Logan County commissioners weigh testifying against state wildlife appointees

Logan County commissioners are weighing whether to step into a state appointment fight, a move that could put Sterling-area concerns about wildlife, hunting access and land use directly in front of Gov. Jared Polis’s appointees.

Commissioner Jim Yahn raised the issue during a Tuesday work session, where county leaders discussed whether to testify against Frances Silva Blayney of Colorado Springs and Dr. John Emerick of Redstone, the two people Polis appointed to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission. The question is not ceremonial. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the commission is a citizen board appointed by the governor that sets regulations and policies for state parks and wildlife programs, and it meets six scheduled times a year to consider rule changes.

Those rules can reach into daily life in rural counties. CPW says commission decisions can cover season dates, bag limits, license requirements, off-highway vehicle rules, boating and park rules. In Logan County, where land, water and open-space use remain tied to ranching, wildlife and outdoor recreation, that kind of state-level policy can ripple far beyond Denver even when the debate starts at the Capitol.

Polis announced the appointments on July 3, 2025, saying he wanted one Democrat and one Republican on the board, along with one member from the Western Slope and one from the Pikes Peak region. He said the goal was to bring down the temperature and move away from politicization of the commission. Logan County leaders now appear to be considering whether to use their own voice to push back.

The county’s April 7, 2026 work session, attended by Commissioners Mike Brownell, Yahn and Jim Santomaso, showed how active the board has been on land-use questions closer to home. That same day, commissioners approved amended wind-energy regulations and lifted a moratorium on special-use permits for those projects, underscoring how often the county is trying to shape decisions that affect local property, agriculture and development.

CPW says public comments are welcome at any point in the rulemaking process, but are most effective early in discussions about proposed changes. If Logan County commissioners decide to testify, it would signal that the board is prepared to challenge state wildlife appointments when it believes rural counties are not getting enough influence over the rules that govern them.