Overview
- Commissioners voted 6–4 to begin rulemaking on a petition to prohibit for‑profit sales of parts from 17 furbearer species.
- The Center for Biological Diversity’s petition targets sales of hides, pelts, skins, claws and similar items, with exemptions for farmed fur, out‑of‑state harvest, fishing flies, western hats, and scientific or educational uses.
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff recommended denial, citing insufficient evidence that commercial sales drive unsustainable harvests plus enforcement complexity and possible conflicts with existing law.
- The packed meeting at the DoubleTree Denver–Westminster drew 120 in‑person speakers and security screenings requested by the venue, with divided testimony from hunters, trappers and animal‑protection advocates.
- Current rules include a low‑cost furbearer permit with no daily bag limits for most species; CPW sold 19,620 permits in 2024–25, and no timeline was set for potential new regulations.