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When Wolf Management Becomes a Weapon Against the West
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Approved, KPAX, National

When Wolf Management Becomes a Weapon Against the West

By: Caroline Weiss | KPAX MISSOULA — The future of northern Rocky Mountain wolf protections came before a federal court in Missoula on Wednesday. The hearing was the latest in a long battle over Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves. Lawyers for the federal government and conservation groups squared off in front of U.S. District Court Judge Donald W. Molloy, presenting arguments about the merit of a petition denied by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) over federal protections for regional gray wolves. Gray wolves are currently protected under the Endangered Species Act in the Lower 48, except in the Northern Rockies region. Wolves in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and northern Utah do not receive federal protections. Conserv...
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McCombie: Initiative 82 revives push to restrict hunting, override expert conservation
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Approved, Commentary, NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum, State

McCombie: Initiative 82 revives push to restrict hunting, override expert conservation

By Brian McCombie | Commentary, NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum Colorado anti-hunters are making yet another push to wrest control of that state’s wildlife from wildlife professionals. This time, it is the recently proposed Ballot Initiative 82, the “Colorado Wildlife & Biodiversity Protection Act.” At its core, Initiative 82 would create an independent commission parallel to the current Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission. This independent commission would then draw up legal protections for unnamed “keystone species” and assess financial penalties for any violations of these protections. If approved by voters in the state’s 2026 election, $2.5 million in taxpayer dollars will fund this commission. It then will decide what exactly are the “keystone species,” though observers ...
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Message still matters: How Caliber Contact’s Pollie-winning campaign helped defeat Colorado’s Prop 127
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Message still matters: How Caliber Contact’s Pollie-winning campaign helped defeat Colorado’s Prop 127

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When Colorado voters rejected Proposition 127 in 2024, they didn’t just weigh in on mountain lions and bobcats – they delivered a decisive verdict on who should shape wildlife policy. In the state’s first failed wildlife ballot measure since 1992, 54.7% voted no.  Behind that result was an award-winning campaign by Caliber Contact, a Republican firm that reframed the issue through a values-driven lens by tapping into safety concerns, protective instincts and the voice of everyday Coloradans – over celebrity advocates.  Caliber Contact’s work is once again making headlines after the firm received two Pollie Awards this month for this very campaign – reminding the political world how strategic messaging helped sway one of Colorado’s most h...
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