Mike Costello Calls on Coloradans to Reject Proposition 127: Protect Wildlife, Uphold Science-Based Management
September 15, 2024 – Denver, CO – Mike Costello, a conservation advocate and contributor to HOWL for Wildlife, urges Colorado residents to reject Proposition 127, a ballot initiative that would ban mountain lion and bobcat hunting. In his latest opinion piece, The Unintended Consequences of Proposition 127, Costello warns of the damaging effects that “ballot-box biology” could have on Colorado’s wildlife management and conservation success. Drawing from California’s experience, he highlights the risk of undermining a proven, science-based wildlife management system that has made Colorado a leader in conservation.
Costello, a seasoned conservationist and hunter, calls on Coloradans to recognize the value of their state’s current approach to predator management. “Ecosystems are incredibly complex, while Proposition 127 is a blunt-force solution for a problem that does not exist,” Costello writes, citing how Colorado’s wildlife management system transformed mountain lion populations from near-extinction in the 1960s to thriving at over 4,000 animals today.
A Proven Model of Conservation Success
Costello highlights the stark difference between Colorado’s wildlife management approach and California’s voter-mandated ban on mountain lion hunting. California’s ban has led to unintended consequences, including increased mountain lion-human conflicts, domestic animal attacks, and lions losing their natural fear of humans. In contrast, Colorado’s science-driven wildlife management, overseen by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), has balanced predator populations while ensuring public safety and maintaining thriving ecosystems.
“Colorado’s success in managing predators like mountain lions through regulated hunting is one of North America’s great conservation achievements,” Costello asserts. “To abandon this system for a feel-good initiative like Prop 127 is to disregard decades of progress.”
The Risks of “Ballot-Box Biology”
Costello warns that Proposition 127, like California’s ban, is driven by emotional rhetoric rather than scientific expertise. He points out that voter-mandated wildlife policies can have severe, long-term consequences that proponents rarely address. He urges Coloradans to reject this well-intentioned but misguided approach, pointing to how similar efforts in California have led to increased human-predator conflicts and a lack of accountability for the consequences of removing critical wildlife management tools.
“How are things going for the voter-mandated wolf relocation experiments? Misinformed rhetoric and charismatic images may sway votes, but they cannot account for the costs and consequences that flow from the removal of CPW’s conservation tools,” Costello warns.
Defending Science-Based Wildlife Management
Costello’s plea is clear: preserving Colorado’s success requires maintaining the CPW’s science-based approach to managing predator populations. He emphasizes that conservation efforts should not only focus on protecting apex predators but also on maintaining balance within ecosystems through regulated harvest.
“Advocates for Proposition 127 want you to focus on caricatures of imaginary villains (‘the Trophy Hunter’) while disregarding conservation success that takes place throughout Colorado,” Costello writes. “Reject ballot-box biology. Hold on to the wildlife management systems that work.”
About Mike Costello
Mike Costello is an “adult onset hunter” from California and a contributor to HOWL for Wildlife. As a conservation advocate, he believes all native species deserve a place to thrive and that true conservation success results in the abundance of critters while allowing people to sustainably hunt, harvest, and participate in nature.
This press release emphasizes the importance of preserving Colorado’s successful wildlife management practices and protecting its ecosystems from the unintended consequences of Proposition 127.
