Latino Outdoors Supports Wolf Reintroduction in Colorado

The Colorado chapter of Latino Outdoors just officially endorsed Proposition 114, which appears on Colorado’s general election ballot this year. If passed, the ballot measure would require the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Department to develop and implement a plan to reintroduce wolves to lands west of the continental divide by the end of 2023.   

Latino Outdoors is a volunteer Latinx-led organization working to create a national community of leaders in conservation and outdoor education. 

“In the Latino Outdoors community, we often convey the message of belonging in the outdoors and experiencing connection in the outdoors, whether it is to other people or to your own culture, or to the landscape and wildlife within it,” said Bianca Garcia, Program Coordinator for Latino Outdoors Colorado, “Wolves belong and are inherently connected to all facets of the ecosystem in the region where they will be reintroduced.”

For wolves to succeed in Colorado, initially, reintroduction is necessary. Approval of Proposition 114 would require CPW, the professional agency with the technical and scientific know-how, to begin reintroducing wolves into the state by the end of 2023. CPW would be responsible for turning voter choice into reality.

“The reintroduction and management of gray wolves in Colorado would not only restore populations of this creature, which would have positive impacts on wildlife downstream, but it would also restore a connection to a species of historical inhabitants of the land in this region,” said Garcia.

Over the past year, Defenders of Wildlife has been working with a broad coalition of ranchers, biologists, hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and other conservation groups to give Coloradans the ability to bypass the politicians and authorize CPW to create a responsible, science-based wolf reintroduction plan for Colorado. 

“I’m excited to see Colorado’s outdoor communities coming out in support of wolf reintroduction,” said Rosie Sanchez, Defenders of Wildlife Rockies and Plains Coordinator. “Latino Outdoors creates a path to reconnect people with nature and my hope for the future is that we all have the opportunity to see wolves as part of the wild landscape of Colorado very soon.”