government
Where Pitkin County (and Colorado) sits in the context of state bans on M-44s
By Jonathan Bowers Follow
jbowers@aspentimes.com at Aspen Times
· July 13, 2026
· 8 min read
Editor’s Note: After originally declining to comment by the time of publication, Commissioner Francie Jacober has responded to questions with regard to the lifting of the M-44 ban on BLM lands. This article has been updated to reflect her comments.
Back in 1998, the federal agency Wildlife Ser...
Key takeaway Back in 1998, the federal agency Wildlife Services still regularly deployed M-44s — otherwise known as “cyanide bombs” — on BLM and U.
Why this matters in Aspen News
Pitkin County residents can draw hope from the stance of Wildlife Services' state directors for Oregon and California, who do not anticipate using M-44s in their respective states. Given the national ban was recently rescinded for BLM lands, including 27,490 acres within the county, local elected representatives like Senator Marc Catlin are looking into the situation. As the county seat of Pitkin County, Aspen 's own government and residents may consider advocating for a statewide ban in Colorado to prevent the use of these cyanide devices.
About this story
Original reporting by Aspen Times . Aspen News surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit Aspen Times . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: government ·
Published: July 13, 2026 ·
Source: Aspen Times ·
Reading time: 8 min
Get more Aspen News stories like this
Free weekly briefing covering government and other local news. Curated by our editorial team. No spam.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy . Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Editor’s Note: After originally declining to comment by the time of publication, Commissioner Francie Jacober has responded to questions with regard to the lifting of the M-44 ban on BLM lands. This article has been updated to reflect her comments.
Back in 1998, the federal agency Wildlife Ser...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 13, 2026 by Aspen Times and curated for Aspen News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Jonathan Bowers Follow
jbowers@aspentimes.com at Aspen Times. To learn more about how Aspen News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more government coverage from Aspen News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
← Back to all news
More government →
Today’s briefing
Subscribe to newsletter