Some of the same anti-hunters behind the failed 2024 Colorado ballot initiative to ban mountain lion and bobcat hunting filed a petition for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to outlaw the sale, barter and trade of wildlife fur.  

“As the latest effort to undermine hunting and trapping by activists, this is nothing more than an emotional ploy aimed at a commission with little connection to or understanding of hunting and trapping,” said Blake Henning, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation chief conservation officer. “If passed, it would both frustrate Colorado’s proven wildlife management practices and have negative impacts on business and consumers.” 

RMEF sent a call-to-action alert to its members in Colorado to both keep them informed about the situation and urge them to jointly submit comments to commission members. More than 1,000 of them did so. The message included highlighting the lack of biological justification in the proponent petition, supporting the North American Wildlife Conservation Model and keeping the regulatory focus on biologically driven conservation priorities. 

A regularly scheduled commission hearing will take place Wednesday, March 4, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver (8773 Yates Drive in Westminster). Hunters, trappers and other outdoorsmen and women are encouraged to attend and provide public comment. A live stream will also be available. 

Colorado’s furbearer population is healthy and well managed under current regulations, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) assessments do not show conservation concerns. CPW biologists are currently reviewing furbearer regulations through an established, data-driven process; however, this petition bypasses the scientific and public process. 

Voters affirmed their support for science-based wildlife management less than two years ago by rejecting statewide bans on mountain lion and bobcat hunting 55 to 45 percent and rejecting a similar fur ban in urban Denver County 58 to 42 percent.  

Hunt 2 Conserve strongly opposes the petition and stands in support of hunting, trapping, wildlife management and conservation. 

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 joint news release from the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the New Mexico Department of Wildlife.

The Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team has completed the annual population count and documented the population increased to a minimum of 319 at the end of 2025, which is up from the minimum count of 286 in 2024. This is a consistent growth pattern for more than a decade. 

The importance of this data is that this moves the recovery program one step closer to getting to the point that will support the downlisting of the Mexican wolf and development of a 4(d) rule under the ESA (Endangered Species Act). Implementation of a 4(d) rule would add greater flexibility in implementing management actions intended to reduce conflict while continuing recovery of the subspecies to the point of delisting.

The goal of every recovery program is to use the best scientific criteria to recover a species, so the species is no longer in need of protection under the ESA. The recovery criteria to support downlisting the Mexican wolf is an average of 320 wolves documented per year over a four-year period. Although that average has not been obtained, this number does trigger the timing where a downlisting would be justified. With a 4(d) rule, the states of New Mexico and Arizona would have more management authority than they currently have.

(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)

Below is a news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The operation is part of ongoing predator-prey and population monitoring research in a part of the state dealing with livestock depredations. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is supplying funding for additional research evaluating the impacts of wolves on elk and deer in the region.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently completed helicopter capture operations resulting in the satellite collaring of five gray wolves in northern California. 

Operations occurred between Jan. 12 and 20 in Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties. The wolves collared were associated with the Whaleback and Harvey packs. 

Immediately after capture, each wolf was flown to a nearby field processing site and fitted with a satellite/VHF collar. CDFW veterinary and biological staff also collected standard biological data, including body measurements, DNA and blood samples. This data allows CDFW to monitor wolf health, screen for disease and assess genetic relatedness among individuals and packs. After collaring, each wolf was released on public land as close as practical to its capture location. 

The five wolves collared during the operation included: 

An adult male captured in northern Lassen County that was born into the Whaleback pack. Following release, collar data showed that the wolf returned to its natal Whaleback pack. 

A previously collared, dispersing adult male from the Harvey pack that was captured in Modoc County. Its collar was replaced. 

A Harvey pack female born in 2024 and captured in northwestern Lassen County. 

Two Harvey pack females born in 2025 and captured in northeastern Shasta County. 

Wildlife capture operations inherently carry risk to captured animals. During this operation, a sixth wolf – an adult female from the Harvey pack – died after capture. Factors contributing to its death are being investigated. 

Satellite collaring is a critical management and research tool that helps CDFW monitor wolf populations, better understand landscape use and movement patterns and reduce the risk of wolf–livestock conflict. The collars do not provide real-time data; instead, they collect multiple location points per day and generally transmit those stored locations to CDFW once a day. Each collar has an expected battery life of approximately two to three years and is programmed to drop off the animal before the battery is depleted. 

Over the past decade, CDFW has successfully captured 38 gray wolves statewide for the purpose of collaring. Presently, there are 13 wolves carrying active collars. Within days of capture, the approximate locations of the newly collared wolves began showing on CDFW’s Wolf Tracker mapping tool.

(Photo credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife) 

Below is a news release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced over $1.2 billion in Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration apportionments to support states, commonwealths and territories in their efforts to fund conservation and outdoor opportunities. This program aligns with President Donald J. Trump’s strong support for state-led conservation and access to public lands.

This critical funding is generated by manufacturers who paid federal excise taxes last year on ammunition, firearms, archery and angling equipment, and a fuel and small engine tax. The funds are disbursed to partner with fish and wildlife agencies through grants by the Service’s Office of Conservation Investment.

This state-industry-federal partnership, commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson/Wallop-Breaux Acts, was established almost a century ago with the support of concerned conservation organizations, firearms manufacturers and conservation professionals who recognized the need to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitat. Since 1937, more than $31 billion has been distributed through annual apportionments to monitor and manage our nation’s fish and wildlife resources, support hunter, trapper and aquatic education, and improve access for outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing and boating.

“State wildlife agencies are critical partners who are on the front lines of wildlife management and conservation. They provide expertise and leadership in our shared conservation efforts,” said Service Director Brian Nesvik. “Through this partnership, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funding helps states to improve access to wildlife and wild places through one of the most effective conservation tools in the world.”

Along with the more than $31 billion distributed through annual apportionments, partner fish and wildlife agencies have contributed over $10 billion in investments throughout the program’s history. Through these combined funds, agencies have supported monitoring and management of over 800 species of wild mammals and birds, annual stocking of over 1 billion fish, operations of fish and wildlife disease laboratories around the country, and provided hunter, trapper and aquatic education to millions of students. These funds have also supported operations and maintenance of over 800 target ranges, over 9,000 fishing access areas and the opening of over 36 million acres of state land to hunting and angling.

To view the Service’s final apportionment of Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration grant funds for Fiscal Year 2026 and historic funding amounts, visit https://partnerwithapayer.org/funding-sources/

For more information about the Office of Conservation Investment, visit https://www.fws.gov/program/office-conservation-investment or www.partnerwithapayer.org.

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

From the Southeast to the Pacific Northwest and into Alaska, 2025 was a devastating year for wildfires across the United States. The numbers bear that out. According to a new report from the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC), 77,850 fires charred 5,131,474 acres, claiming human lives and destroying thousands of structures while decimating forest stands, grasslands and important wildlife habitat.

There were roughly 10,000 more wildfires in 2025 compared to 2024 with 37,088 of them across the NICC’s 13-state Southern Geographic Area of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and Oklahoma. Alaska had the most land burned at 1,006,158 acres while Dragon Bravo in Arizona was the single, largest wildfire at 145,504 acres.

The most destructive fires, by far, were in Southern California Geographic Area that directly resulted in 31 deaths but contributed to at least 440 more. Those fires also destroyed 12,773 residential properties, 5,116 minor structures and 496 commercial structures.

Hunt 2 Conserve is a proponent of the Fix Our Forests Act, legislation already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives but yet to receive a vote in the U.S. Senate. It is a package of reforms that improves the quality of wildlife habitat in national forests while reducing the risk of high-intensity, catastrophic fires. Those reforms include reversing the 2015 Cottonwood decision by the 9^th Circuit Court, which created a scenario for litigant environmentalist organizations to file seemingly nonstop lawsuits that frustrate or halt much-needed active forest management treatments to benefit habitat, wildlife and people. Both the Obama and Trump administrations since unsuccessfully tried to overturn it.

“Judges shouldn’t be managing our forests,” Sean Steinback, outreach forester for Sun Mountain Lumber and a former forester for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, told the Missoulian. He made that comment after a federal judge vacated a previous ruling to allow a Montana forest management project to go forward.

“The status quo with all the backlog is not acceptable. As a nation, we need to take action to benefit our public safety, forests and wildlife. The Fix Our Forests Act has bipartisan support across both chambers and helps make that possible,” said Blake Henning, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation chief conservation officer.

H2C joins RMEF in calling on the Senate to follow the lead of the House to both vote on and help pass it into law.

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: Fishlake National Forest)

Forest management, public lands, wildfire mitigation and public access are a few of the topics highlighted during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for Stevan Pearce, current nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management and former U.S. representative for New Mexico.

“BLM manages 1.3 million acres of forestland in Montana and the Dakotas. Yet simple projects get bogged down in red tape and, sadly, endless litigation,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). “However, we are making progress in helping to remedy that.”

Daines supports the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA), which is a set of reforms that simplify and expedite environmental reviews, promote collaboration in forest management, encourage state-of-the-art science and technologies for federal land managers, and deter frivolous litigation, including the reversal of the 9^th Circuit Court’s “Cottonwood decision.”

“In New Mexico in my district, we had a forest of about a million acres. They were cleaning up and taking out the fuels from about 500 acres a year. With a million acres, you’d never get to the end,” said Pearce. “Large-scale projects of tens of thousands of acres instead of hundreds of acres is something I visualize.”

The U.S. House passed FOFA in early 2025 by a bipartisan vote of 279 to 141. Nine months later, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry passed it 18-to-5, but it is yet to go before the full Senate.

Pearce also downplayed talk of any widespread sale or transfer of public land. Both Republican and Democrat senators pressed him on the issue, led by ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Pearce referenced policy set in the Federal Lands Policy Management Act (FLPMA) as a guide.

When asked about using the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to expand public access for hunting and fishing, Pearce agreed unequivocally.

Hunt 2 Conserve and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are strong proponents of FOFA, LWCF and active forest management.

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)

Below is a news release from the U.S. Forest Service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, have signed a groundbreaking 20-year shared stewardship that expands cross‑boundary forest management and strengthens Alaska’s forest products industry.

The agreement represents the largest scale of state-federal collaboration in Alaska's history in terms of acreage and duration and provides a long-term framework to address the unique challenges facing the state's forests and communities.

"This significant agreement outlines our commitment to work together, actively managing the Tongass National Forest to create healthy forests, while contributing to a stable, vibrant rural economy," Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said. "Together, we will deliver real, measurable results — in part, by enabling the state to implement projects on up to 300,000 acres across the Tongass through Good Neighbor Authority. This will mean more acres treated, more communities protected, more jobs created, and healthier forests for generations to come."

Signed at Forest Service headquarters in Washington D.C., this agreement builds on decades of partnership between the State of Alaska and the Forest Service in fighting fires, managing forest health and supporting timber programs across the state's vast landscape.

The agreement commits both agencies to concrete actions, including developing a timber action plan by the end of 2026 that identifies priority projects on the Tongass National Forest, providing reliable timber offerings and evaluating longer-term contracting options to increase industry confidence.

“As someone who has worked in a logging camp in Southeast Alaska, I know how important having a working forest is to communities in Southeast,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy. “This is great news for the people of Alaska and will be a lifeline to the blue-collar Alaskan workers in Southeast Alaska who President Biden and previous administrations sought to keep out of work by managing the Tongass as if it were a National Park.”

The partnership encompasses comprehensive forest management priorities including:

• Cross-boundary coordination on fuels reduction and wildfire mitigation
• Response to insect and disease threats
• Infrastructure development and improved access
• Workforce training opportunities
• Investment in modern milling and harvesting technology
• Technical assistance to private and non-federal landowners
• Coordination on wildlife habitat, recreation and authorized development activities

The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection manages 20 million acres of state lands and provides fire protection across 154 million acres statewide. The Forest Service manages the 5.4-million-acre Chugach National Forest and 16.7-million-acre Tongass National Forest. Together, these lands provide critical resources and economic opportunities for Alaskans while protecting watersheds, wildlife habitat and cultural resources. These coordinated efforts will help sustain rural economies, improve public safety and support long-term community resilience.

This new agreement follows similar shared stewardship agreements with other states including Montana, Idaho, Utah, Georgia and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. Each reflects USDA's commitment to working across boundaries to improve forest health and strengthen rural communities. More information on shared stewardship is available online.

(Photo credit: U.S. Forest Service)

Below is a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

On January 28, 2026, gray wolf 2305 — the three-year-old breeding male in the King Mountain Pack — died during routine collaring operations in Routt County.

“All wildlife capture operations come with a risk and while we meticulously prepare and take every precaution to ensure a positive outcome, there is always the possibility, even if small, that the worst happens,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Acting Director Laura Clellan. “Our staff and contractors carefully followed CPW Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) guidelines during this operation, but when the animal was delivered to CPW staff in the field from the initial capture site, it was unresponsive. Our team initiated resuscitation efforts but determined the animal had died.”

CPW performed a necropsy at its Health Lab in Fort Collins. Final results and lab tests from the necropsy are still pending and will help determine if there were any underlying conditions that contributed to the death of 2305.

An independent third-party veterinary pathologist was in attendance for the necropsy and will confirm all exam results.

As gray wolves in Colorado are a federally endangered species, the standard protocol for necropsies is that they be performed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In this case, because this was not a potential law enforcement investigation, CPW received permission from USFWS to perform this necropsy to help expedite the process.

“We are grateful for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s support in accelerating this process so it could be communicated to the public in a timely manner,” Clellan said. “While ACUC guidelines do not necessitate a pause in capture operations following one mortality event, CPW has decided to cease capture operations for the time being while we evaluate the circumstances around this mortality.”

In addition to the capture of 2305, the adult female and one pup from King Mountain Pack were successfully captured and collared during this operation. Summer counts had indicated four pups in this pack. All four pups, including the newly collared pup, were observed during this operation.

“It’s not yet possible to understand the long-term implications to the King Mountain Pack as a result of this mortality,” said CPW Wolf Conservation Program Manager Eric Odell. “We will continue to monitor this pack to evaluate their status and how they are contributing to the establishment of a self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado.”

Why was CPW conducting collaring operations?
Maintaining functioning collars assists CPW with monitoring the activity of wolves in Colorado, including tracking wolf localizations to aid with the timely deployment of conflict minimization resources. The agency strives to keep at least two members of each pack collared as outlined in the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. CPW staff were aware that the collars of the breeding adults of King Mountain Pack had low batteries and therefore wanted to replace them to maintain connectivity with the pack.

“These sorts of capture efforts are a routine part of CPW’s wolf monitoring efforts, and the program has had very successful capture operations up to this point,” Clellan said. “Operations like this are standard across a number of different species and are an important aspect of successful wildlife management in Colorado. We continue to be confident in the abilities of our staff who lead the processing side of these efforts as well as the contractors who conduct the captures.”

In addition to the King Mountain Pack, CPW continues to monitor three other confirmed packs and other known wolves in the state. The number of pups successfully recruited into the population will be included in the minimum population count in CPW’s annual gray wolf report which will be available early summer.

(Photo credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

Below is a news release from the U.S. Forest Service. Hunt 2 Conserve strongly supports active forest management for the benefit of wildlife, wildlife habitat, hunting, forest health and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

The U.S. Forest Service and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians have signed a new shared stewardship agreement to expand collaborative forest and rangeland restoration across two national forests in Oregon. The agreement strengthens an already productive partnership and supports shared planning and work to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, and protect cultural resources.

Signed on Feb. 12 at Forest Service headquarters in Washington D.C., this agreement builds on a previous collaboration between the Tribe and the agency. It strengthens the government-to-government relationship and expands capacity to accelerate work that supports healthier forests and safer communities.

“The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians bring deeply rooted Indigenous land management experience and traditions that focus on caring for the land,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said. “In partnership with the tribe, more than 37 miles of fuel breaks were created to protect tribal lands, private property, and National Forest System lands. I look forward to our expanded partnership and our joint efforts to reduce wildfire risk on a landscape scale and create resilient forests that benefit all.”

The agreement includes an initial planning project area of about 155,000 acres on the Umpqua and Rogue River-Siskiyou national forests. Within this landscape, the Forest Service and the tribe will work together to increase the pace and scale of forest management projects that protect people, communities, as well as natural and cultural resources.

“Wildfire is the greatest threat to the health of our forests, which is not only of cultural significance to the Cow Creek Umpqua, but also a critical part of Oregon’s environmental and economic landscape,” said Carla Keene, chairman of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. “This government-to-government partnership allows us to work toward a future where our forests are managed for long-term resilience, our communities are protected from the health risks of smoke, and our national forests remain an asset for all Oregonians seven generations into the future.”

National forests supply raw materials that support construction and wood energy industries, provide 180 million Americans with clean water, and host millions of visitors each year who enjoy world-class recreation opportunities. Protecting these benefits requires coordinated action across boundaries and jurisdictions, making shared stewardship agreements with states, counties and federally recognized tribes a critical part of managing a shared landscape.

This new agreement follows similar agreements with Montana,Idaho, Utah, and Georgia and reflects USDA’s commitment to working with all interested tribes, counties and states to improve forest health and strengthen rural communities.

More information on shared stewardship is available on the Forest Service website. The full agreement and additional details are available on the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians website.

(Photo source: U.S. Forest Service)

A new study supports others in recent years that refute popular claims by anti-hunting and animal rights groups that the reintroduction of wolves into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) spawned ecological change for the better.

The trophic cascade theory, popularized in 2012, maintains a change at the top of the food chain triggered beneficial impacts that trickled down to the bottom. The new research disputes the method of those 2012 findings by examining the theory that asserts the presence of wolves caused a 1,500 percent increase in the height of willows leading to reshaped rivers and improved landscapes.

“Our re-analysis shows their conclusion is invalid because it relies on circular reasoning and violations of basic modeling assumptions," Daniel MacNulty, study author and Utah State University ecologist, told Science Daily. “Because height was used both to compute and to predict volume, the relationship is circular -- mathematically guaranteed to look strong even if no biological change occurred.”

According to Science Daily, the statistical method used by the original researchers portrayed the wolf-willow growth connection as a strong one, even if that growth did not change. Other methodology concerns included sampling bias, assumptions and apple-versus-orange comparisons to studies outside of the GYE.

Earlier studies mimic the findings of this most recent research and dispelled trophic cascade. October 2024 research analyzing 21 years of data showed the primary driver of decreased elk browsing pressure and increased aspen tree regeneration was a reduction in elk population density caused by predation from multiple predators – wolves, bears, mountain lions and hunters.

A January 2024 study that spanned more than two decades examined the effects of three GYE apex predators – all carnivores at the top of the food chain not preyed on by other animals in that same landscape. Depleted populations of mountain lions and grizzly bears naturally recovered about the same time wolves were reintroduced to the park in 1995. The absence of these predators for nearly a century transformed the food web and landscape. The designed experiment adds to evidence supporting the theory that degradation of ecosystems may not be reversed when harmful stressors are mitigated. 

The lead researcher of a 2021 study described how the 2012 trophic cascade research measured only the five tallest young aspen in a given stand of trees which led to an “overestimated regeneration of overstory aspen…compared to random sampling because it favored plants taller than the preferred browsing height of elk and overlooked non-regenerating aspen stands.” The scientific team further highlighted the critical importance of basic sampling principles for achieving an accurate understanding of trophic cascades.

In 2019, scientists from three universities in two countries said more testing was needed about this “assumption of reciprocity.” And in 2010, another team of researchers determined young aspen in Yellowstone were not recovering despite the presence of wolves.

Referring to a 2014 viral video promoted by anti-hunting and animal rights groups that proclaimed wolf-related trophic cascade as fact, MacNulty told AccuWeather.com this in 2018: “It’s a really romantic story. It’s a story about a world that doesn’t really exist.”

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: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)