Both supporters and skeptics of Grey Wolf Reintroduction initiative attend CPW open house in Colorado Springs
With voter approval of Proposition 114 in the November election, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is tasked with restoring grey wolves to state’s Western Slope by the end of 2023.
As part of the Grey Wolf Reintroduction initiative, CPW is required to get public input, and is holding public meetings to discuss it and raise awareness. One held at Cottonwood Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs last week drew about 30 members of the public.
Members of CPW and Keystone Policy Group hosted the Aug. 4 meeting.
According to the Colorado Encyclopedia, the grey wolf (Canis lupus) was eradicated from the state in the 1940s and has been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. Wolves have now been reintroduced in three states: Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. CFW experts say these states serve as a model for Colorado’s reintroduction plan and might provide insights into the costs and benefits of wolves.
Curtis Russell, a resident of the Eastern plains, and a board member of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, was in attendance. He said he opposed the proposition and expressed concerns about the impact that reintroducing wolves will have on the beef industry in the state.
“One of the biggest comments I have is on indirect losses to the livestock industry,” said Russell. “I also have some concerns on impacts on wildlife populations and how they are going to fund depredation losses. The biggest concern I have is the politics surrounding how they will pay for it.”
He also expressed frustrations about the lack of proactive education before reintroduction was proposed.
“The stuff being done here should have been done and presented as a plan before we presented to the public,” said Russell. “We should have figured it out and had a plan so that people would know what was going to happen from a standpoint of cost effects on people, and cost of effects on wildlife and livestock.”
However, Russell commended the work being done by the CFW now.
“The folks from CPW are trying really hard to get it right,” said Russell. “I feel like the folks we talked to here tonight have to do it, so they want to do it right.”
Others at the meeting said they feel that wolves have the right to return to their native habitat, and that their return will benefit Colorado.
Tom Zeiber has attended four listening sessions around the state and is a member of the Colorado Wolf Coalition, which helped get Proposition 114 approved.
“I am very interested to see that we get what we intended to get, which is a self-sustaining population of wolves starting out on the Western Slope, but wherever wolves have a habitat, we feel that they should have a home…” he said. “We are hoping they are going to help restore the balance to the ecosystem for now and for future generations.”
Rebecca Burkhalter is a tour guide for the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center in Divide, where she has seen the tourist revenue generated by wolves. She said she believes their reintroduction could benefit the Western Slope’s economy.
“I see people come [to the CWWC] every day from literally all over the world,” said Burkhalter. “I think if we changed our perception of wolves from enemies into something that could bring us money and that we could live in harmony with, I think [reintroducing wolves] could be a win for everybody. That is what I genuinely believe, I am not just trying to save wolves I’m trying to save Colorado as well.”
Dan Gates, a wildlife control operator and a member of the Wolf Stakeholder Advisory Group, described his stance as completely neutral.
“I think there are pros and cons depending on the overall outcome and how [wolf relocation] is played out and how it’s allowed to be managed with 960 other species of wildlife and 5.7 million people,” said Gates. “We need to figure out a way to come to the middle and consider what is best for the wolf, what is best for wildlife, what is best for natural resources and management.”
Travis Black, a deputy regional manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s southeast region, spoke of the importance of the public listening sessions in making sure peoples’ voices are heard.
“[Listening sessions] that we have here are a chance for the public to voice their concerns as well as learn about the reintroduction efforts right now. We don’t have a plan right now; we don’t know all the answers right now. This is an effort for the public to engage in that process and help steer where that plan goes.”
More information on CPW’s wolf reintroduction efforts and virtual or in-person opportunities to contribute to this conversation can be found on Colorado’s Wolf Restoration and Management Plan Public Engagement Website: wolfengagementco.org. Upcoming public open house meetings are scheduled in Fort Collins, Sterling, La Junta and Eagle.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is hosting public meetings throughout the state to gather input on its Gray Wolf Reintroduction initiative, mandated by the November passage of Proposition 114 in Colorado. Pictured is a male gray wolf recently sighted in Colorado’s Jackson County. It was confirmed to have traveled to the state from Wyoming.
Gray wolves
A state game camera in Moffat County captured this wolf in June. Colorado wildlife officials say the first gray wolf pups since the 1940s have been spotted in the state.
