By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
In rural Colorado, the fight over wolves isn’t just about wildlife—it’s about life and livelihoods. On Tuesday, a bill sponsored by Reps. Lauren Boebert and Tom Tiffany passed a key House committee, aiming to take gray wolves off the Endangered Species List and block federal courts from reversing the move.
The Pet and Livestock Protection Act (PALPA) cleared a key vote, handing a win to farmers, ranchers and energy producers across the West. In Colorado, wolf attacks on livestock and fears that the predators could stall energy projects have kept the issue front and center.
Boebert took to social media to celebrate the committee’s vote and reaffirm her stance on state-led wildlife management.
BREAKING: My "Pet and Livestock Protection Act" has PASSED in the House @NatResources Committee!
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) April 9, 2025
The science has been very clear on this topic for years: gray wolves are fully recovered and their comeback should be touted as a success story.
Now it's time we encourage states… pic.twitter.com/tHdyi7lHlY
“I’m very excited to see PALPA take another step toward being signed into law,” Boebert said following the vote. “The science has been clear for years: gray wolves are fully recovered. Now it’s time we let states set their own guidelines and allow ranchers and landowners to protect their livelihoods.”
If passed, PALPA would reinstate the Trump-era delisting rule from 2020, which a California judge overturned in 2022. That decision reignited frustration among Western ranchers who argue wolf numbers are not only healthy but harmful to rural economies and wildlife herds.
During the committee hearing, Boebert blamed “rogue judges” and “extremist groups” for undermining bipartisan efforts to delist the gray wolf, calling the legal reversal a political move that ignored science.
“But we had rogue judges who went to put them back on,” she said. “This frivolous litigation was filed by the Defenders of Wildlife, WildEarth Guardians and other extremist groups.” She added, “The California activist judge subsequently pandered to these groups by vacating the 2020 rule and unilaterally relisting the gray wolf by judicial fiat.”
“The Endangered Species Act was never meant to be a Hotel California where species check in but never leave,” said House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04), who backed the bill.
Supporters say the bill is long overdue. In Colorado, wolf depredation claims have topped $580,000, and ranchers are still left with unanswered questions about funding, enforcement and accountability.
Boebert pointed to management successes in neighboring states as proof that federal oversight is no longer necessary. “Idaho’s successful state management resulted in gray wolves being 700% above recovery goals.”
She backed her case with population numbers that far exceed recovery goals. “There are now an estimated 6,000 wolves in the lower 48, which greatly exceeds the agency recovery goals of 650 wolves.” Boebert added, “Montana’s successful state management resulted in gray wolves being 500% above the Fish and Wildlife Service recovery goals. There are an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 gray wolves in Alaska.”
She then turned to Colorado’s controversial wolf reintroduction effort. “Canada has so many, we’re starting to import them from Canada into Colorado, which is just adorable,” Boebert stated, referencing the state’s controversial introduction of Canadian wolves despite local pushback.
Bonnie Eddy of the Colorado Wool Growers Association called the bill a necessary fix. “With over 2,000 wolves in the western U.S., the species has been biologically recovered for years. Unfortunately, ESA species are often used to restrict land use and control habitat.” Eddy added, “Delisting gives flexibility back to those who deal with wolf attacks firsthand.”
Mike Clark, Chairman of the Colorado Conservation Alliance, said the legislation is just as critical for the state’s energy sector. “Colorado’s Western Slope has the second largest deposit of natural gas in the world, and wolves on the landscape will put drilling and investing at a full stop—you can open up all the leases and it won’t make a difference if wolves aren’t delisted and dealt with.” He added, “Energy producers need this bill to pass, or they’ll just pack up and leave the wolves and Colorado’s economy behind.”
Keith Mark, president of Hunter Nation, said the bill marks a turning point in the fight to return wildlife management to the states. “The best part of this legislation is that it prevents activist judges from interfering with sound, science-based conservation.”
Boebert echoed that view, calling it a chance to turn a bureaucratic tug-of-war into a conservation win. “It’s time to delist the gray wolf and celebrate it as an ESA success story. That’s what it is,” she said. “If y’all want to defend the Endangered Species Act, well, let’s celebrate the victories that it produces and not continue to make this look like it’s another failure from the federal government.”
The bill has gained support from more than 30 House Republicans, including fellow Colorado Reps. Jeff Hurd (CO-03) and Gabe Evans (CO-08). It’s also backed by a broad coalition of ranching, energy, hunting and land-use groups such as the Colorado Farm Bureau, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Safari Club International and the Mule Deer Foundation.