Wildlife Conservation | Science & Policy
The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is the most successful wildlife management system in the world. It has restored elk, deer, wild turkey, pronghorn, and dozens of other species from the brink of collapse — not through government mandates or activist campaigns, but through science, regulated harvest, and a funding model built on the participation of hunters and anglers.
In Colorado, that model is under direct attack. Wolf reintroduction was decided by ballot measure — not by wildlife biologists. Proposition 127 nearly banned mountain lion and bobcat hunting based on emotion, not population data. A statewide fur sales ban petition is now before the CPW Commission seeking to eliminate the commercial market for wild furbearer products through administrative channels. Each of these efforts shares a common thread: they replace science-based wildlife management with values-based campaigns. That is what CRWM calls ballot box biology — and it is the single greatest threat to the North American Model in Colorado today.
The seven tenets of the North American Model — public trust, democratic rule of law, scientific management, and the rest — only function when wildlife decisions stay in the hands of trained professionals operating within a transparent, accountable system. The moment those decisions move to the ballot box, the Model breaks down.
Protect the North American Model in Colorado — Support the Right to Hunt and Fish
CRWM is fighting to constitutionally protect science-based wildlife management in Colorado. Right now, that fight is Initiative 302 — a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine hunting and fishing as the preferred means of managing Colorado’s wildlife, while preserving CPW’s full scientific authority.
During the current signature gathering phase, you can take action right now:
Sign the Initiative 302 petition at savecoheritage.org — bring your driver’s license, name and address must match voter registration exactly.
Support CRWM’s ongoing mission at savethehuntcolorado.com/support-us
Listen to Through the Gates — Colorado’s podcast on hunting rights, wildlife policy, and the fight to defend science-based wildlife management. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
The seven tenets of the North American Model below are the foundation of everything CRWM defends. Read them, share them, and understand what is at stake when ballot box biology replaces the science that built the greatest wildlife conservation system on earth.
In the United States and Canada, the Model operates on seven interdependent principles:
