Gray Wolf Reintroduction in Colorado

This election season was nothing short of suspenseful. Citizens from across the nation came out in record numbers to elect the leaders of our country. Equally important, voters decided on a variety of propositions in their state, with wildlife enthusiasts from around the country anticipating Colorado's decision on Proposition 114. After collecting more than 200,000 signatures in December of 2019, the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund took a first major step in reintroducing gray wolves to Colorado by evolving Initiative 107 to Proposition 114 on the November ballot. The proposition faced controversy on both sides but narrowly passed by less than 60,000 votes (<1%). However, the results further complicate the situation for one of North America’smost iconic species. Back in October, the Trump administration announced that the species would lose federal protection from the Endangered Species Act. Soon after, the Sierra Club announced that they would sue over the delisting. If the gray wolf is not delisted from the ESA, federal approval through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will be required for a reintroduction plan. Otherwise, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department (CPWD) will have until the end of 2023 to reintroduce gray wolves in the state. The decision to delist the gray wolf was just as controversial as Prop 114, with scientists, ranchers, and the general public found on both sides of the debate. In order to understand the controversy behind the gray wolf, it is important to understand their history in North America. 

Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were once found throughout North America, ranging from present-day Alaska all the way down to Northern Mexico. Bison, deer, elk, and other ungulates of the West supported about 2 million wolves. As settler colonists depleted the large ungulates, wolves turned to sheep and cattle. During the 19th century, eradication programs supported by the government and land ranchers nearly brought the species to extinction in the lower 48 states. By 1978, the young Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) listed gray wolves as endangered in every lower state except Minnesota, where they were listed as threatened. The ESA was amended in 1982 to allow the FWS to reintroduce threatened or endangered species. These reintroduced populations are considered “experimental populations” and are treated as threatened. The reintroduced population of gray wolves in Yellowstone is considered a successful model for reintroductions. A total of 31 wolves, 14 in 1995 and 17 in 1996, were brought from Canada to be reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park. Since then, the population has grown to over 600 individuals. The reintroductions fueled research and supported evidence of the wolves’ status as a keystone species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wolves are considered a keystone species because they have a disproportionate impact on the ecology of their environment in relation to their abundance. The reintroduction of wolves initiated trophic cascades that revealed the complexity of the ecosystem and influenced the behavior of elk, distribution of plants, and the physical landscape. However, the effects of the Yellowstone reintroductions are continuing to be studied and preliminary conclusions are feared to over-simplify the system and cause additional conflicts with landowners and other stakeholders. The existence of gray wolves as top predators, keystone and flagship species allows us to see that they are an intrinsically valuable species that deserves protection. Their history in North America reveals their complex niche that scientists are continually seeking to understand. As they continue to recover, many questions arise for their looming arrival in other Western states, especially California. 

Areas in Washington, Oregon, and California were once part of the western extent of the distribution of gray wolves. The wolves here were not safe from the extermination programs in the early 19th century. The last recorded wild wolf in California was shot and killed in Lassen County in 1924. One of the first wolves to be detected in California since then was OR-7, named for being the seventh wolf radio-collared in Oregon. A true nomad, OR-7 was born in 2009 and left his pack to come to California in late 2011. He eventually returned to Oregon in 2013 to find a mate and establish the Rogue Pack. However, in late 2019 the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife determined that OR-7 had left the Rogue Pack and his whereabouts were unknown. However, his legacy in California lives on through his descendents in the only known pack to be present in the state, the Lassen Pack. Another pack that once roamed through California was the Shasta Pack, which is no longer believed to exist. The uncertain fate of wolves in the state has led the Center for Biological Diversity to successfully petition for gray wolves to have protection under the California Endangered Species Act in 2014. Although the few wolves of California are being protected, there are no plans to bring more wolves. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released a Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California in December 2016. The plan reported that the CDFW “will not reintroduce wolves from another State or country into California, or introduce wolves in any way”. Similarly to Colorado, public opinion in urban areas of California will likely favor the presence of wolves in California. However, the complex history and ecological influences of wolves will make any decision for future reintroductions difficult. 

In Colorado, many opponents of Prop 114 revealed the potential consequences of “ballot box biology” and how the general public may not have the necessary education and experience to determine whether wolves should be reintroduced. At the fundamental level, “ballot-box biology” is when a major scientific decision is given to voters instead of scientists. With Prop 114 passing, it would be the first time in the nation that voters determined whether to reintroduce an endangered species. Whether the gray wolf remains on the ESA or is transferred to state protection, Coloradans can expect the return of gray wolves in their state within three years. Opponents of Prop 114 fear that the overwhelming majority of supporters in urban areas will not be impacted by reintroduced wolves as much as rural areas, which are predominantly rancher communities. From the opposing perspective, the decision to stop reintroductions is clear. Why should the general public be trusted with complex ecological decisions? Why should urban voters decide on reintroductions that will likely affect mostly ranchers? Nevertheless, the outcome of the vote revealed that a majority of Coloradans want wolves to return to their state. And now the pressure is on FWS and CPWD to safely and quickly begin reintroducing wolves without putting people and ecosystems at risk. Wildlife enthusiasts from around the world will likely be anticipating the decisions and management strategies that will be implemented in Colorado. If wolves are to recover to their historic range, the public must determine whether scientists or voters should take charge.