Motorized game retrieval on public lands was the major topic of discussion at the Montezuma County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday morning.
County commissioners met with representatives from the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to discuss the elimination of motorized game retrieval in the Boggy-Glade travel management area. The meeting marked the first time division of wildlife officials responded to invitations sent by the commissioners requesting communication between the two groups.
We really appreciate the division of wildlife being here, said Commissioner Steve Chappell. Your name gets thrown around a lot at these meetings, and we would like your opinion on the decision to eliminate motorized game retrieval.
The elimination of motorized game retrieval has been one of the more controversial elements of the Boggy-Glade Travel Management Plan. In concurrence with the 2005 federal travel rule, the Dolores Public Lands Office eliminated game retrieval along with all other off-road motorized travel in the Boggy-Glade plan, which was released in August. The plan has been remanded and is being reconsidered.
During the original comment period for the Boggy-Glade plan, comments were submitted on behalf of the division of wildlife favoring the elimination of motorized game retrieval. Much of the debate centers on enforcement, said Pat Dorsey, division of wildlife area wildlife manager.
We support options for hunters to get their meat out of the field; in fact we require it by law, Dorsey said. But in a lot of places it has been an enforcement and management nightmare to regulate retrieval.
Division of Wildlife Southwest Regional Manager Tom Spezze agreed with Dorseys assessment of the situation and noted travel management decisions belong in the hands of the forest service.
We do expect hunters to retrieve game, but how they do that is sometimes a land management issue, not necessarily a wildlife issue, Spezze said. We defer to the forest service in how they want to put it in their law and how they expect it to be managed.
Dorsey, Spezze and San Juan Public Lands Manager Mark Stiles pointed to enforcement problems that exist in the Rio Grande National Forest, located in southcentral Colorado. The Rio Grande is the only federally-managed public lands area in U.S. Forest Service Management Region 2 that allows motorized game retrieval. Regions 2 comprises Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Game retrieval exists in the Rio Grande because it was written into the overall forest plan, not as part of a travel management plan, Stiles said.
It is still in effect and remains an enforcement issue, Stiles said. Most people on four-wheelers out there are using them for access, not retrieval. Besides the Rio Grande, our intention has been to move away from active game retrieval in the region to provide consistency for hunters.
County Attorney Bob Slough stated various federal and state laws allow for leniency in decisions regarding motorized game retrieval.
Stiles agreed that game retrieval is an option, but the implementation remains problematic.
I agree it can be done, Stiles said. But it is still a question of if it should be done from a resource standpoint and a hunter disruption standpoint.
Arguments against motorized game retrieval include resource damage, random trail proliferation, wildlife pressure and disruption of hunting, Stiles said.
In our 2008 survey of elk hunters, one of the biggest complaints was other elk hunters on (all-terrain vehicles), Dorsey said. We have to try and balance it.
Division of wildlife is hesitant to push for motorized game retrieval in any region due to enforcement issues in the Rio Grande area, Spezze said.
During the planning period in the Rio Grande, we submitted strong comments in support of game retrieval and it has come back to bite us, he said. Weve been the ones the forest service has pointed to and said: You guys wanted this. Now look at this 800-pound gorilla on our backs. Thats the hard part, and, to be honest, in that region they dont have anywhere near the number of roads Ive seen on your map.
Dorsey presented the commissioners with a map of the Boggy-Glade region and noted that only 2 percent of the area is more than a mile from a road in any direction.
County Administrator Ashton Harrison raised the possibility of using local law enforcement officials to enforce game retrieval regulations if necessary.
Stiles noted the Boggy-Glade plan will most likely be sent back to the public for an open comment period, at which point issues such as motorized game retrieval may be reconsidered.
I believe we will open the plan back up for comment, Stiles said. But I want to caution that just because was have the legal authority to bring back game retrieval we still have to consider other issues. It might be OK on the surface with DOW and the forest service, but there might still be some resource issues we have to address.
There is currently no set deadline for completion of the Boggy-Glade travel management plan.
Reach Kimberly Benedict at kimberlyb@cortezjournal.com.