Up until the mid 1900s, the Grey Wolf was a thriving part of the Colorado ecosystem. They kept the populations of rodents and large mammals alike under control, thus preventing overpopulation and habitat degradation. However, ranchers saw them as a threat, and the government of the United States had this keystone species wiped entirely from Colorado by 1945 on behalf of the meat industry. Now, there is a chance to reverse the effects of this detrimental event. State Proposition 114 is on the ballot this year, and if it passes, wolves will return to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Grey Wolves are a keystone species, important to the functionality of the ecosystem, and there were naturally problems after they were removed from Colorado's ecosystem. The populations of elk and deer went up, leading to overgrazing of the state's habitats. Overgrazing led to less vegetation, creating heightened erosion and a more rapid release of carbon, which contributes to global warming. The numbers of animals eventually became so high, that there was no longer enough food to feed the ever growing populations. In January, 2003, 9News journalist Jan Laitos wrote that, "the natural food supplies of this state cannot support the more than 300,000 elk that are currently living here". The reintroduction of wolves, however, would contribute to solving these problems.
In 1995, 41 wolves were released into Yellowstone National Park, and the effects of the wolves on the environment were astounding. Yellowstone has a somewhat similar environment to Colorado, and faced many of the same problems. According to the National Geographic Society, "by reducing populations and thinning out weak and sick animals, wolves are helping create more resilient elk herds [in Yellowstone]." Although Yellowstone has had more severe problems with the elk population than Colorado, the addition of wolves in the state will help prevent the problems from reaching that level.
In addition, the introduction of wolves will directly benefit farmers. Animals such as deer, elk, rabbits, and prairie dogs are nuisances to farmers because of their appetite for crops. If these animals' natural predators were reintroduced to Colorado, the populations of these animals would likely go down, thus decreasing the problems posed by them to farmers.
Some people, however, argue that the reintroduction of the Grey Wolf to Colorado would be bad. Common claims of opposition include that the wolves would wipe out the elk, kill off large amounts of livestock, or attack people. Although some of these claims are based in truth, they are all exaggerations. When wolves were brought back to Yellowstone, there were also concerns for the elk. According to National Geographic Magazine, however, the wolves didn't decimate the population; they lowered it to a stable number, eventually leading to the regrowth of vegetation. If Colorado's Proposition 114 passes, the Grey Wolf will likely have a similar effect on the elk here as in Yellowstone. Other common concerns are for the safety of livestock and humans. But according to Sierra Magazine, "A person in wolf country has a greater chance of being killed by a dog, lightning, a bee sting, or a car collision with a deer than being injured by a wolf." The same article also continued on to state that, "wolves predate on just 0.007 percent of cattle that they share territory with". That means that wolves posing mainstream threats to humans and livestock is a problem that will not occur even if the Grey Wolf is returned to its former range in Colorado. Proposition 114 even has benefits for ranchers whose livestock are killed by the wolves. According to the 2020 State Ballot Information Booklet, the proposition will use state funds to "pay fair compensation for livestock losses."
Wolves, an important keystone species, once played an important role in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. They kept large animals and rodents alike in check, thus keeping the ecosystem balanced, and lowering the number of animals eating farmers' plants. Posing little to no threat to animals, livestock, and people, the reintroduction of the Grey Wolf could be part of the solution that Coloradans seek to current environmental problems. In November, 2020, Proposition 114 brings a chance to restore the Grey Wolf to Colorado onto the ballot. If it passes, then natural balance can finally be returned to the mountains of Colorado. So do your part, and vote yes on State Proposition 114; return the Grey Wolf to its former home.
Works Cited:
Karlson, Krista. “In Colorado, Wolves Are on the Ballot.” Sierra Club, Sierra Magazine,
18 May 2020, www.sierraclub.org/sierra/colorado-wolves-are-ballot-initiative-107.
Laitos, Jan. “The Law of Starving Elk.” 9News.Com, 9News, 20 Jan. 2003,
www.9news.com/article/news/the-law-of-starving-elk/73-345419353.
Peterson, Christine. “25 Years after Returning to Yellowstone, Wolves Have Helped
Stabilize the Ecosystem.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 19
reintroduction-helped-stabilize-ecosystem/.