The recent wolf depredation in northern Colorado is an issue that must be addressed fairly and expeditiously. As someone who voted for wolf restoration in our state, I feel a responsibility as a voter and taxpayer to reimburse any livestock producer for financial losses as a result of any substantiated wolf depredation. I also believe that wolf restoration is a debt being paid to the natural world for human values and choices of the past.
Values change over time, and the extremes of that are well-documented in our state’s history. Just six generations ago, it was an accepted cultural norm of the time to invade Indigenous lands for the greed of gold and also to establish farming and ranching practices on ancestral hunting grounds. Wolf restoration is a reflection of a shift in values by the voters of Colorado and a step toward rebalancing the natural world. Coloradans as well as people worldwide are seeing and experiencing the dire consequences of ignoring the natural world’s many delicate balances, which is resulting in changing attitudes and values.
Yes, we must be responsible to all the people of Colorado. That means we respect and protect the livelihood of Colorado livestock producers, and it also means that we must recognize and respect the awakening appreciation by Coloradans of all wild creatures that exist alongside us in our treasured Rocky Mountains.
Bob Kuhnert
Durango
