DENVER— In response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted 6-4 on Wednesday to begin a rulemaking process to prohibit the commercial sale of furs taken from the state’s wildlife.

“I’m glad the commission recognized how critical modernizing Colorado’s wildlife management is to addressing the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change,” said Samantha Miller, a senior carnivore campaigner at the Center. “Furbearers like beavers and bobcats have incredibly valuable roles to play in nature and shouldn’t be wastefully killed by hunters and trappers trying to make a quick buck. I’m thrilled that the commission recognizes that furbearers should have the same protections against for-profit exploitation that Colorado’s big game animals enjoy.”

In contrast to the protections given to game animals like elk, Colorado Parks and Wildlife currently allows the for-profit sales of all species classified as “furbearers,” which can be trapped, killed and sold in unlimited numbers. This includes beavers, ringtails, red foxes, pine martens and bobcats, as well as swift foxes, an imperiled species of special concern in the state.

The North American Model is a set of principles that Colorado’s wildlife agency and many other wildlife agencies use to guide wildlife management and conservation. A core tenet is the prohibition of commercial sales of wildlife, as commercial sale and use not only led to declines in iconic North American animals but also the extinction of species such as the passenger pigeon.

Although Colorado Parks and Wildlife recommended denial of the petition, the commission is the ultimate decisionmaker on citizen rulemaking petitions. Now that a rulemaking related to the petition will be initiated, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff will draft rules for formal adoption by the commission. Those rules will be voted on for final adoption at the commission’s May meeting.