Several organizations representing sportsmen and women have quit the Polis administration’s Colorado Outdoor Partnership saying serious wildlife issues are being tossed to the wayside in favor of human wokism.
From the Colorado Sun:
“If it’s not recreation, it’s DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion.) And if it’s not DEI, it’s wolves. And there is nothing else,” said Dan Gates, a founding member of the partnership and long-time volunteer in Colorado’s wildlife community representing the Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management and Colorado Trapper and Predator Hunters Association. “There’s no room for any conversations around wildlife and habitat management. Nothing can be done for wildlife and habitat because there are all these other distractions on this landscape. It’s so frustrating for the sportsmen community.”
The groups said in their resignation letter last week their volunteers are no longer comfortable serving in the partnership led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, after former agency organizer Alease Lee accused Gates of racism.
A seven-month investigation found Lee’s claims of racism by Gates were unfounded. No one interviewed by investigators offered any support for Lee’s accusations against Gates. Lee herself was unable to provide evidence of racist behavior by Gates. Lee, who has resigned from the agency, did not return texts or calls from The Colorado Sun.
Lee quit after four months of work with a $76,000 settlement for withdrawing her complaint. Her job was to help organize the 2022 Partners in the Outdoors conference, which explored ways of adding more diverse voices in the agency.
Because wildlife are all about wokism these days.
The groups’ requests for transparency about the investigation have been stonewalled by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Instead, it sounds like the Polis administration told the hunters and sportsmen that their kind are no longer welcome to volunteer and collaborate on issues the group was originally tasked to address.
A statement from the Department of Natural Resources and CPW noted the agencies’ pride in the demographic and cultural diversity of the Colorado Outdoor Partnership “and its collaborative, consensus-based work.”
“While we are always sorry to see volunteer members leave, this is an opportunity to bring new voices and energy to the CO-OP,” reads the statement.
We reached out to Colorado’s wildlife to get their response to the new cultural diversity of the people managing their habitat.
They said all people are tasty no matter their skin color or gender, but if the people could get rid of the wolves, that would be great.