Two CPW Commission Appointees Opposed by Stakeholders
April 21, 2026
With more appointees to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission strongly opposed by the rural, ranching, and sportsmen communities, their confirmation hearing before the Senate Ag Committee is shaping up to be contentious. All eyes are on Colorado and CPW, again, as the battle between hunters and the Governor marches on.
Gaspar Perricone, representing Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project, said the Commission is comprised of individuals aligned with extreme animal rights activism and often at odds with sportsmen and ag producers with a lack of experienced representation. Perricone said appointee Frances Silva Blayney, an outfitter representative, lacks experience but has actively engaged with her stakeholders. Chris Sichko, a sportsman representative, he said, is new to the hunting community and simply lacks the experience and depth of knowledge necessary. His appointment will be opposed.
“It's a slightly different story with respect to Mr. John Emrick, who has a long history of being both personally and professionally associated with organizations and NGOs who have embodied and fostered a very strong anti-hunting sentiment, and it goes without saying that we find that to be a inappropriate character trait on a board and a commission that is responsible for administering hunting in the state,” Perricone said. “He has also taken a number of votes that we have seen as very detrimental to the agency's ability to pursue science-based wildlife management. These votes have come at the expense of the agency itself, the sportsmen community, and frankly, the constituency that makes up CPW across the board.”
The appointees will appear before the Senate Ag and Natural Resources Committee on April 22 and the committee recommendations could go to the full Senate as early as Friday.
Perricone said the decision history remembers is made by those who show up. He said Colorado has been a victim of inaction and it is his hope stakeholders are paying attention, taking stock of what is at risk, and will get engaged in the process and let their voice be heard.
The three appointees are John Emerick of Redstone, Frances Silva Blayney of Colorado Springs and Christopher Sichko of Boulder. Emerick was appointed in July as a member-at-large. Blayney, also appointed in July, is designated to represent outfitters, and Sichko, appointed in February, is designated to represent hunters and anglers in the sportsmen’s seat.
Source: Rachel Gabel, Western Ag Network
Photo: Nominees to the state’s Park and Wildlife Commission during their confirmation hearings in 2024. From left, Jessica Beaulieu, Gary Skiba, Jack Murphy and CPW Director Jeff Davis. Gazette File Photo.
