Today, state Senator Kerry Donovan (D-Vail) introduced legislation to manage and, if necessary, reintroduce gray wolves in Colorado. The draft legislation comes about two weeks after the Colorado Secretary of State certified that Initiative 107—which would direct state agencies to draft and implement a plan to reintroduce wolves by the end of 2023—will appear on the 2020 general election ballot. A recent survey by Colorado State University found that 84% of Coloradans support wolf reintroduction.
Jonathan Proctor, Rockies and Plains program director at Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement:
“While we’re encouraged by Senator Donovan’s bill to reintroduce wolves to Colorado, we cannot support the bill as it stands. The bill would prohibit reintroduction unless new funding is made available, meaning this critical effort could be held hostage. We look forward to working with Senator Donovan and suggesting changes to address these concerns.”
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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