Colorado voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether the gray wolf, nearly hunted to extinction a century ago, will have a home west of the Continental Divide in their state. If they approve Inititiative 114, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission would be charged with planning for and carrying out the reintroduction of the gray wolf by the end of 2023, including the possibility of compensation for livestock lost to wolves.
Farm and ranch groups, including the Colorado Farm Bureau and cattle and sheep ranchers, have some star power, rock musician Ted Nugent, in opposing reintroduction as a threat to agriculture and the state’s growing population. “The wolf is a liability where ever they are found. They destroy livestock, they destroy quality of life,” said Nugent in a video distributed by Stop the Wolf PAC.
Proponents, led by the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund, say the wolf would restore balance to the environment by reducing deer and elk numbers and preserving streambank vegetation. Former Gov. Bill Ritter and former Sen. Mark Udall have endorsed the initiative.
“Colorado’s Proposition 114 marks the first time that voters, not the federal government, would direct state wildlife managers to script a recovery plan for wolves,” said the Colorado Sun. The Colorado Wildlife Commission rejected a proposal for wolf reintroduction in 2016, leading to the campaign for a ballot-box decision.