Animal Activist Group Wants Colorado to Ban Sale of Wildlife Fur

The fur ban debate may soon be reignited in Colorado, seven months after Denver voters rejected a sweeping prohibition on fur sales in the city.

A new proposal emerged on Monday, June 16, in the form of a rulemaking petition from the Center for Biological Diversity. The national conservation nonprofit is asking the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to ban the commercial sale of fur taken from the state's wildlife.

"Auctioning off piles of pelts from native animals is a relic of an era that drove iconic species, like beavers and bison, to the brink," says Samantha Miller, senior carnivore campaigner for the Center. "Our state needs to modernize wildlife management to confront today’s biodiversity crisis."

The proposal is different from the failed Denver ballot measure in key ways: the Denver measure would have banned the sale of most new fur products in the city, while the newly proposed ban would apply statewide to the sale of fur from native wildlife killed while living in the wild but would not impact the sale of factory-farmed fur.

Current law allows the for-profit sale of fur from furbearer species, such as fox, mink, bobcat and coyote. The proposal would not restrict the hunting or trapping of furbearers, just the sale of their hides, pelts or skins afterward.

"It simply says Colorado's wildlife should not be caught/killed for their fur to be sold," Miller says of the new proposal. "We should not encourage the market sales of the pelts of Colorado's native wildlife, especially when we allow for the unlimited killing of these animals across species."

"It allows for recreational trappers to keep and use furs from animals they trap, but it removes the market incentive for killing native species of wildlife in Colorado," she adds.

The Center for Biological Diversity was not involved in creating the Denver fur ban measure. However, the group did learn some lessons from the measure's failure. Its proposed fur ban includes exemptions for felt cowboy hats and hand-tied fishing flies — products that opponents frequently brought up during the Denver debate.

While the Denver fur ban required voter approval, that is not the case for this new proposal. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission has the power to regulate the sale of wildlife, including wildlife parts or products.

Anyone can petition the commission to issue, amend or repeal any state rule. Once reviewed for completeness, the petition will be discussed by upper-level CPW managers at an internal, staff-only meeting. If the staff supports the petition, it will advance to a commission meeting for further discussion. If not, it will be placed on the consent agenda for denial.

"The Commission is reviewing the petition and has no comment at this time," says Travis Duncan, public information supervisor for CPW.

The proposal faces an uphill battle. While other state wildlife commissions have regulated the hunting of furbearers, none have prohibited the sale of their fur statewide, according to Miller.

Sixteen municipalities and the state of California have passed prohibitions on new fur products similar to the failed Denver ballot measure, according to Pro-Animal Future (California's ban was passed by the State Legislature, not the wildlife commission). Boulder voters narrowly passed a fur ban in 2021.

Miller says the new proposal would better align the state with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which calls for the elimination of the commercial sale of wildlife to ensure the sustainability of wildlife populations. She says furbearer species are put at risk under the current system, such as the swift fox, which is designated as a species of special concern in Colorado.

"Colorado Parks and Wildlife now stands at a pivotal crossroads, and the path to protecting our native animals is clear," Miller says.