Rural Lawmakers Criticize CPW's Wolf Reintroduction, Call for Greater Support for Farmers and Ranchers
(Denver, CO - September 16, 2024) – In response to Colorado Parks and Wildlife's (CPW) announcement to secure up to 15 more gray wolves from British Columbia for reintroduction, Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter and Representative Matt Soper criticized the continued lack of attention to the needs of rural communities, where the reintroduction program has already created significant challenges for farmers, ranchers, and local economies.
"As wolves continue to be brought into Colorado, it’s our rural families who bear the brunt of this decision," Winter stated. "Ranchers have lost livestock, and livelihoods are being threatened with little recourse. While I understand the importance of conservation, we cannot prioritize wolves over the hard-working farmers and ranchers who feed this state."
Representatives Winter and Soper, who both represent a rural district, emphasized that the 2020 wolf reintroduction mandate, passed largely by urban voters, has exposed the growing divide between urban and rural Colorado. He urged the state to take more meaningful steps to bridge the urban-rural divide and ensure that rural voices are heard in these decisions.
"This isn’t just about wolves, it’s about the disconnect between policy made in Denver and the realities on the ground in rural Colorado," Representative Matt Soper said. "If we want to talk about environmental stewardship, we need to start by working with the people who know this land best—our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. They are being asked to shoulder the burden of a policy they did not vote for and cannot afford."
CPW’s plan to release another 10-15 wolves per year over the next three to five years on Colorado’s Western Slope has sparked growing concern among agricultural communities, who have reported increased livestock depredation and financial strain.
"Every time a wolf takes livestock, it’s not just an animal lost—it’s a paycheck, a family’s future, a community’s way of life. These losses can’t be ignored any longer. We need real solutions that support the people who live on and work the land," Winter added. "There must be more local input, and the state needs to fully compensate farmers and ranchers for their losses. Only then can we begin to bridge the urban-rural divide that this issue has brought to light."
