Gabe Gonzalez - Tech Editor
Gabe Gonzalez - Tech Editor
Gabe is a third-year law student from Dixon, CA. He graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in wildlife biology, concentrating in wildlife management and conservation. Before attending law school at DU, Gabe worked for various state and federal agencies, most notably working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. He is interested in the fields of environmental law, wildlife law, and animal law, as well as the intersection between the biological sciences and the law.
Gabe’s Articles
Far removed from the traditional livestock practices of the old west, industrial-like Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) now dominate U.S. livestock production. These CAFOs, commonly referred to as factory farms, are operations in which: (1) animals are kept and raised in confined situations; (2) animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals, and production operations are maintained on a small land area; and (3) no grazing is allowed; feed is brought to the animals.
The loss of wetlands within the continental United States is not a new phenomenon; still, little has been done to slow the progressive loss of wetland habitats successfully. Since the 1780s, the continental United States has lost nearly 50% of its wetlands, and since 2009, the rate of wetland loss has increased by another 50%. Much of this historical loss was due, in part, to a misunderstanding of the significant roles wetlands play in filtering pollution, providing habitat for numerous plant and animal species, and providing natural flood control.
A Colorado watchdog group has filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the construction of the Rocky Flats Greenway due to the risk of plutonium contamination. The Greenway would connect Westminster Open Space to Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.
To one unfamiliar with the work of Wildlife Service, the name may lead one to believe the division aims to serve and benefit the interests of wildlife; that notion could not be further from the truth. Wildlife Services is a division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for the death of 1.85 million animals in 2022.
Wolves are returning to Colorado, and with them comes a 10(j)-rule. Many may wonder what exactly a 10(j)-rule is, whether they are effective, and how it will affect wolf reintroduction in Colorado.