Colorado Republicans are outraged after officials captured wild wolves in Canada and plan to release them in the state, reigniting the controversy surrounding wolf reintroduction.
Colorado Republicans are expressing outrage after officials initiated an operation over the weekend to capture wild gray wolves in Canada and release them into the state. The move comes after Colorado voters passed a ballot initiative in 2020 that called for the reintroduction of gray wolves into the Centennial State.
While some wolves were moved to the state from Oregon as part of the reintroduction program, a series of attacks on livestock prompted farmers and others to strongly criticize the program and demand its end. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced on Friday that it had begun capturing up to 15 additional gray wolves in British Columbia and would be releasing them in the state within two weeks. This announcement sparked swift condemnation from Republican Colorado U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank, Gabe Evans and Jeff Hurd. They released a joint statement on Monday condemning the CPW operation for importing 'foreign wolves' into the state, demanding that the Department of the Interior intervene and urging the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump 'to take immediate action by stopping further importation of these foreign predators into the United States.'Boebert also sent a letter on Monday to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, demanding that she stop the wolf reintroduction program. She argued that Coloradans are 'at risk of being deprived of access to both land and resources because of Colorado's importation of wolves which is taking place absent appropriate federal planning, protections, and oversight.' Boebert asserted that Colorado's belief that wolves not released directly onto federal property can evade federal jurisdiction is unprecedented. She called on Haaland to intervene and halt the importation of foreign gray wolves to federal lands. CPW Director Jeff Davis responded in a statement, emphasizing their commitment to working with all parties as they continue to implement the law as passed by the voters. He highlighted their preparations for the reintroduction, including an improved Conflict Minimization Program, additional staff, strengthened partnerships, and guidelines for producers regarding chronic depredation and lethal management considerations. Details about the release of the 15 new wolves are sparse, although Cowboy State Daily reported on Monday that the animals would be set free in either Eagle County or Pitkin County, both in northwest Colorado. Boebert is calling for the incoming Trump administration to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list, which could make it easier to block the state's reintroduction program
WOLVES REINTRODUCTION COLORADO POLITICS FARMERS ENVIRONMENTAL ENDANGERED SPECIES
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