Supporters of returning gray wolves to Colorado turn in 211,000 signatures for ballot measure

Backers of a proposal to reintroduce gray wolves to western Colorado turned in 211,000 signatures for a measure that would put the measure on the ballot.

Its the first ballot measure seeking the reintroduction of an endangered species.

The initiative directs Colorado Parks and Wildlife "to develop, after public input, a science-based plan for reintroducing wolves to Western Colorado by 2023."

Gray wolves, an endangered species, haven't found a home in Colorado since the 1940s, according to Joanna Lambert, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Should voters approve the measure, Colorado would be the last state to restore the species to its public lands, she said. This would bring back a "true American species," Lambert said, and in a way that is "respectful to the needs and concerns of all Coloradans."

There have been several sightings of gray wolves in the past year along the state's northern border, including a verified sighting in Jackson County. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says wolves can travel hundreds of miles; the nearest site is Yellowstone National Park, where they were reintroduced in 1995. 

And while it's illegal to shoot an endangered species, the gray wolf is coming off the endangered species list, according to an announcement last spring from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The number of wolves that would be reintroduced would be determined by state Parks and Wildlife. Lambert said Yellowstone, with its 2.2 million acres, has about 100 wolves. Colorado's public lands encompass 17 million acres on the Western Slope, Lambert said.

Source: Supporters of returning gray wolves to Colorado turn in 211,000 signatures for ballot measure | Colorado Springs News | gazette.com Endangered Species List, Gray Wolves, Oppose Welfare Ranching not Wolves, Protect The Wolves #EndangeredSpeciesList #GrayWolves #OpposeWelfareRanchingNotWolves #ProtectTheWolves https://protectthewolves.com/supporters-of-returning-gray-wolves-to-colorado-turn-in-211000-signatures-for-ballot-measure/