Our Opinion Letters

South Dakota Comments July 2010 - 249.5KB
On behalf of the Cougar Fund and our members, we present comments on the Draft South Dakota Mountain Lion Management Plan 2010-2015. The Cougar Fund, a national nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of the cougar throughout its present and historic range, works on behalf of its members to ensure that cougar management, as well as management of their prey, are always held to the highest standards of peer-reviewed science. In addition to educating the public about the many issues that surround cougars, we look to balance human interests with healthy cougar populations.

WY 0610 - 172.6KB
On behalf of the Cougar Fund and our members, we present these comments on theproosed changes to the mountain lion regulations - chapter 42. We appreciate the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's (WGFD) efforts to assemble public meetings across the state to discuss and take comments on the proposed regulations, but we do believe the Department should have ensured that personnel knowledgeable about the entire state and state objectives should have attended each meeting in addition to local game officers. From our review of the proposed changes and "Statement of Reason", The Cougar Fund would like to provide several recommendations and comments.

0510 MT comments - 170.4KB
0510 MT comments

WA Cougar Pilot Program Amendments - 22KB
As a public institution with an obligation to serve the public interest, WDFW’s claim that recreational hunting is an effective and necessary management to address human-safety, human-livestock or predator-prey imbalances is wrong when empirical data to support this claim is lacking. Long-term management of healthy populations ought to be the result of the Cougar Pilot Program, however we have found that this program is skewing cougar populations towards younger aged animals.

Nebraska HB747 Jan.27, 2010 - 184.2KB
Nebraska HB747 Jan.27, 2010

Oregon Letter Rep. Buckley 9/10/08 - 112.6KB
Commending Rep. Buckley's efforts to suspend Oregon’s current cougar management plan and practices in light of recent scientific findings in order to reach a new, and better standard for cougar management.

South Dakota Letter 2/2/09 - 140.8KB
Opposing HB 1004: An Act to provide for the killing of mountain lions under certain
circumstances and to provide for the disposition of such mountain lions

New Mexico Letter Commissioners 9/23/08 - 49.1KB
We support New Mexico's state Game and Fish’s proposed rule changes to the big game hunting rules for the 2009 and 2010 hunting rules. The agency’s proposed changes are not only reflective of current science, but also ensure progressive and adaptive management policies will be practiced
in New Mexico.

Indiana Letter 5/27/08 - 60.2KB
The Cougar Fund's comments on David Kitchell’s May 24 story about the possibility of increased cougar sightings in urban areas.

Arizona-KOFA Letter 6/23/08 - 99.9KB
RE: Development of an Environmental Assessment for a mountain lion
management plan on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona

Colorado Letter Open Records Request 9/7/08 - 151.4KB
Pursuant to Colorado’s Open Records Act, The Cougar Fund
hereby requests that you make available for inspection any and all records, documents,
email communications, phone call records, meeting notes and/or minutes, reports or
photographs that were generated, modified, or acquired throughout the staff’s actions
with regards to the incident in Idledale, CO involving a cougar allegedly entering a
family home and killing their Labrador on August 4, 2008.

Washington State Commissioners Letter 9/8/08 - 155.0KB
The Cougar Fund would like to state that we oppose the extension of the 2004
pilot project that allows for the use of dogs to hunt cougars in five northeastern Washington
counties.

New Mexico Letter Director 7/21/08 - 88.1KB
The Cougar Fund would like to ask the state of New Mexico to re-evaluate the section of the Big Game Management plan regarding cougars.
The Cougar Fund fails to find scientific evidence that supports increasing harvest limits in section 29, 30 & 31.

South Dakota Letter to Members 2/4/09 - 34.6KB
Appeal to Cougar Fund Members re: HB 1004