Colorado lawmakers might vote on wolf reintroduction before citizens do

Before voters decide in November whether to let wolves be reintroduced in western Colorado, state lawmakers may take their own vote on the question. Right now, however, neither supporters nor opponents of the ballot measure are happy with the new Senate proposal. Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail, is championing a bill to reintroduce gray wolves to the state, hoping it will spur more discussion and lead the different interest groups to find more common ground than a ballot measure is able to do. Donovan introduced the legislation late Friday because she said the situation has changed since the wolf reintroduction ballot initiative was first proposed, with wildlife officials finding evidence of wolves living in northwest Colorado and in Moffat County. The bill calls for reintroduction based on a plan from the parks and wildlife commission to begin by Dec. 31, 2025 — two years later than outlined in the ballot question. It could be delayed if the state has not yet identified a source of revenue to pay for damages caused by the wolves, and it could be canceled if the population in Colorado is self-sustaining by that time...MORE