Denver, CO

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced today that Initiative 107, which would require Colorado Parks and Wildlife to develop a plan to reintroduce wolves to Colorado by December 2023, has received 139,333 valid signatures, surpassing the minimum 124,632 valid signatures needed to appear on the 2020 ballot. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund, with the help of many organizations including Defenders of Wildlife, submitted the initiative language and signatures to the Secretary of State. The announcement comes the same week as the 25th anniversary of when wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho.

Jonathan Proctor, Rocky Mountains and Great Plains program director at Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement: 

“The people of Colorado know that the return of wolves will help restore our state’s natural balance. With this ballot initiative, they have taken the first step to restore this native species and right a historic wrong. The success of wolf reintroduction in the northern Rockies that began 25 years ago this week has shown the ecological benefits of restoring wolves. We hope Coloradans will vote yes this November and bring the wolf back to Colorado’s Rockies as well to restore the natural balance for future generations.” 

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

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