A recent DNA test of scat samples in Moffat County confirms that a wolf pack has migrated into Colorado. But will that impact the initiative to reintroduce the endangered species on the West Slope?
0:00:00.110,0:00:05.670
WILL A BALLOT INITIATIVE TO REINTRODUCE THE
ENDANGERED GRAY WOLF IN COLORADO BECOME MOOT,
0:00:05.670,0:00:10.549
NOW THAT COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE OFFICIALS
HAVE CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF GRAY WOLVES
0:00:10.549,0:00:12.370
IN MOFFAT COUNTY.
0:00:12.370,0:00:15.059
YOU'RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK.
0:00:15.059,0:00:16.960
I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.
0:00:16.960,0:00:22.270
COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS RECEIVED
RESULTS FROM A GENETICS LAB EARLIER THIS MONTH
0:00:22.270,0:00:28.990
THAT FOUR SCAT SAMPLES COLLECTED NEAR A SCAVANGED
ELK CARCASS IN MOFFAT COUNTY CAME FROM WOLVES.
0:00:28.990,0:00:34.410
THE CONFIRMATION IS THE FIRST EVIDENCE THAT
WOLVES HAVE RETURNED TO THE STATE SINCE 1940.
0:00:34.410,0:00:40.410
AND IT COMES JUST AFTER ADVOCATES SUCCEEDED
IN PLACING AN INITIATIVE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT
0:00:40.410,0:00:45.970
THAT ASKS VOTERS TO APPROVE THE REINTRODUCTION
AND MANAGEMENT OF GRAY WOLVES IN COLORADO.
0:00:45.970,0:00:50.630
GRAY WOLVES ONCE ROAMED THROUGHOUT THE UNITED
STATES BUT WERE NEARLY ERADICATED BY PREDATOR
0:00:50.630,0:00:54.160
CONTROL PROGRAMS TO PROTECT LIVESTOCK FROM
PREDATION.
0:00:54.160,0:00:58.820
THE LAST WOLVES IN COLORADO WERE ERADICATED
AROUND 1940.
0:00:58.820,0:01:03.370
THE WOLF WAS LISTED AS A FEDERALLY ENDANGERED
SPECIES IN 1978.
0:01:03.370,0:01:09.470
THEY WERE REINTRODUCED IN IDAHO AND MONTANA
IN 1995 AND YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN 1996.
0:01:09.470,0:01:14.890
THE COLORADO BALLOT MEASURE WAS INITIATED
BY THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOLF FUND ASSOCIATED
0:01:14.890,0:01:18.660
WITH THE NONPROFIT ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOLF PROJECT.
0:01:18.660,0:01:22.930
IF APPROVED, THE INITIATIVE WOULD REQUIRE
THE COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
0:01:22.930,0:01:29.820
TO REINTRODUCE AND MANAGE COLORADO GRAY WOLVES
ON THE WESTERN SLOPE BY DECEMBER 31, 2023.
0:01:29.820,0:01:35.060
THE COMMISSION ALSO WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DEVELOP
A COMPENSATION SYSTEM FOR LIVESTOCK OWNERS
0:01:35.060,0:01:37.840
FOR ANY LOSSES FROM WOLF PREDATION.
0:01:37.840,0:01:42.430
PROPONENTS ARGUE THAT COLORADO ECOSYSTEMS
HAVE BEEN DAMAGED SINCE WOLVES WERE REMOVED
0:01:42.430,0:01:47.860
FROM THE ENVIRONMENT, BECAUSE TOO MANY ELK
AND DEER CAUSE HEAVY GRAZING ALONG STREAMS
0:01:47.860,0:01:53.400
AND RIVERS, CAUSING EROSION THAT DISRUPTS
HABITATS FOR BEAVERS, SONGBIRDS AND OTHER
0:01:53.400,0:01:54.800
SPECIES.
0:01:54.800,0:02:00.090
WOLVES KEEP HERDS MOVING, AND PREDATION OF
WEAKER ANIMALS LIMITS THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.
0:02:00.090,0:02:05.400
OPPONENTS INCLUDE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE COLORADO
STOP THE WOLF COALITION, THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN
0:02:05.400,0:02:12.160
ELK FOUNDATION, THE COLORADO CATTLEMEN'S AND
WOOL-GROWERS ASSOCIATIONS, AMONG OTHERS.
0:02:12.160,0:02:17.420
THEY ARGUE THAT WOLVES WILL KILL OTHER ENDANGERED
SPECIES AND THREATEN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION,
0:02:17.420,0:02:20.450
A MAINSTAY OF THE WESTERN COLORADO ECONOMY.
0:02:20.450,0:02:25.709
AND WITH THE NATURAL MIGRATION OF WOLVES INTO
COLORADO, SPEEDING UP RE-INTRODUCTION IS A
0:02:25.709,0:02:28.610
WASTE OF COLORADO TAX DOLLARS.
0:02:28.610,0:02:33.379
IN THE MEANTIME, A COMPROMISE BILL HAS BEEN
PROPOSED BY DEMOCRATIC SENATOR KERRY DONOVAN
0:02:33.379,0:02:37.740
THAT WOULD SET WOLF REINTRODUCTION TWO YEARS
LATER AND WOULD REQUIRE THE STATE TO FIND
0:02:37.740,0:02:43.620
A NEW SOURCE OF REVENUE TO PAY FOR WOLF-PREDATION
DAMAGES BEFORE THEY CAN BE REINTRODUCED IN
0:02:43.620,0:02:44.620
THE STATE.
0:02:44.620,0:02:49.520
THE BILL IS UNDER CONSIDERATION OF THE COLORADO
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.
0:02:49.520,0:02:54.670
IF LEGISLATION PASSES WITH SUPPORT OF THE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOLF ACTION FUND, PROPONENTS
0:02:54.670,0:02:58.510
WOULD HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 4TH TO REMOVE THE
INITIATIVE FROM THE BALLOT.
0:02:58.510,0:03:03.769
IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE INITIATIVE,
VISIT THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOLF ACTION FUND
0:03:03.769,0:03:10.629
AT WOLF ACTION FUND DOT COM OR THE COLORADO
STOP THE WOLF COALITION AT STOP THE WOLF DOT
0:03:10.629,0:03:11.629
ORG.
0:03:11.629,0:03:14.390
THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OF LOCAL
NEWS NETWORK.
0:03:14.390,0:03:18.910
IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THIS STORY AGAIN, VISIT
OUR WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN SIGN UP TO HAVE
0:03:18.910,0:03:21.970
US DELIVER YOUR NEWS DIRECTLY INTO YOUR INBOX.
0:03:21.970,0:03:24.559
I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE FOR THE LOCAL NEWS
NETWORK.
