The San Luis Valley Outdoor Report for the week of Oct. 30, 2024. The SLV Outdoor Report follows the recording of the Outdoor Citizen podcast.
With just one week until the election, we dedicated our latest episode of the Outdoor Citizen podcast to discuss two outdoor-related ballot initiatives that voters will be presented with in this year’s election: Proposition JJ and Proposition 127. Congressional candidate Adam Frisch appeared on the latest episode of The Valley Pod, where he spoke on both these topics. You’ll hear from him in this episode.
Proposition JJ seeks to eliminate a current cap of $29 million on the amount of sports betting tax revenue the state allocates for water conservation and management projects. The measure would allow the state to retain and allocate all sports betting tax revenue for water protection initiatives.
Currently, all sports betting tax revenue in Colorado is directed toward a Water Plan Implementation Fund. However, due to Colorado’s 1992 Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), tax revenue from the activity exceeding $29 million must be refunded to sports betting businesses. If voters approve the November measure, the cap would be eliminated, and the state may retain all additional sports betting tax revenue for its water management program.
Proposition 127 would, in effect, prohibit bobcat, lynx, and mountain lion hunting and trapping in Colorado. If adopted, it will allow on a permit basis the killing of these animals under certain circumstances such as livestock depredation.
There is an organized campaign around a Yes vote on this proposition called “Yes on 127: Cats are not Trophies.” Backers of the measure have rolled out supporter after supporter who are calling for a “yes” vote, and those supporters include former members of the Colorado Wildlife Commission.
Election Day is November 5. Be sure to vote. Your vote is your voice.
Tune in here, or wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you enjoy.
OUTDOOR CONDITIONS
We’ll have a mostly sunny end to October, with average daytime temps in the mid 50s. The nights are getting colder, too. Wednesday night is looking at a low of 17 degrees, with the rest of the week getting down into the low 20s. The Front Range is expected to get a little snow between Halloween and Election day. The Valley floor will remain relatively dry. However, the San Juan Mountains are expected to get a small amount of early snow.
The Upper Rio Grande’s snow water equivalent got a little bump up to seven percent of median over the past week.
Prescribed burns planned at National Wildlife Refuges
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has planned target dates for prescribed fire operations on the Alamosa, Baca, and Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuges for October and November.
The prescribed burns are to remove old and matted vegetation to improve wildlife habitat. Additionally, slash piles of natural materials will be burned as conditions and needs exist. Professional fire personnel from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Mid-Plains Fire Zone, along with state and federal partners, will conduct the fire operations.
The Refuges’ auto tour routes and walking trails may be temporarily closed to the public during fire operations for safety concerns. For your safety, please avoid these areas. Areas will re-open as soon as possible based on fire activity and safety.
Smoke will be visible to local residents, towns, and highways during the day and may last for a few days following burning operations. Signs will be posted along the nearest major roads and all burns will be monitored until they are declared completely out.
For up-to-date information, contact Alamosa and Monte Vista Refuge Manager Suzanne Beauchaine (719) 589-4021 x1003 or Assistant Refuge Manager Dean Lee (719) 589-4021 x1008, or Baca Refuge Manager Ty Benally (719) 256-5527.
What are YOU noticing? Have any specific birds, plants, or insects caught your eye this season? What changes have you seen in the landscape you live in?
Send your field notes or observations to jocelyncatterson@gmail.com or post to social media with #highdesertfieldnotes.
Here is the quarterly journal High Desert Field Notes by Jocelyn Catterson. What you discover feeds into this.
Outdoor Field Reports
We hope you’ll join in and tell us through a video or a simple email where your favorite fall hikes might be. Send your correspondence to info@alamosacitizen.com. We’ll mail you back an Alamosa Citizen bandana when you do.
You can view all of our Outdoor Field Reports on the Alamosa Citizen YouTube channel.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
FINAL BIKE AUDIT
The final bike and walk audit is Saturday, Nov. 12, from 2-4 p.m. This audit will start and end at the State Avenue River Trail Access. A rain day is scheduled for the following day, Nov. 13, at the same time.
SJNC FALL SOCIAL
San Juan Nordic Club early season social and board elections will be held Saturday, Nov. 2, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Colorado Farm Brewery, 2070 County Rd. 12 South. The San Juan Nordic Club grooms trails for cross-country skiing at Bishop Rock, Monte Vista Golf Course, Rock Creek and Big Meadows.
Anyone interested in participating on the board can view the position descriptions at sjnordic.wordpress.com. Terms run from June 1 to May 31. The club is also looking for volunteers to help with future events and trail grooming.
OUTDOOR NEWS
WOLF CONFLICT TRAININGS
The Colorado Department of Agriculture will have two more free sessions for ranchers to learn how to use non-lethal approaches to keep wolves from their livestock.
In an attempt to broaden the toolbox of ranchers and avoid lethal conflicts between ranchers and wolves, the state agency partnered with CPW, U.S. Department of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Wildlife Services, and Colorado State University Extension to make these trainings happen before the next set of wolves is set to be released into Colorado and before calving and lambing season. The agencies said the goal of these training is to prepare producers.
Some of the topics that will be discussed: Wolf 101, investigation and necropsy, site assessments, potential funding sources, compensation program, carcass management, range riding and how to haze off a predator, non-lethal tools to protect livestock, livestock protection dogs and support group, drone use, relationship building, supporting the community, and communications.
The next training will be on Monday, Nov. 4, from 6-9 p.m. in Meeker, at the Rio Blanco Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall #2, 835 Sulphur Creek Rd.
Then the final training will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Glenwood Springs, at the Morgridge Commons, 815 Cooper Ave. 2nd Floor.
For more information contact Dustin Shiflett at Dustin.Shiflett@state.co.us or 720-902-1222.
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Also, Rocky Mountain PBS is releasing an episode of its documentary series Colorado Experience called “Return of the Wolf.” The episode premieres on Thursday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. on Rocky Mountain PBS and will be available to stream on rmpbs.org and YouTube the same day.
Rocky Mountain PBS interviewed history and wildlife biology professors, as well as ranchers and wolf advocates to track the story and history of wolves in Colorado.
BIG CATS
The Colorado Wildlife Employees Protective Association, which represents 230 current and former Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists, administrators, and officers, adopted a first-of-its-kind resolution earlier in October supporting “science-based wildlife conservation.”
Although the resolution is broad and doesn’t specify Proposition 114, which re-introduced gray wolves, or Proposition 127, which could ban the hunting of Colorado’s big cats if passed on ov. 5, it is a clear indication that many of Colorado’s wildlife experts would rather see wildlife conservation and management continue as is rather than be in the hands of the voters.
Again, the resolution doesn’t specifically take opposition against the propositions, but states that “the members of the Colorado Wildlife Employees Protective Association hold it to be self-evident that all wildlife in Colorado is best protected, enhanced, and managed via the science based wildlife management professionals employed by the State of Colorado for such purposes.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife itself remains neutral.