Coloradans could know that the gray wolf is back in the state a few years after the passage of Proposition 114 on the November ballot. “Know,” not necessarily “see,” because wolves are content to stay in higher elevations and in rugged country, wary of humans.
The statute will green-light a plan for the reintroduction and management of the gray wolf after statewide hearings, to include “scientific, economic and social considerations.”
“Fair compensation” will be paid to livestock owners for any loses, and the state Parks and Wildlife Commission will “not impose any land, water or resource use restrictions on private landowners in furtherance of the plan.”
The point is to return the gray wolf to the state, specifically west of the Continental Divide where there is an abundance of public lands, after it has been absent for 75 years. The wolves’ presence will restore a former balance in nature.
The statute does include a timetable: The reintroduction will begin no later than the end of December 2023.
The Journal’s editorial board supports Proposition 114 expecting that it will result in an appropriate and thorough plan for gray wolf reintroduction and that they will exist with minimal negative impacts.
