunting ethically is good, hard work: A sportsmanlike, lawful pursuit of free-ranging game ensures a fair chase.” Colorado Newsline: 4/26/23.
-“Hunting ethics & fair chase.” Colorado Outdoors: 6/30/14.
-“As America’s first conservationists, hunters have a century-old tradition of policing our own ranks.” -David A. Lien, Colorado BHA Co-Chair[14]
Colorado BHA Rendezvous
-“Colorado BHA Hosts Its 14th Annual Rendezvous.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/16/23.
-Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Angler’s 14th Annual Rendezvous (June 9–11, 2023) photos.
-“You’re Invited to the 14th Annual Colorado BHA Rendezvous (June 9-11).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/11/23.
-Chris Parmeter, Colorado BHA Gunnison Valley Assistant Reg. Director. “2023 Colorado Rendezvous (June 9-11).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 2/1/23.
CO-OP Regional Partnerships
-Consider serving on a CO-OP Regional Partnerships (there are sixteen Partnerships throughout the state, as of 7/30/23): https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/Regional-Partnerships-Initiative.aspx
--Also see Map of Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships: https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/PartnersInTheOutdoors/ColoradoOutdoorRegionalPartnerships_MAP.pdf
--Central West Slope Regional Director Craig Grother ([email protected]) currently serves on the Ouray Regional Recreation and Conservation Alliance (ORRCA) Regional Partnership (#7 on map).
--Southwest Colorado Assistant Regional Director Luke Kline ([email protected]) serves on the Southwest Colorado Conservation & Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Regional Partnership (#14 on map).
-Habitat Watch Volunteer Janet George ([email protected]) serves on the Outside 285 (#9 on map) and NoCo PLACES 2050 (#6 on map) Regional Partnerships.
Delores River National Conservation Area (NCA) & National Monuments
-“CO BHA Legislative Statement: Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Support Colorado Outdoor Recreation & Economy (CORE) Act & Dolores River National Conservation Area And Special Management Area Act.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/12/23.
-Protect The Dolores River Canyon Country: https://www.protectthedolores.org/
-Rig To Flip (2/22/23). “The River of Sorrows-Official Teaser: Two weeks packrafting down the Dolores River …”
-The Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act (S. 636/H.R. 1534) was reintroduced by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO).
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Colorado Public Lands and Waters Legislation.” Backcountry Beat: March 2023.
-“Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper introduced the Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act to protect over 68,000 acres of public lands in Southwestern Colorado.”[15]
-U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. “Bennet, Hickenlooper Introduce Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act.” Press Release: 3/3/23.
-Noah Davis. “National Monuments, A Net Gain for Hunters and Anglers.” Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership: 7/27/23.
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Hunting National Monuments.” BHA National Monument Hunting & Fishing Maps (for six Western national monuments): 2017.
Tukey Hunting & Bighorn Sheep
-“Mountain Merriam’s (Snow Toms) Hunt.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/16/23.
-Colorado-San Juan Mountains Turkey Hunting photos (April 2023).
-Joe Lewandowski worked as a public information officer for CPW for 16 years. “Wild Bighorns in peril in Colorado, Rocky Mountain West.” The Durango Herald: 7/16/23
-Also see this 15-minute version of Transmission: https://f.io/TNQdNRLr. The video, produced by the Wild Sheep Society of BC and filmed in British Columbia, clearly identifies the disease threat to bighorns in North America.
Bison Reintroduction
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (5/24/23). “2023 Campfire Stories-BHA President & CEO Land Tawney On Bison Restoration.”
-Katie McKalip. “Bison Reintroduction Prioritized in Admin Plan for Public Lands Resiliency.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 3/3/23.
-“Land Tawney, the Missoula, Mont.-based Backcountry Hunters & Anglers CEO and president, recently has advocated for bison conservation and restoring the wild bison population. ‘We’ve built an amazing conservation restoration pyramid in this country,’ Tawney said. ‘We’ve brought back waterfowl. We have white-tailed deer. We have turkeys that are back. All these species—grizzly bears, wolves, eagles. We’ve brought them back. But the one species we haven’t brought back is bison in a real way. So, I look at that conservation pyramid and bison being the capstone of that pyramid’ … Tawney added that grasslands are the No. 1 imperiled ecosystem in the country and world, so restoring them synchs with bison efforts.”[16]
Access & Opportunity
-Martin Heinrich. “Defending Access and Opportunity in Congress.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/11/23.
-BHA is closely tracking four bills in the U.S. House of Representatives that take aim at the Land and Water Conservation Fund. H.R. 2207, H.R. 2158, H.R. 2169 and H.R. 2153 would entirely defund or severely limit the ability of the U.S. Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management to strategically acquire areas of important habitat and places key to public access using LWCF dollars. Take Action!
Public Land Agency Funding
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (7/21/23). “This week the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives advanced a funding bill that would slash funding for public land management agencies, rollback protections for the Boundary Waters, prohibit the BLM Public Lands rule, and let politics dictate wildlife management rather than science.”
-Katie McKalip. “House Appropriations Makes Drastic, Reckless Funding Cuts to Public Lands Management.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/20/23.
-“Bad ideas, like selling ore to China, never die.” Duluth News Tribune: 7/29/23.
BLM Public Lands Rule
-Dan Parkinson. “Colorado BHA Comments on BLM Public Lands Rule.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/21/23.
-“A new statistical analysis of more than 150,000 public comments finds nearly universal support for the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, colloquially known as the Public Lands Rule. The Center for Western Priorities … analysis found 92 percent of the comments encouraged the Interior Department to adopt the Public Lands Rule as written or strengthen its conservation measures.”[17]
-Center For Western Priorities (CWP). “Analysis: Public comments overwhelmingly support BLM Public Lands Rule.” CWP: 7/5/23.
-“This framework will give BLM managers the tools they need to manage for intact and resilient landscapes,” said Land Tawney, President and CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.[18]
-Jordan Sillars. “New BLM Rule Could Fundamentally Change Public Land Management.” MeatEater: 5/17/23.
-Liz Rose. “Updated Management Plan for Eastern Colorado BLM Lands Will Benefit Colorado’s Wildlife, Hunters, and Anglers.” TRCP: 7/10/23.
-Eric Galatas. “BLM Makes Big Investment in Colorado Public Lands.” Public News Service: 6/20/23.
-blmwild (7/18/23). “Paul Vertrees is a professional fly-fishing guide, hunter, and backcountry adventure enthusiast (and U.S. Army veteran). He highlights the unique Grape Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern, designated by @mypubliclands, as a place that ‘deserves as much protection as we can give them.’”
-Brandy Wible. “TWS Addresses Proposed BLM Rulemaking On Conservation And Landscape Health.” The Wildlife Society: 7/11/23.
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA)
-“The habitat restoration supported by RAWA will ensure the future of abundant American wildlife, from bumblebees and bison to sandhill cranes and cutthroat trout.”[19]
-Martin Heinrich. “Defending Access and Opportunity in Congress.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/11/23.
-Katie McKalip. “Recovering America’s Wildlife Act Introduced in 118th Congress.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 3/31/23.
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Introduction of Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.” Backcountry Beat: March 2023.
-“Conservation groups lined up to hop aboard the RAWA train last week, as federal legislation—the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act—was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. The bill would ‘make nearly $1.4 billion in annual funding available to state and tribal wildlife management agencies, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, and boosting America’s outdoor recreation economy,’ according to a press release from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.”[20]
-Tim Spielman. “Reintroduction of RAWA gets conservation group approval.” Outdoor News: 4/7/23, p. 1.
-“Land Tawney, BHA president and CEO, called RAWA ‘a vital tool … providing critical funding to keep common species common, and keeping other species out of the emergency room.”[21]
-Tim Spielman. “Reintroduction of RAWA gets conservation group approval.” Outdoor News: 4/7/23, p. 25.
Stream Access Initiative (SAI), Fly Fishing & Clean Water
-Katie McKalip. “Supreme Court Rules Against Clean Water, Wetlands.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/26/23.
-Suzanne Potter. “Conservation Groups Slam SCOTUS Ruling on Wetland Protections: The U.S. Supreme Court has gutted federal protections for much of the country's wetlands.” Public News Service: 5/26/23.
-On June 5, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a ruling in the Hill vs. Warsewa water access case, finding against plaintiff Roger Hill and taking a step backward in the fight for legal public access and recreation in the navigable waters of Colorado. The court’s decision means Hill’s case will be dismissed.
-Katie McKalip. “Colorado Supreme Court Rules Against Public Water Access.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/6/23.
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Colorado Public Lands and Waters Legislation.” Backcountry Beat: March 2023.
-“This is not the end but only the beginning of our efforts to secure those rights.” -Don Holmstrom, Colorado BHA Co-Chair.
-“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” -Sir Winston Churchill, November 1942.
-Jason Blevins. “Colorado Supreme Court ends long river access dispute by ruling fisherman has no standing in right-to-wade argument.” The Colorado Sun: 6/5/23.
-Editorial Board. “Lawmakers must fix what Court refused.” The Denver Post: 7/3/23.
-Drew YoungeDyke. “Trout and Salmon Book Passage to Prime Habitat Through Infrastructure Funding.” Trout: 4/27/23.
-Trout Unlimited Staff. “We’re back on Clean Water Act defense.” Trout: 3/1/23.
-Chris Wood. “Trout Unlimited, Forest Service launch $40 million initiative.” Trout: 11/16/22.
-Austin Williams. “At Trout Unlimited, ‘infrastructure’ = fixing rivers.” Trout: 11/17/22.
CPW Commission Engagement
-Commission meetings/information: https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/pages/commission.aspx
-Sportsperson’s Roundtable and Caucuses: Attend a meeting near you! Regional Caucus meetings are open to all sportspersons and give an opportunity to meet with CPW staff and caucus delegates to discuss hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation in Colorado. https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/Roundtable.aspx
What Has BHA/CO BHA Done For Me?
-“Spring 2023 CO BHA Newsletter.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 4/10/23.
-“Colorado BHA Q1 2023 Update.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 2/1/23.
-“Colorado BHA Q4 2022 Update.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 10/28/22.
-“Colorado BHA Q3 2022 Update.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 7/25/22.
-“CO BHA Summer Newsletter.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/13/22.
-“CO BHA Q2 2022 Update.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 4/1/22.
-“Colorado BHA Q1 2022 Update.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/14/22.
2023 Events/Projects (Completed)
-Brien Webster. “Upslope Brewing Co & onX Present: Pints for Public Lands (1/26/23).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 12/20/22.
-Join the Northern Colorado Chapter of BHA at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse on Feb. 2, 2023.
-Volunteer to Help Our Local Wildlife–Friday Feb 3, 2023. WSCC is partnering with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers to remove unneeded elk fencing throughout the Valley.
-“Conservation Roundtable and Community Update 2-3-23.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/20/23.
-“Conservation Roundtable and Community Update 3-2-23.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/20/23.
-“Conservation Roundtable and Community Update 4-6-23.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/20/23.
-Andrew Hahne. “Ramblebine Brewery Pint Night (2/16/23).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/26/22.
-Upslope Brewing Company in Boulder (3/22/23 @ 6-9 p.m.): Fly Tying Food Drive. Join us for an evening of fly tying at Upslope Brewery.
-Chris Slaughter. “Ice Fishing on Lake Dillon (March 26).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 3/1/23.
-“Colorado BHA Summit County Icefishing Event: ‘A great day on the water … even if it was frozen!’” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 3/31/23.
-“Join the Colorado Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers on April 20 at Bent Barley Brewing in Aurora, CO (Southlands Mall).
-“Join us April 22-23 for some fence pulling grouse viewing in Maybell, CO.
-Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (5/22/23). “Colorado BHA Chapter Fence Pull near Meeker and Maybell, CO (includes lek footage).”
-BHA is working with Denver Parks and Recreation to host a river cleanup event along the South Platte River Trail (on May 7).
-Join CO BHA’s Armed Forces Initiative for a pint night at Trinity Brewing Company in Colorado Springs on May 9.
-Colorado BHA Public Lands Day Bash (“Beers, Bands & Barbed Wire Strands”) in Gunnison photos (May 19-21, 2023).
-Join the Northern Colorado Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse on June 1, 2023
-“You’re Invited to the 14th Annual Colorado BHA Rendezvous (June 9-11).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/11/23.
-Join Colorado BHA’s Armed Forces Initiative for a pint night at 105 West Brewing Company in Castle Rock (June 12).
-Colorado BHA AFI (5/23/23). “Come join us on June 17 for an Archery Skills clinic at Skyline Hunting and Fishing club in Littleton, CO.
-“Bellyache Fence Removal: Eagle, CO (June 17).” Backcountry Hunters: 6/17/23.
-Katie DeLorenzo. “Fire Ring Dispersal Project (June 23-24).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/10/23.
-Conservation Roundtable: Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland): 7/6/23.
-BHA Armed Forces Initiative. “Come learn the basics of Backcountry Horsemanship from AFI Board Member and owner of @ruggedmountainoutfitters Mitch Vazquez (on July 8).”
-Join BHA and Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) for a weekend of fence pulling, camping, community, and delicious food at the Cimarron State Wildlife Area July 8 & 9.
-“Northern CO Full Draw Film Tour (July 12).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/21/23.
-“Thompson Divide Fence Removal with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (July 15).” Glenwood Springs (Colo.) Post-Independent: June 2023.
-“3rd Annual Sportsman’s Volunteer Day (7/15/23).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/9/23.
-Join us in building low tech ‘stick and stone’ structures for restoring a degraded riparian system (Gunnison: July 15, 2023).
-“Brush Creek Open Space Fence Pull Series (July 18).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 1/26/23.
-“Trivia Night Presented By Harvesting Nature And Colorado BHA (July 21).”
-“Brush Creek Open Space Fence Pull Series: July 26 Eagle, CO.”
-Durango (7/6/23): https://www.mountainstudies.org/events/msi-bighorn-monitoring-program-2023-update-1
-“Colorado BHA AFI 3D Open (on 7/29/23).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 6/8/23.
-Join us (July 29-30) in a collaborative effort with RMEF in removing fencing in important winter range for elk near the Pumphouse Recreation Area.
-Conservation Roundtable and Community Update (8/3/23): Loveland, Colorado.
-Brush Creek Open Space Fence Pull Series (8/1/23): Eagle, Colorado.
-Crested Butte Land Trust Fence Pull (8/1/23)
2023 Events (Upcoming)
-Upcoming CO BHA Events: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/co_upcoming_events
-Upcoming BHA Armed Forces Initiative (AFI) Events: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events_afi
Other Information
-“Hunter & Angler Field Guide to Raising Hell” by former BHA North American Board Co-Chair Ben Long. Check it out!
-“For those who answer the call to speak for those who cannot, this book is for you! Wild public lands, waters and wildlife need your voice and this book, this grassroots bible, will help you engage.” -Land Tawney, BHA President and CEO (4/3/23)
-Check out BHA’s North American Action Map, tracking/highlighting examples of our accomplishments as an organization across the continent.
-See our Take Action Center to stay engaged on legislation in your area.
-Gift a BHA membership
-Auto-Renewal of Membership Option Now Live on the BHA Website.
-Landing Page to Track Chapter-Generated Memberships. To better track memberships renewed or recruited by chapters, we’ve developed a new landing page: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/chaptermemberships
Founded by Mike Beagle, a former U.S. Army field artillery officer, and formed around an Oregon campfire, in 2004, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is the voice for our nation’s wild public lands, waters and wildlife. With members spread out across all 50 states and 13 Canadian provinces and territories—including chapters in 48 states, two Canadian provinces and one territory, and Washington, D.C.—BHA brings an authentic, informed, boots-on-the-ground voice to the conservation of public lands. The Colorado BHA chapter was founded by David Petersen (a former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot) in 2005 (the first official BHA chapter
[1] Kris Hess. “CO BHA Publishes Memo on Illegal Trails.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 8/24/22.
[2] Lt. Col. Andrew Ruszkiewicz and Luke Weingarten. “In Defense Of Public Lands And Waters.” Backcountry Journal: Fall 2021, p. 34.
[3] Staff Report. “Backcountry Hunters and Anglers announces departure of Land Tawney, longtime CEO and president.” Outdoor News: 7/19/23.
[4] https://www.backcountryhunters.org/our_issues
[5] Ron Spomer is a hunting writer, conservationist, and photographer.
[6] “Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Increase Reward For Illegal Trail Construction (Help Stop Trail Building ‘Free-For-All’).” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 4/10/23.
[7] https://www.backcountryhunters.org/fair_chase
[8] Jim Posewitz. Beyond Fair Chase. Helena, Montana: Falcon Publishing, Inc., 1994, p. 40.
[9] Colorado BHA Co-Chair David A. Lien quoted in/by: Dennis Anderson. “Opinions vary on using drones for hunting.” Minneapolis-St. Paul (Minn.) StarTribune: 3/17/14.
[10] Rob Drieslein, Managing Editor. “A quick chat with Marilyn Vetter (Pheasants Forever CEO).” Outdoor News: 6/23/23, p. 12.
[11] Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA). “REMINDER: February Chapter Leader Call TONIGHT!” BHA: 2/27/23.
[12] Thomas Plank. “BHA's Member Survey: 2022 Results.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 9/22/22.
[13] https://www.backcountryhunters.org/fair_chase
[14] Dennis Anderson. “Opinions vary on using drones for hunting.” Minneapolis-St. Paul (Minn.) StarTribune: 3/17/14.
[15] U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. “Bennet, Hickenlooper Introduce Dolores River National Conservation Area and Special Management Area Act.” Press Release: 3/3/23.
[16] Brian Mozey. “Bison conservation the focus of DNR webinar session.” Outdoor News: 3/31/23.
[17] Center For Western Priorities (CWP). “Analysis: Public comments overwhelmingly support BLM Public Lands Rule.” CWP: 7/5/23. https://westernpriorities.org/2023/07/analysis-public-comments-overwhelmingly-support-blm-public-lands-rule/
[18] Jordan Sillars. “New BLM Rule Could Fundamentally Change Public Land Management.” MeatEater: 5/17/23.
[19] Martin Heinrich. “Defending Access and Opportunity in Congress.” Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: 5/11/23. https://www.backcountryhunters.org/defending_access_and_opportunity_in_congress
[20] Tim Spielman. “Reintroduction of RAWA gets conservation group approval.” Outdoor News: 4/7/23, p. 1.
[21] Tim Spielman. “Reintroduction of RAWA gets conservation group approval.” Outdoor News: 4/7/23, p. 25.
About David Lien