By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
Colorado Advocates for Smart Wolf Policy (SWPCO) has submitted a draft statutory proposition for the 2026 election to the Colorado Legislative Council, which, if successful, would return wildlife management back to experts and biologists who are assigned to manage the 903 wildlife species in Colorado.
It would turn back attempts to ask voters, who neither have the expertise or experience, to dictate wildlife policy.
It is being viewed as good news for the millions of Coloradoans who voted against Prop. 114 in 2020. It is the first step necessary to repeal the 2020 “reintroduction and management of gray wolves law,” reads a press release.
“Right now, we have to dance to the tune of the State Title Board. Once we are through that process and have the approved language, that’s when public engagement and funding become critical,” said Patrick Davis, the campaign manager for SWPCO.
In order to file a draft for statutory propositions, a draft must have designated representatives. Stan VanderWerf of El Paso County and Spencer Thomas of Garfield County are the sponsor designees on the draft proposition.
The next step in the process is a hearing scheduled on Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. at the state capitol, Davis said, where public comment will be taken on the draft language. Davis encourages those who can be there to testify.
Margaret Granzella is a resident on the Western Slope who has ardently followed the issue. In a social media post, she says excitedly, “This is the best news ever! Donate and support!”
Once the language of the draft is accepted, then the completed draft will be submitted to the secretary of state’s office and an official petition will be issued. Davis expects the petition to be issued in mid-March 2025. Once the petition has been issued, SWPCO will have six months to gather more than 220,000 valid signatures and turn them into the secretary of state’s office to be verified.
Davis says that the issue is not just one for the Western Slope, not just a livestock growers’ issue, not solely a big-game hunters’ issue, but is a statewide issue that affects all Coloradoans in ways they may not have considered.
“The Colorado Advocates for Smart Wolf Policy are calling on all Coloradans to help repeal this flawed legislation. This is not just a rural issue — it’s a statewide challenge that threatens our Western way of life, our economy and our food security,” Davis said.
Some of the ways that he identified what people may not have considered is the statewide popularity in the farm-to-table movement, food security, economic harm and food security.
From Grand Junction, Durango and Telluride to Downtown Denver fine dining experiences, the farm-to-table movement has swept across the state. The farm to table movement depends on locally grown, sustainable meat.
“Local ranchers provide fresh, sustainable food options. Without them, corporate chains and distant suppliers will dominate the market,” Davis said.
In terms of economic harm, information from the Colorado General Assembly data states that ranching significantly contributes to Colorado’s economy, generating around $47 billion in annual economic activity, employing more than 195,000 people across the state’s agricultural sector, with cattle and calves being the most valuable commodity produced in Colorado agriculture.
Davis also notes that statewide grocery prices could be significantly impacted if Colorado livestock growers suffer sustained loss as a result of wolf depredation and stress on local herds.
“Since gray wolves were reintroduced to Colorado in December 2023, taxpayers have paid for the privilege of watching these apex predators tear into our agricultural economy and ecosystem,” writes Davis.
“Wolves aren’t just reshaping our landscapes; they disrupt the delicate balance that has defined our Western way of life for generations. This reintroduction law was a mistake that fundamentally impacts every aspect of our lives. From rising grocery prices to threats to our food security, this law is impacting everyone,” Davis continued.
Of 64 counties, only 13 counties voted for Prop. 114, and of those 13, only five were on the Western Slope where the wolves were to be located. It’s probably no surprise to the public that the five counties on the Western Slope were in the wealthy, more liberally political areas around Aspen, Vail, Telluride, Ouray and Durango.
During a telephone interview with Davis, he noted all the other ways that have been tried to mitigate the negative impacts to livestock owners and residents on the Western Slope who voted against Prop. 114 in 2020, and whose lives have been significantly impacted.
Western Slope legislators attempted to pass legislation to mitigate damage as early as 2021. Although the legislative efforts took place prior to any wolves being transported into Colorado by CPW, they had seen the damage one mated pair of wolves that drifted down from Wyoming could do.
CPW employees have also done what they can within the parameters of the law that passed narrowly. They have scrambled to find tools that mitigate conflict with livestock growers and residents in the impacted areas of the Western Slope. They have set up training and programs as quickly as possible, although most of the programs are not fully funded or operational at this time. They too, have been impacted by the political nature of Prop. 114.
It’s a well-documented fact that in 2016 the CPW Commission rejected the idea of wolf restoration. The reasoning given at the time was the inherent conflict with livestock, the concerns about impacts to elk, deer and vulnerable species such as moose and desert bighorn sheep, which Colorado taxpayers and CPW had worked so hard to achieve sustainable populations.
Information about how to get involved with the effort is available at www.smartwolfpolicyCO.com