A beaver no-kill bill pitched as a way to expand Colorado’s wildfire and drought mitigation efforts failed in a state legislative committee Monday, preserving current rights to hunt and trap the animals on public lands. Hunters and trappers loudly opposed House Bill 1323, which would have made it illegal in Colorado to kill beavers for recreation on state public land or federal lands where state rules apply. Governments could still have trapped beavers for forest or wetlands management. But the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources committee indefinitely postponed the bill, thereby killing it for this session, in a 10-3 vote. … Wildlife and wildfire researchers are increasingly relying on the wetlands that beavers naturally create behind river dams and lodges to serve as beneficial fire breaks.