Colorado Parks & Wildlife Opposes Reintroduction Of Mexican Gray Wolf Amid Protests
DENVER (CBS4) - Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Wednesday approved a resolution that prevents the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado.
Demonstrators were outside the Colorado Parks and Wildlife office in Denver on Wednesday saying they want wolves reintroduced in Colorado as the CPW Commission considered resolutions that could keep wolves out.
The people who rallied are passionate about having the endangered Mexican gray wolf species in Colorado and say they'll fight any state resolution that goes against efforts for reintroduction. They refute claims that wolves threaten livestock, or just don't belong.
"There is no reason that wolves have to be considered the demon of livestock, it's just not factual," said Delia Malone of the Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter.
Debate has waged on for years, but the state's Parks and Wildlife Commission approved the resolution that protestors argue takes a decidedly anti-wolf stance. Malone says the commission has a duty, not only to abandon the drafts, but also work to actively reintroduce wolves.
"Wolves are a necessary part of the community of life, and they need to, if they are following their mandate, they need to bring wolves back," Malone said.
Managing wolf species would require money and resources -- things CPW spokesman Matt Robbins says are scarce. He says the approved resolution falls in line with recommendations from a 2005 study.
"We're not opposed to the wolves that have come into our state, we have had history of the gray wolf coming into our state, they have historic range here," Robbins said. "The idea that perhaps we're trying to do something with a bias is in conflict with everything that we've said at this point, it's just simply not factual."
CPW's decision to approve the resolution was largely symbolic because only the federal government or the Colorado Legislature actually has the ability and authorization to start some kind of reintroduction of wolves in Colorado. So the approval of the resolution was basically CPW stating their opinion on the matter.
