Help Angling Trade Stand Up For Public Access 

---

In all the years we’ve run Angling Trade, I don’t believe we’ve ever used this platform to advance any personal agendas. We’ve obviously used our megaphone to help many other areas that were in need of a voice regarding public access, and other conservation issues. Well… the time has come friends.

I need a little help flooding my county commissioners’ inboxes from folks who feel strongly about public access.  The long and short of the story is that Boulder County, Colorado, has closed federal land (both USFS and BLM) to hunting just west of town, bowing to a few land owners who do not like hunters near their property. This has been in effect for a number of years and I personally fear that if this is allowed to stand what comes next? Fishing? Boating? Biking?

The Forest Service is on record stating that federal laws preempt state and county laws and that hunting should be allowed on forest service land—in this instance specifically.

Now Backcountry Hunters & Anglers have entered the conversation stating that, “BHA does not believe that Boulder’s resolution complies with federal law for closure of federal lands to hunting.” They are asking that people who feel strongly about federal lands being closed illegally, “stand up for hunting access in Boulder County and send a letter to the Boulder County Commissioners to reinforce the stance that federal lands should not be closed to hunting without a valid reason and the due process prescribed by federal law.

Please do me a solid and take a few minutes to protect your hunting privileges on federal land (and lord knows what else) to make sure a dangerous precedent is not set by the Boulder County Commissioners in Colorado.

Also, if you’re a local and want to get more involved please feel free to email me and or consider attending a Public Hearing April 23rd at 3:30pm about the situation.  More info on that can be found here.