Who gets access on wildlife policy and who doesn’t?
After posting about the First Gentleman Marlon Reis’ special access to Gov. Jared Polis’ wildlife adviser, I had a reader ask who the adviser was. This was the adviser that wouldn’t dream of holding a meeting on wolf/wildlife policy without Mr. Reis present.
Took a bit, but I got an answer to that question. I got a whole lot more to share in the process. I have a whole web of connections among the wealthy and politically connected to share, a story swampier than my armpit after a summer’s day working outside in a three-piece suit.
The first gentleman has the ear of the governor’s wildlife adviser. That adviser is Nicole Rosmarino, a well-to-do advocate of “rewilding.”
Rosmarino works with one of Polis’ Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners, Jay Tutchon (himself an advocate of rewilding) at the Southern Plains Land Trust or SPLT, an organization working to buy up tracts in the southern plains of Colorado in order to rewild the area.
In turn, SPLT gets gobs and gobs of money from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). Nice work if you can get it. Oh and guess what? Head of the Department of Natural Resources (which houses CPW) Dan Gibbs and CPW Commissioner Tutchon sit on GOCO’s board.
Meantime, Tutchon, Reis and Rosmarino all have a hand in wolf policy in this state because they’re connected tightly to our governor, who is likely directing wolf policy from the comfort of the same backroom where he made deals with tobacco giants and big oil/big environmental groups. It’s the backroom neither you nor the press are allowed in.
This is typified by reading the governor’s statements, and knowing that with Polis, it’s as much what is said as what is NOT said.
Lastly, I want to call your attention to what State Sen. Dylan Roberts said in that same article. I’ll excerpt:
“‘I think there’s a concern that the commission is being filled with people who are more interested in changing the direction of the agency rather than preserving the statutory vision of (Parks and Wildlife),’ Roberts said to The Aspen Times this week.”
Is it at least reasonable to be concerned that rewilding advocates might be trying to change how things work? To make radical changes to wildlife policy (among others) in this state?
To change things now from a (theoretically) non-political board that is supposed to use science to balance the needs of nature and man to one that wants to gobble up land, exclude humans from it, and return to a state where nothing is managed except by nature’s hand (human concerns be damned)?
A nice vision if you have money enough to avoid the consequences of such policy perhaps. Not so good for others whose lives or jobs put them in contact with wildlife. Not so good for people who are realistic enough to realize that the idea of completely untouched wilderness in this state is going to have to be balanced with concerns about feeding ourselves and keeping our cars going and houses heated.
None of what you see here was secret. None of it is illegal. My resources are easily accessed by anyone, proving no one is hiding these connections (save for perhaps Mr. Reis’ involvement). You don’t hear it because most in the media are paying attention to other things.
The fact that it’s not illegal doesn’t make any of it okay, however. While you get your 2 minutes in front of the CPW commissioners to talk about wolves, the first gentleman gets assurances from one of the two people in Polis’ direct orbit (both of whom work for a land trust that gets lots of government grants) that they’ll make sure he gets to be at the meetings to discuss wolf policy.
Swampy as hell. Not fair.
And a direct consequence of the big money Democrat political machine in this state that was set up years and years ago through big money donors, dark money, and non-governmental organization nonprofits.
Before moving on to the details, I thought it would be good to pop in here and tell you what you can do if what you found above was not to your liking.
Don’t bother emailing or calling Polis, that will do nothing. He’s made his choice and clearly has no issues there.
I think speaking up in front of the Senate Ag committee would be worth your time. I know the Republicans on the committee would be receptive, but the chair (Sen Roberts, an outspoken critic of many things relating to wolves and CPW) would be as well.
If you don’t like what you’ve seen here, contact any or all of the legislators and share your thoughts.
Another option is to provide comment to the Great Outdoors Colorado board. They are the ones giving out the grants to help with the land acquisition process. After contacting them, I learned that their board meetings are public and you can either attend and offer comment or you can send in written content. In either case you would email info@goco.org (asking to be signed up to deliver comment at a meeting or sending in your written thoughts and asking them to be sent to the board).
