With talks of delisting the gray wolf, it was only a matter of time before a major push for wolf reintroduction in Colorado began. Unfortunately, it looks like that time has come. Rocky Mountain Wolf Project announced their plan to bring wolf reintroduction to ballot boxes in Colorado.
In an email to their members last week, they asked for donations. These would help them through the lengthy process of legal review, petitions, and campaigning. Their mission is to “Engage Coloradans about the reality of co-existing with wolves. Including ways to mitigate the effects on hunters, ranchers, and others concerned about wolves.”
Essentially, they want to pretend that wolf depredation won’t be an issue for ranchers like it has been in Oregon and other wolf populated states. They also want to spread their “science” about the way wolves help the ecosystem, but a study released by the University of Wyoming shows that these effects are not predictable nor consistent. They also go on to say that they want to “dispel myths” about wolves.
WHAT IS BEING DONE
Colorado ranchers and sportsmen are wasting no time responding to this announcement. The Colorado Stop The Wolf Coalition has hired a consulting firm and released the following statement:
Montrose County Commissioners also made a major decision to protect area ranchers. They unanimously approved a resolution that opposed wolf reintroduction. The resolution also states that “state or federal funding [will] be provided to reimburse Montrose County for any damages or injuries that arise from any active reintroduction of the gray wolf.” Several other counties have passed similar resolutions.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife also passed a resolution against wolf reintroduction way back in 2016. In their resolution, they said, “While surveys of Coloradans about wolves have reflected general public support for wolves living in Colorado, the cost of having and managing wolves will fall squarely upon farmers, ranchers, and sportspersons. That fact must be considered when the future of wolves in Colorado is contemplated. Wolves and wolf management is costly, and currently, no funding source to pay to support wolves has been identified.”
What are your thoughts on the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project’s plan? Do they stand a chance of making it to the ballot box?
