The Big Bad Wolf has long haunted our childhood stories, from Little Red Riding Hood to the Three Little Pigs. We learned early on that wolves could be cunning predators – creatures to be wary of. But in Colorado today, a real wolf has emerged as the latest political symbol: the gray wolf reintroduced in 2023, and now, on Thursday, the subject of debate in the state legislature.
Voters approved the wolf reintroduction program in 2020, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife developed a detailed implementation and management plan, approved by the CPW Commission. The program’s first releases – 10 Oregon gray wolves in Summit and Grand counties in December 2023 – have been in place for less than two years. Yet some lawmakers are already calling for the program to be paused and its funding redirected to unrelated needs, primarily health care.
Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco), representing a district that has served as a testing ground for the program, introduced SB25B-005, an act that would transfer $264,268 in funding from the program to the Colorado Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise for 2025–2026. The same act would prohibit CPW from using appropriated funds to acquire or reintroduce any more gray wolves this fiscal year. While predation losses and program costs have exceeded initial estimates, the timing is premature, and the measure appears politically motivated rather than scientifically sound.
State budget issues are real. Democrats attribute the shortfall to federal tax and other cuts under H.R. 1, which increased the state’s share of food assistance and Medicaid costs – responsibilities previously shared with the federal government. Republicans, like Sen. Simpson, blame years of state government growth under Gov. Polis and Democratic legislators (Herald, Aug. 20). Either way, the $264,000 in question represents a mere 0.03% of a roughly $1 billion shortfall. Reallocating such a small fraction of funds hardly justifies halting a voter-approved conservation program.
Health care challenges on the Western Slope are intensifying. Congress did not extend premium tax credits that subsidize individual insurance premiums on the health exchange, leading to projected increases of an average of 40% in insurance costs. It’s a vicious cycle. As fewer people can afford coverage, fewer contribute to the system which increases costs. Reduced revenue and greater expenses compound the state’s fiscal pressures. The bill is garnering bipartisan support, but targeting a scientifically guided wildlife program is not a solution.
With SD6 Sen. Simpson (R-Alamosa), HD59 Rep. Katie Stewart (D-Durango) supports the bill. Stewart said, “We balanced the budget in May but now face a $1.2 billion shortfall due to federal cuts. SB25B-0010 will move money allocated for additional wolves this year into the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise. This bill does not end or shrink wolf reintroduction – healthy wolf cubs born this spring show the program is progressing. It’s a temporary pause on extra funding while we stabilize the budget.”
The Herald’s editorial board believes science and management must guide Colorado’s wolf reintroduction. Other states, like Montana and Wyoming, provide instructive examples: wolves can be successfully introduced with careful oversight, while rancher compensation programs offset losses. Colorado’s program is the most generous, accounting for reduced weight gains and pregnancy rates that are often hard to attribute solely to wolves. Losses also result from lions, bears, coyotes, weather, and poisonous plants. Ongoing study and funding are essential to balance predator reintroduction with livestock protection.
The legislature’s actions also risk undermining democratic decision-making. Statewide, the program passed by 57,000 of 3.1 million voters. In La Plata County, it passed by 1,875 of 34,155 voters. Using a budget crisis to cancel funding and restrict CPW’s authority subverts the will of the people, effectively transferring decision-making power from an agency and its commission to the legislature – a move reminiscent of misuse of emergency powers at the federal level.
Colorado faces genuine budgetary challenges. But neutering the wolf reintroduction program is not the answer. The first wolves have only just begun to settle into their habitats. Funding must remain in place to allow CPW, ranchers, and local communities to continue learning, adjusting, and managing the program responsibly.
By balancing science, public input, and careful oversight, Colorado can fulfill its voter-approved plan and ensure that wolves, livestock, and the environment coexist.
