In 2020, a majority of Colorado voters made history when they approved a ballot measure to bring wolves back to their historic home. Wildlife officials and advocates, ranchers, and farmers have worked hard to make the program a success. The wolves have persisted, giving birth to pups and once again playing a critical ecological role in balancing prey populations and maintaining healthy forests, rivers, and grasslands.
Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program has also been a fiscal success. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has remained under the appropriated program budget in the last two years, even as it hired and trained staff, provided non-lethal management tools to farmers and ranchers, and gathered critical scientific information.
But now some anti-wolf state legislators are exploiting Colorado’s current budget crisis to try to decimate the wolf recovery program.
A proposed bill (25B-0010) introduced by State Senator Dylan Roberts would cut $265,000 for wolf reintroduction. This represents a mere 0.02 percent of the state budget shortfall, but these funds are essential to reintroducing the wolves needed to ensure a healthy, sustainable population in the future.
It’s obvious that legislators supporting this bill don’t care about solving Colorado’s budget problem and are using wolves as pawns in a political game. The bill is now in the hands of the State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee, and your voice is needed to stop it from gaining ground.
Take action today by contacting your state legislator and telling them to vote NO on 25B-0010, the bill to reallocate wolf reintroduction funds. Visit this link to look up your legislator and call their office, or use the button below to voice your opinion via email.
When you call your legislators, you may reach a staff member or voicemail—leave a clear message or speak directly with them, and always be polite and respectful. You should personalize your voicemail, but you can use this script to help guide your comments.
