Wolves are on the 2020 ballot
A vote “yes” on Proposition 114 would support the creation of a plan to reintroduce and manage gray wolves west of the Continental Divide. The plan would be designed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife scientists and implemented by the end of 2023.
“Wolves were once the most widely distributed land mammal on the planet,” says Kevin Crooks, Professor of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University. But continuous conflict between the canid and humans have led to their decline.
Before the arrival of European settlers, wolves were found extensively across the North American continent, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Through predator control, often government-mandated, and habitat loss from human development, the gray wolf now occupies 15% of their historical range. The last wolves in Colorado were killed in the 1940s.
Since the restoration of the wolf in Yellowstone National Park, a handful of wolves have made their way into Colorado. However, “natural reintroduction” of the gray wolf whereby the species reintroduces itself to state is not likely.
The gray wolf can be hunted within much of Wyoming, meaning that they have little chance of even making it across the Colorado-Wyoming border into the state. Further, a viable population would actually have to establish itself, avoiding a variety of human pressures, in order for the species to persist over the years.
The conversation around wolf reintroduction has always been contentious.
Becky Niemiec, Assistant Professor at Colorado State University, studies the human dimensions of conservation and lead a study with others at CSU to understand where Coloradans stand on the issue in anticipation of the 2020 election.
The authors discovered many arguments both against and for wolf reintroduction.
Many people were afraid for their safety and that wolves would enter residential areas or threaten hikers. There was also concern that wolves would greatly impact the livestock industry, and thus many people’s livelihoods. Others looked forward to hearing wolves howl on the landscape and witnessing ecological restoration.
Niemiec also uncovered that 84% of Coloradans supported wolf reintroduction. This may seem surprising considering the contentious history of the issue, but there has been a gradual transition in public sentiment toward nature. Previously, the general public viewed nature as something that could be used for human benefit. Now, more people view nature as something humans coexist with.
Niemiec says, “public opinion towards wolves started changing in the mid-20th century with the passing of the Endangered Species Act.”
In the 2020 study, Niemiec also discovered that media rarely cover all sides of the issue and the entirety of each of the arguments for or against reintroduction.
The Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence has compiled detailed information sheets to help thoroughly inform the public.
The center was formed in 2020 to “develop approaches to minimize conflict and to facilitate coexistence between people and predators,” says Crooks, also the Director of the center.
The center hosts a number of events. On October 21st, the center will co-host a virtual panel discussion with the Global Indigenous Council to spotlight Indigenous perspectives on the issue. You can find the event here.
Additionally, you can tune into a virtual presentation series with The Institute for Science and Policy, a project of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Although wolves have been absent in the wild in Colorado for decades, you can visit sanctuaries like the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center to better understand wolves, up-close and personal.
Niemiec says, “ultimately, where wolves live and whether they thrive in habitats depends on people’s attitudes and actions towards wolves.”