{"id":120582,"date":"2014-05-01T22:49:22","date_gmt":"2014-05-02T04:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/county-adopts-non-native-species-ban\/"},"modified":"2014-05-01T22:49:22","modified_gmt":"2014-05-02T04:49:22","slug":"county-adopts-non-native-species-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/county-adopts-non-native-species-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"County adopts non-native species ban"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"A
A male sage grouse fights for the attention of female sage grouse southwest of Rawlins, Wyo.<\/span>Associated Press file photo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Local residents found in violation of a new Montezuma County non-native animal species law, a Class 2 misdemeanor, could be fined up to $1,000 and jailed for 12 months.<\/p>\n

Unanimously approved by Montezuma County commissioners on Monday, April 26, the mandate prohibits introducing any animal that is threatened or endangered into the exterior boundaries of county, unless its on private property and contained to said property; allowing the listed animals to migrate onto private property or establishing any protected habitat area for those same species without the county\u2019s consent.<\/p>\n

Commissioners have repeatedly stated the intent of the law was to safeguard against any federal encroachment of private property rights if the Gunnison sage grouse is listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Federal officials are expected to make an announcement regarding the bird\u2019s listing on May 12.<\/p>\n

A public hearing was held Monday before adopting the measure. Chester Tozer, a Road G resident, implied that commissioners should follow in the footsteps of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who last week was swept into a national media firestorm over his remarks that questioned whether blacks might be \u201cbetter off as slaves, picking cotton.\u201d Bundy has been running his cattle on federal lands and refusing to pay grazing fees for the past 20 years.<\/p>\n

Tozer, reading from a letter penned by a retired wildlife biologist in Montana, argued against the Bureau of Land Management for utilizing a desert tortoise to prohibit Bundy\u2019s grazing practices. Montezuma County Commissioner Keenan Ertel said he thought the analogy to Bundy\u2019s issues over the desert tortoise fit perfectly with local concerns over the proposed listing of the Gunnison sage grouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis listing of endangerment could be used as a tool to control other things than what they are talking about,\u201d Ertel said. \u201cThat is my concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sheldon Zwicker, Tozer\u2019s neighbor, also addressed county commissioners, stating he feared that environmentalists were using the Endangered Species Act as a \u201cploy to stop farming.\u201d He said placing the Gunnison sage grouse on the Endangered Species Act could ultimately close farms and ranches in Montezuma County.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what you all are doing is badly needed,\u201d Zwicker told commissioners. \u201cWe gotta do something to stop this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dexter Gill, a Lewis resident and retired forester, also addressed commissioners, telling them that environmentalists had waged a new war by utilizing photos of baby seals to play on people\u2019s emotions.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s tool of war is the environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Colorado Parks and Wildlife manager Matt Thorpe attended Monday\u2019s hearing, but he did not make public comments. He later told the Cortez Journal he was there to serve as an advisor if commissioners had additional questions that arose during the hearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe role of CPW in this type of proceeding is to be a resource for wildlife information to help inform the county as they make their decisions,\u201d Thorpe said.<\/p>\n

Thorpe visited with commissioners at a previous meeting in March, and expressed concerns then how the law might have had unintended consequences on routine management issues like stocking sport fish, which are almost all non-native.<\/p>\n

Road K resident Mike Kistler posed a related question on Monday, asking how various species were being defined under the new law.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have to be non-native and listed as endangered or threatened,\u201d explained County Attorney John Baxter.<\/p>\n

Road G resident Fred Burt hesitated when the audience was asked for any additional comment, but he eventually made his way to the microphone. He told commissioners that all wildlife \u2013 elk, deer, trout, bass and even sage grouse \u2013 should be managed to ensure everyone could enjoy their natural beauty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a civilized society, and there\u2019s room for all God\u2019s creatures,\u201d Burt said.<\/p>\n

Thorpe also noted that based on information he has received, none of the lands within Montezuma County were currently scheduled to be designated as critical habitat for the Gunnison sage grouse if it is listed as threatened or endangered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as I know, there have been no changes up to this point,\u201d Thorpe said.<\/p>\n

Reacting to Monday\u2019s testimony about the federal government using the Endangered Species Act to take private lands and national plans to exclude human activity on large portions of public lands, Thorpe said those issues were far beyond the scope of CPW.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are complex issues, so it makes sense that there are a variety of opinions,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

At Monday\u2019s hearing, Commissioner Steve Chappel said the intent of the ordinance was to prohibit federal officials from planting any endangered or threatened species within the county. If that were to occur, he said development by Kinder Morgan, the county\u2019s top taxpayer, could ultimately be disturbed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just trying to get out in front and make sure we\u2019re not stymied economically,\u201d Chappel said.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Larry Don Suckla piggybacked on Chappel\u2019s remarks, stating without the ordinance, landowners could lose control over their private property rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an elected official, I don\u2019t work for the government,\u201d Suckla said. \u201cI work for the taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully, we\u2019ve done this right,\u201d he concluded after the ordinance was approved.<\/p>\n

tbaker@cortezjournal.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Tipton votes to update Endangered Species Act<\/h4>\n

Congressman Scott Tipton voted in the House Natural Resources Committee Wednesday to advance four pieces of legislation that would update and improve the Endangered Species Act.
\n In a press release, Tipton said there was a fundamental problem with the listing process of the Endangered Species Act that stems from a lack of transparency. Testimony given to Congress revealed that federal agencies have failed to disclose the scientific data used to determine endangered species listings, including the Gunnison sage grouse, Tipton added.
\n \u201cThis prohibits legitimate scientific inquiry and peer review needed to ensure the best possible science is being used,\u201d said Tipton.
\n Tipton said federal agencies have also failed to provide preservation goals to state and local officials already working to preserve the Gunnison sage grouse.
\n \u201cThe legislation we considered today would make commonsense improvements to the species recovery process to ensure that the best available science is used,\u201d Tipton said. \u201cIt would improve cooperation with state and local preservation efforts, and require that scientific data submitted by state, local and tribal governments were considered in the process.\u201d
\n tbaker@cortezjournal.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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