Below is one of a series of articles examining Initiative Petition 28, a potential citizen ballot measure proposed by radical anti-hunting and animal rights extremists that would make it a crime in Oregon to hunt, fish, raise livestock and poultry for food and/or dairy products, and even carry out pest control. It would also severely affect and change private property rights, recreational activity on public lands, restaurants and small business owners, coastal communities, working animal industries, agricultural-related youth organizations and programs, and the state’s economy on multiple fronts. Also, it would lessen the ability of Oregonians to acquire food. This piece focuses on IP 28’s devastating impact on the state’s industry, economy and various educational and other programs and activities.

Industry

The Tillamook County Creamery Association is a true American rags-to-riches story. Based in a small town near the Oregon Coast about 75 miles west of Portland, it is one of the state’s must-see (and must-taste) destinations thanks to its dairy delights. 

One big reason for its success is its location. Tillamook County has more cows (30,000) than people (29,000). It relies on 60 nearby dairy farms and 1,100 employees to churn out cheese, ice cream, yogurt, butter and other products to the tune of $1.2 billion in sales over the last ten years, according to the Bend Bulletin. And as the fastest growing cheesy brand in America, nearly 1 in 4 households buy Tillamook products. Plus, its visitor center sparks the economy with about $300 million in visitor spending annually. Having expanded to a second site in Oregon and another in Illinois, it provides food, jobs, stability and a future of growth and economic prosperity.

That will all change if a radical ballot initiative passes in 2026. Initiative Petition 28 (IP 28), created and promoted by animal rights and anti-hunting advocates, would remove animal cruelty exemptions, making it illegal for Tillamook and its supporting dairy suppliers to conduct business as it currently does. It would shutter the farms and force the company, if feasible, to import milk and other products from another state, greatly increasing production costs which would be forwarded to consumers and drive down profitability. On a simpler level, it would end the ability for Oregonians to buy and enjoy made-in-Oregon Tillamook dairy products altogether. 

“It’s (IP 28) very radical. It would create a sanctuary state,” said David Michelson, IP 28 chief petitioner.

Tillamook is just one of many Oregon-based businesses, both large and small, that IP 28 would close down or otherwise drastically impact. Among them are Reeser’s Fine Foods, Threemile Canyon Farms, Eberhard Dairy, Fitzpatrick’s Tuna, Darigold, Burgerville, Salt & Straw, Willamette Valley Meat Company, Oregon Beef Company, Oregon Fish Company, Pacific Seafood, Hallmark Fisheries and on and on.

“Buying locally raised foods at the local farmers market would be outlawed, while restaurant and grocery prices would increase substantially due to the need to ship meat and dairy products in from out of state,” Sen. Anthony Broadman (D-Bend), told KTVZ-TV. 

Animal Handling and Training

IP 28 bans “teaching that involves the use of animals” and “reasonable handling and training techniques.” Such verbiage would seemingly remove or restrict experts from implementing animal training techniques for companionship, protection and other means. It would deny youngsters in agriculture organizations (see youth ag programs below) from learning responsibility, nutrition and care while rearing horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits and other animals for show and/or food. 

And what about dog training, whether for personal use or for use by law enforcement? Would that also be banned? It seems that way. Proponents offer no clarification.

“None of these exemptions are specific to our companion animals except perhaps handling and training techniques. This would actually help companions a little bit more because there are potentially some techniques that would be no longer allowed,” said Michelson.

Transporting Animals by Owner or Carrier

IP 28 offers ambiguous language for transporting animals. Removing the exemption of “the treatment of livestock being transported by owner or common carrier” seems to mean that animals that become injured during movement would result in their owners being subject to animal cruelty or animal abuse charges. Such penalties would be applicable for farmers and horse owners who use their animals for chores, recreational riding, search and rescue, therapeutic riding and other specialized roles, community events or parades.    

Also unclear is IP 28’s impact on Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists tasked with moving wildlife for restoration purposes or to relocate problem animals.

Research

According to the University of Stanford, “The use of animals in some forms of biomedical research remains essential to the discovery of the causes, diagnoses and treatment of disease and suffering in humans and in animals.” 

The Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University, is one of seven such centers designed to help people live longer, healthier lives through scientific breakthroughs. IP 28 would ban such research. 

“We often get asked what would we do if we don’t use animals in labs. We get to share them,” said Michelson. “Things like doing testing on human tissue cells, growing human organs in a lab, using more computer models.”  

Shuttering ONPRC could lead to setbacks in research linked to behavior and psychology, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, aging, genetics, infectious disease, metabolic disorders, reproduction, transplant biology and regenerative medicine, and neuroscience and brain disorders. 

Banning the trapping of animals and placing GPS collars on them would also greatly frustrate the growth and accumulation of science-based wildlife research. It would prevent Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists and researchers from learning more about population dynamics, chronic wasting disease, hoof disease, migration patterns and tendencies, predator-prey relations, habitat usage, herd survival and overall health, that leads to more effective wildlife management (link here) practices.

Animal Husbandry

Livestock managers, including farmers and ranchers, agriculture workers and others carry out accepted husbandry practices to best care for their animals to provide the best day-to-day care, production, nutrition, breeding and management to avoid injury and disease. IP 28 would ban such activities labeling them as “sexual assault” and abuse. According to the American Kennel Club, it would also outlaw dog breeding but, ironically, still allow for veterinary practices like spaying, neutering and vet-administered euthanasia for domestic animals. 

Additionally, IP 28 would also eliminate or greatly impact higher education and practices related to veterinary degrees such as the Oregon State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital and similar programs.

Personal Property Rights

IP 28 would weaken personal property rights by forcing residents to do activities and practices (or not do them) on their land that have been legal since the state’s founding in 1859. 

Youth Ag Programs

The mission of 4-H is to give young people access to opportunity. Almost six million girls and boys nationwide participate in a wide range of programs. Among the most popular are agriculture, plant and animal science, including raising animals and sustainable farming. 

Like 4-H, Future Famers of America has more than one million student members across the country. Founded by a group of younger farmers in 1928, its goal is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premiere leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. 

IP 28 would greatly deter or eliminate participation in these programs, denying opportunities for youth to learn, grow and develop skills and careers in these fields.

Rodeos

On September 29, 1910, the largest crowd in the history of Pendleton witnessed what became known as the Pendleton Round-Up. Today, the annual four-day rodeo attracts 50,000 visitors and is still a celebration of western heritage, rodeo excellence, volunteerism and community spirit. It is also a major economic driver for eastern Oregon.  Past statistics showed tourism, hospitality and spending generated an estimated $50 million economic impact in the region.

Other rodeos highlight similar positive impacts. The Sisters Rodeo generated $10 million in economic benefit in 2025, including $61,150 for a scholarship fund. The Farm-City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston generated more than $3.2 million in spending in 2024.

IP 28 would ban the participation of animals in rodeos or similar exhibitions.

Radical is Nothing New to Oregon

Many people claim IP 28 is too radical to have any chance of passage. Oregon’s history shows otherwise. In 2020, citizens passed Ballot Measure 110 which reduced criminal penalties for possession of hard drugs including heroin, LSD, methamphetamine, oxycodone and PCP. As a result, drug overdoses and related quality of life and public health problems skyrocketed, leading to lawmakers to amend and repeal the measure in 2024. As of September 2024, the penalty for possessing hard drugs changed to a misdemeanor with a six-month jail term that can be waived if those convicted enter mandatory drug treatment. 

“In Oregon we have quite a record of passing some pretty bold initiatives, and so we are trying to take that tradition and use it for the animal rights movement,” said Michelson.

Past Newspaper Editorials

IP 28 proponents, under different numbered initiatives in previous years, tried on two previous occasions to place their ideology on the ballot. Both times, they failed. And both times, Oregon publications raised the warning flag over their intentions. 

La Grande Observer (June 26, 2021): “The economic destruction that Initiative Petition 13 could cause in this state is so severe, and so widespread, that the effort, however quixotic it might be, simply can’t be ignored.” 

Wallowa County Chieftain (March 23, 2022): “It’s a takeover — or an attempt at destruction — of the way of life for many in Oregon, yet one that is pitched as an animal rights bill.”

La Grande Observer (May 13, 2021): “It is an assault on food production, and on Oregon’s farmers, ranchers and fishermen.”

The Bigger Picture

Those who live outside of Oregon may not think IP 28 is a threat to their way of life. Proponents have other ideas. Their game plan is to gather momentum and push animal rights beyond the Oregon state line by using ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments.

“The goal is not to just stop in Oregon. The goal is to end it everywhere. This is just the starting point,” said Michelson.

Hunt 2 Conserve strongly opposes IP 28 and urges Oregonians to reject it.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

Hunt 2 Conserve agrees with efforts to lessen the impacts of wild horses and burros on the landscape and wildlife habitat.

With wild horse and burro populations now more than three times above levels set by federal law, their negative impacts on wildlife habitat continue to increase too. That is why the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation recently joined more than two dozen conservation and sportsmen organizations in expressing concern to federal lawmakers.

In a letter to the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, the groups urged lawmakers to allow the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service to execute statute as it currently stands before making any possible or requested adjustments.

According to BLM estimates, there are more than 82,000 wild horses and burros on public lands as of 2023, although that number could be closer to 100,000.

“The ecological consequences are devastating: rangelands are degraded, riparian areas are trampled, and forage and water resources for wildlife and livestock are depleted. Many grazing allotments have gone unused for decades due to overuse by feral equids, and the resulting habitat damage continues to threaten the health and diversity of our public lands,” according to the submitted letter.

The groups also stated Congress repeatedly restricted the ability of federal agencies to fully implement the management framework originally envisioned because annual appropriations riders prevent the sale or humane euthanisia of unadopted horses and burros.

Additionally, the cost for taxpayers is staggering. The federal government spends more than $100 million annually, or more than 70 percent of the program’s total budget, to maintain more than 67,000 animals in holding facilities. According to the groups, “This system is financially unsustainable and ecologically irresponsible.”

RMEF maintains unmanaged horses and burros on federal land negatively impact the health of both rangeland ecosystems and native wildlife habitat. As such, it supports population reductions to bring numbers in line with federal laws.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: Bureau of Land Management/National Horse & Burro Rangeland Management Coalition)

Wyoming’s wolf population is above federal minimum recovery levels for the 24^th year in a row, however it is lower than it has been in two decades.  

According to the 2025 Wyoming Gray Wolf Monitoring and Management Annual Report, there are at least 253 wolves, including 14 breeding pairs across the state. That number is down from 330 wolves and 24 breeding pairs in 2024. What is the reason for the 23 percent decline? Distemper – a contagious viral disease that occasionally causes adult mortality but is particularly dangerous and deadly for wolf juveniles and pups.  

“It was the lowest number of wolves in 20 years,” Ken Mills, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) wolf biologist, told WyoFile. ““Seventeen pups survived in Yellowstone, which was the lowest they ever recorded.” 

Breaking down the numbers, there were 132 wolves in northwest in Wyoming’s trophy game area, 84 in Yellowstone National Park, nine on the Wind River Indian Reservation and 28 across the rest of the state. 

Graphic credit: Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Federal recovery criteria require at least 10 packs in Wyoming’s trophy game area, which WGFD reached. 

“We set up the population objective of 160 wolves to be able to  accommodate an event similar to what we experienced, and still meet our minimum recovery criteria,” Mills told WyoFile. “We met the minimum. It actually worked exactly as we intended.” 

WGFD set a wolf hunting quota for 44 animals. Hunters took 31 with one more on the Wind River Reservation. Agencies or the public legally and lethally removed 49 wolves because of conflicts with livestock. 

In 2025, WGFD spent $734,563 on monitoring, conflict management, education and compensation. The latest amount, $352,454, was to compensate livestock producers dealing with wolf-livestock conflicts. Authorities said wolves killed 28 head of cattle, one horse and one dog – the lowest number of confirmed depredations since 2010, due to management efforts. 

Hunt 2 Conserve strongly supports the state management of wolves in Wyoming and all other states. 

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Hunt 2 Conserve is a staunch supporter of creating and improving public access.

The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) announced a new directive that opens most of its public lands to hunting and fishing. The seven-page Secretarial Order 3447 seeks to ensure consistency and remove barriers to public access for hunting and fishing among its 11 bureaus, which include the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatcheries).

“We’re cutting barriers and streamlining regulations so Americans have the access they deserve on our public lands,” tweeted DOI Secretary Doug Burgum.

“The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has a clear track record defending and expanding hunter access to public lands, as well as defending hunters' ability to use the ammunition of their choice,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “Secretarial Order 3447 is aligned with our approach to these issues and we commend Secretary Burgum for making it clear that public lands should default to being open.”

The announcement does not apply to national parks where hunting is not currently allowed.

“We’ll be implementing the secretary’s order by identifying new hunting and fishing opportunities on service lands and waters, cutting red tape for hunters and anglers, and strengthening our collaboration with states, tribes and territories,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik. “Looking ahead to future annual updates, my goal is that all refuges and hatcheries are open to hunting and fishing within two years, except in rare cases where conflicts with legal mandates, public safety or sensitive species or habitats exist.”

The individual bureaus will need to take additional steps to meet requirements of the order.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

Two and a half years after releasing wolves onto the ground, Colorado’s wolf program is at an “inflection point.” Those carefully selected words come from Eric Odell, the soon-to-be-retiring wolf conservation program manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). 

He has seen 14 of 25 introduced wolves die in Colorado, adult wolf survival over the past year at a mere 61 percent, compensation costs more than double and expected to triple before year’s end, and no planned influx of new wolves in 2026. 

When asked to predict when Colorado will reach a suggested population of 150 to 200 wolves, as per the state’s wolf management plan, here was his response: “I cannot provide a definitive timeline, and that’s an honest reflection of where we are in the implementation of wolf restoration. We’re very much at an inflection point,” said Odell, as reported by the Colorado Sun. “The key drivers to determining the timeline to recovery will be the survival rates of wolves of different ages, reproduction and wolf-pup survival rates and the reintroduction opportunities. Until those variables become clear, the timeline to recovery will remain uncertain.”  

What is not happening this year is another planned introduction of wolves. CPW had a signed agreement with the British Columbia Ministry of Waters, Lands and Resource Stewardship to capture and transport up to 15 wolves to Colorado in January 2026. However, CPW scrapped the plan after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sent word that obtaining wolves outside of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming is a violation of the 10(j) rule.  

“It will likely be critical for the establishment of a self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado to have substantial translocation efforts (10-15 animals) for at least one, if not more, in additional years,” according to the 2025-2026 Colorado Gray Wolf Annual Report. 

The newly released report shows a statewide wolf population of 32 animals – only 18 adults along with 14 pups. Twenty-four of the wolves are in four packs with eight other adults roaming the landscape. The packs are in the northwest part of the state, although a distribution map shows wolves wandered through central and southwest Colorado, exclusively west of Interstate 25. 

CPW assigned 10 wildlife damage specialists to investigate depredations. From April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, CPW confirmed 43 wolf depredations resulting in the deaths of 23 sheep, 19 cattle and one dog, with others pending. Over that same time, CPW approved the payment of $709,629 for missing livestock and production losses. It also paid $198,137 for wolf damage claims from the previous year. 

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Below is a joint news release from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. According to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, the infected animal was "an extremely  thin, disoriented, socially isolated elk with strange posture.” Elk, bison and white-tailed deer hunting are allowed on the refuge. 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Game and Fish) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announce that chronic wasting disease has been detected in Wyoming Elk Hunt Area 77 on the National Elk Refuge, which is managed by FWS.  

National Elk Refuge biological staff humanely euthanized and sampled an adult cow elk suspected of having CWD. Tests conducted at the Game and Fish Wildlife Health Laboratory confirmed a positive case. All CWD samples, including those collected on the refuge, are sent to the Game and Fish health lab for processing. 

This is the first documented case of CWD in the hunt area and the first confirmed case of an elk with CWD on the refuge.  

Moving forward, National Elk Refuge staff will increase monitoring and surveillance of herds for CWD, re-evaluate some existing programs and implement additional bio-security protocols to keep people and wildlife safe. Any changes will be shared with the public. The National Elk Refuge Chronic Wasting Disease Response Strategy contains the details for next steps. 

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, and moose. Game and Fish partners with FWS to manage wildlife on federal lands and both will continue monitoring CWD over time to further understand the potential impacts of the disease and evaluate future management actions. 

For more information on CWD testing, transmission, carcass transportation, and disposal regulations, visit the Game and Fish CWD webpage.  

Visit the refuge website for more information on elk and bison management and CWD at the refuge. 

(Photo credit: Kari Cieszkiewicz/USFWS)

It is an old, yet still successful, and deceptive play used on the gridiron. The entire offensive line blocks defenders in one unified direction while a lone wide receiver runs the opposite direction in the backfield, takes a handoff from the quarterback, turns the corner and heads upfield with the football. This end-around play successfully takes advantage of traditional defenses because the misdirection often results in big offensive gains. 

Anti-hunting and animal rights proponents are using the same tactics in trying to eliminate hunting and roll back proven, scientific-based wildlife management. It happens in many states, especially right now in Colorado. Activists use public outreach, the legislative process, ballot initiatives and other means to try to translate their narrow-minded propaganda into binding law for everyone. If one avenue fails, they try to force another. 

For example, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission formally adopted a resolution in 2016 opposing the intentional release of wolves into Colorado – a ruling in line with three CPW rulings from earlier years. So, activists instigated an end-around gameplan by gathering signatures to place a wolf introduction measure on the 2020 ballot, even though biologists confirmed multiple wolf sightings and the establishment of a new wolf pack that had walked into Colorado earlier that same year on its own. Proponents deceptively underestimated the costs and oversold the benefits to the public in an emotional campaign, but despite widespread pre-election estimates for a wide margin of victory, residents narrowly approved the measure by 1.8 percent. Six years later, the result is skyrocketing programmatic and depredation costs coupled with the deaths of more than half of the introduced wolves. 

In 2022, activists pushed a bill to ban the hunting and trapping of mountain lions and bobcats. Due to engagement from the sportsmen community, lawmakers defeated it in a committee vote. So, anti-hunters again gathered end-around initiative signatures and placed the issue on the 2024 ballot. Coloradans rejected it. 

Also appearing on that same 2024 ballot was an initiative to ban the sale, trade or barter of wild fur only in Denver County. Residents rejected it. So, extremists pivoted to another end-around tool known as a citizen petition.  

A citizen petition allows any interested person who wants to create, remove or change a CPW regulation, to try to instigate a potential rule-making process. Petitioners submit a request, which is reviewed by upper-level CPW managers and shared with the CPW Commission. Either the managers or the commission chair can recommend the petition be presented before the full commission for discussion. If approved by the commission, rules will be drafted to place it into state code. 

Rejected at the ballot, activists took their wild fur ban to the CPW Commission via a citizen petition. Commission members ignored strong, in-person recommendations from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife leadership and its biologists by approving the petition with a 6-4 vote. (It must now go through a rule-making process to figure out if or how it will be implemented.) 

While that debate took place, anti-wildlife management supporters presented an end-around bill a mere 13 miles away before the Colorado Legislature to ban beaver trapping on public land. Two weeks later, with strong resistance expressed by sportsmen and conservationists, lawmakers did not take the bait and killed the bill in committee. 

That takes us to another avenue that anti-hunting groups use for exploitation – the CPW Commission itself, which is an 11-member group of citizens appointed by Colorado’s governor that sets regulations and policies that CPW staff must implement. Governor Jared Polis has used his authority to appoint and place animal rights activists, and not hunters, on the commission, even though at least 68 percent of CPW’s budget comes from funding generated by sportsmen and women. Most recently, two of his appointees resigned rather than face a scheduled Colorado Senate confirmation vote. Senators heard a clear outcry from sportsmen over the appointees’ bias, lack of knowledge and qualifications. 

“I believe we are continuing to see this administration trying to move the commission in a direction that is out of the mainstream of Colorado,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-Avon). “I don’t think we should continue to support the direction that this administration is trying to move the commission, particularly with something that funds the agency.” 

Activists are not deterred. In fact, they are emboldened. Other recently submitted citizen petitions include: 

• Wolf damage compensation – restrict depredation payments to ranchers impacted by wolf attacks on their livestock and other animals (submitted by an array of animal rights groups and individuals) 

• Wolf chronic depredation – further heighten nonlethal wolf conflict materials and techniques already in practice (submitted by the litigant environmental organization Center for Biological Diversity)
  

• Recreational prairie dog shooting – ban shooting prairie dogs on public land (CPW notes the biggest threat to Colorado’s prairie dog population is development) 

• Science-based wildlife management – requires CPW to use the “best available science” “where scientific evidence is incomplete” from CPW’s staff of researchers and biologists (submitted by supporters of the 2020 wolf introduction campaign) 

• Aversive conditioning program – develop and implement a program for trained hounds to find and hold problem black bears and mountain lions, creating a negative behavior situation so they can then be released unharmed instead of lethally removed, if CPW decides to do so 

• Commercial sale of wild fur – see above 

In 2014, the CPW Commission cited a “lack of credible scientific evidence” and voted to reject a citizen petition looking to ban the use of traditional lead ammunition for big game hunting. 

Some end-around citizen petition and ballot initiative efforts never see the light of day, at least the public light. In 2025, activists proposed creating a new independent commission that would basically duplicate the same duties as the CPW Commission. They also sought $2.5 million in taxpayer funding for start-up costs. The Colorado Legislative Council Staff cited concerns which proponents never sufficiently addressed, leading to their inability to move the measure forward. 

Hunt 2 Conserve opposes these extremist-driven petitions and urges citizens in all states to be engaged and educated about possible petitions and initiatives that may affect hunting and wildlife management wherever they live and hunt. 

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org. 

The study below bolsters support for the Fix Our Forests Act, which is legislation that would simplify and expedite environmental reviews for much-needed forest management projects. The measure passed the House and a key Senate committee but is yet to be introduced to the full Senate. 

New research that examined about 300 fires in the western United States showed forest thinning and prescribed burns prevented $2.8 billion in losses and reduced wildfire spread and severity. According to the University of California, Davis, study, every dollar spent on a forest fuel project saved about $3.75 in wildfire damages. 

“Wildfire policy has historically focused on suppression, but our results suggest greater investment in prevention could substantially reduce wildfire damages,” said lead author Frederik Strabo, a postdoctoral scholar with the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. “That will become even more important as the climate continues to change and forests face more large wildfires and other disturbances.”   

The analyzed wildfires intersected U.S. Forest Service (USFS) fuel reduction treatments in 11 states between 2017 and 2023. The study is the first to evaluate the economic value of USFS fuel treatments across the West at a large-scale using data from wildfires that entered fuel treatments rather than relying on wildfire simulation models. 

Other findings: 

• Wildfire damages are estimated to total $185 billion to $540 billion annually 
• Fires were more than 13 percent less likely to continue spreading after reaching a treatment area 
• Treatments were especially effective at reducing high-severity fire — those that kill more than 75 percent of the tree canopy — lowering burned area by 20 to 35 percent 
• Prescribed burning was significantly more effective than mechanical thinning alone at limiting wildfire spread 
• Landscape-scale treatments larger than 2,400 acres were the most effective at reducing wildfire spread 

Fuel treatments across the study area: 

• reduced the total burned acreage by about 152,000 acres 
• prevented the loss of 4,000 buildings 
• avoided the release of 2.7 million tons of carbon dioxide 
• Reduced 25,757 tons of fine particle pollution 
• Prevented an estimated 59 premature deaths 

View the UC Davis news release here. 

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

Below is a news release from the Arizona Game and Fish Department. 

The Mexican wolf has returned to the wild in the state of Durango, Mexico, marking a historic effort nearly 50 years in the making. 

Thanks to extensive collaboration between state, federal and Mexican agencies and other partners, two family groups consisting of four wolves each were transported from the U.S. to Durango in March 2026.  

Additionally, an adult female Mexican wolf from the U.S. equipped with satellite telemetry was released in the state of Chihuahua to an area where other wolves are documented. Additional wolves from the U.S. are slated to be released in late spring into the same area, where they are expected to find other wolves and form successful packs to expand the number and area occupied by Mexican wolves. 

By the time of their listing in 1976 under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, Mexican wolves were absent from this country, with only remnant numbers existing in Chihuahua and Durango, Mexico. From 1977 to 1980, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent captured the last remaining Mexican wolves in Mexico to serve as the nucleus of a captive breeding population to save them from extinction. 

The captive population has served as a recovery reservoir of Mexican wolves for release into the wild beginning in Arizona in 1998. By 2025, the population in the wild had expanded into Arizona and New Mexico and numbered at least 319, a benchmark achievement for Mexican wolf recovery. 

About 90% of the historical range for this subspecies occurred in Mexico where wolves were absent for nearly 50 years until releases occurred in the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua in 2011. While initially successful, the population in northern Mexico faltered and releases were halted due to the stagnant population. Durango was one of the last strongholds for this subspecies, and studies show it still contains abundant high-quality habitat for Mexican wolf reestablishment.  

In 2025, at the meeting of the Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program, it was approved and supported for Durango to receive wolves to be released in a mountain area with well-preserved temperate forests, well-managed by local communities. 

“Any international wildlife recovery program is difficult, as the listed animal generally has limited numbers to safely release,” said Clay Crowder, Assistant Director, Wildlife Management Division, Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Fortunately, the SAFE program has been extremely successful with managing the captive population, and excess animals are available for release. With the success of the captive wolf program and with amazing support from universities and wildlife management agencies in Mexico, approval was obtained for releases into both Durango and Chihuahua.” 

“This transfer has its origin in the 2025 SAFE meeting in Mexico City, where Dr. Fernando Gual, in charge of Dirección General de Vida Silvestre of Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, pledged his full support for reactivating the recovery program in Mexico and starting a new population of Mexican wolves back to the forest in Durango,” said Stewart Liley, Wildlife Chief, New Mexico Department of Wildlife. “It is important to recognize the unwavering support from Dr. Gual in making this dream become a reality.” 

The list of those involved in this historic event is long and includes many different programs in the U.S. and Mexico. A key element of the release in Durango was the need of an aircraft to transport the wolves to the release site. Here, the Governor of Durango (Dr. Esteban A. Villegas) and his head of Natural Resources for Durango (Ms. Claudia E. Hernandez Espino), graciously afforded the Governor’s plane to move the wolves from Ciudad Juarez to the release site in Durango. Interestingly, the State of Durango seal now highlights two Mexican wolves. 

“This is the first time this project has been implemented outside of protected natural areas or small private properties (ranches),” said Dr. Jorge Servin, Professor Metropolitan Autonomous University, Mexico City. “It is now being carried out in collaboration with a forest community (El Tarahumara and Bajios del Tarahumara). They believe that maintaining the biodiversity of their forests and ensuring their long-term sustainability is a guarantee of environmental, social, and economic benefits without degrading their natural resources. 

“This is especially true for these owners of extensive communal lands with significant natural resources in Mexico. These actions, which include forest communities, also represent an attractive vision for public policy in the management of natural resources in collaboration with legal landowners in Mexico,” he said. 

Recovering the Mexican wolf throughout its historical range is an accomplishment for the wolves themselves but also showcases the successful international cooperation among many agencies and academic conservationists to achieve this vision. While this is a new step in recovery, the multijurisdictional collaboration bodes well for more to come in Mexico.

Below is a summary of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission meeting that took place on March 25 in Boise. 

Elk & Deer Management 

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game reported a statewide elk population estimated at approximately 135,000 animals, with the 2025 harvest up from the prior year and above the long-term average. Calf and cow survival rates remain strong. Mule deer fawn survival is trending upward heading into 2026, aided by a mild winter across most of the state. Low snowpack, however, raises some concern for summer forage conditions critical to mule deer. 

Five-Day Waiting Period (Capped Elk Zones) 

A motion to eliminate the five-day waiting period for capped elk zone tags failed for lack of a second. The commission agreed to revisit the rule on a zone-by-zone basis during the big game season-setting process, rather than making a blanket statewide change. 

CWD Update 

Mandatory chronic wasting disease (CWD) sampling was removed from Game Management Units (GMU) 24 and 32A (returning to voluntary) and added to GMUs 64 and 69, where positive detections have been found in captive cervid facilities but not yet in wild populations. The agency detected a new positive in GMU 15. The commission approved a negotiated rulemaking to restrict carcass movement within CWD management zones to the specific GMU of harvest — a rule expected to come before the commission in July. 

Bighorn Sheep 

The Reynolds Creek California bighorn herd was depopulated in January–February to protect surrounding herds following a pneumonia outbreak. Hunt Area 40 will be closed for the 2026 season. Separately, an augmentation of 30 Oregon-origin bighorn sheep into the Jacks Creek (Owyhee) population is showing strong early survival — 28 of 30 animals remain, and lamb monitoring begins next week. 

Nonresident Tag Draw 

The first-ever nonresident general deer and elk tag draw concluded successfully, with 97.5 percent of available tags sold. More than 42,000 unique hunters applied. The $18 application fee waived for 2026 will apply in 2027 under current rule. The commission took no action to waive it again. 

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org. 

(Photo credit: Idaho Department of Fish and Game)