In 2020, the citizens of Colorado voted to introduce gray wolves on the Western Slope of Colorado (Proposition 114) with 50.9% in favor and 49.1% in opposition. The majority of rural counties opposed the ballot measure.
In 2021, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife began the process of developing a plan for introducing wolves into the State.
The text of Proposition 114 requires the State to, "HOLD STATEWIDE HEARINGS TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION TO BE CONSIDERED IN DEVELOPING SUCH PLAN, INCLUDING SCIENTIFIC, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS PERTAINING TO SUCH RESTORATION"
See links below for important information and opportunities to provide input including requesting the State hold hearings in western slope communities to hear from those who will be most impacted.
Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan
Defining Ecological and Socially Suitable Habitat for the Reintroduction of an Apex Predator
Click the title above.
This study determines the interface between areas of ecological suitability and conflict risk of wolf reintroduction into Colorado. The study looked over 3 million votes to quantify and map an index of tolerance for wolves and combined it with data on livestock distribution and landownership to create predictions of conflict risk between humans and wolves.