Re: Fading Gold: The Decline of Aspen in the West

IMHO, for several years now the CDW (Colorado Department of Wildlife) has managed the elk herd population with one goal in mind. Maximizing the money collected by selling hunting licenses. My father (now retired) was a wildlife biologist for the US Forest Service and worked in Colorado for many years. He recommended for many years that the elk herds be reduced in number because they were damaging the ecosystem by overgrazing, including damaging the aspen trees. Because of lack of browse, deer numbers and other animal species numbers were steadily falling for years. His recommendations were and still are being ignored by the CDW.