Gray wolf

Colorado wants wolves, and would like its western neighbors to give it some of theirs.

That’s news that will send hearts racing among ranchers in wolf country, but no one should get their hopes up.

Wolves were largely eradicated in Colorado by the 1940s. In 1995 the federal government began reintroducing wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains, specifically in Wyoming, Montana and Central Idaho.

Those wolves have widely reproduced in those areas and migrated west in sufficient numbers to Washington and Oregon to create thriving populations. Colorado’s wildlife commission had resisted any active program to reintroduce wolves in the Centennial State, citing potential impacts on ranching and big game.

Nonetheless, some wolves have migrated from Wyoming into and out of northwestern Colorado. But that natural migration wasn’t happening fast enough for the Rocky Mountain Wolf Action Fund.

In 2019, the wolf advocacy group spearheaded a campaign, Proposition 114, to reintroduce wolves into the state — west of the Continental Divide. And in 2020, to the chagrin of ranchers and hunters, the measure was narrowly approved by voters.

Voters in rural Colorado counties largely voted against Prop 114 (voters in the ski communities of Telluride, Aspen and Breckenridge voted in favor).

But the rural-urban divide is alive and well in Colorado. Voters in Colorado’s most populated and most urban counties, which happen to be located at the foot of the Rockies east of the Continental Divide, were able to get the measure passed.

Wolves for thee, but not for me, thank you.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is under the gun to start relocating wolves by the end of the year.

Now it’s looking for neighboring states willing to donate 30 to 50 wolves over the next three to five years. Not just any wolves, but specifically ones that aren’t attacking livestock.

So far, the commission says, it hasn’t received any offers.

Colorado put feelers out to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said no last month, fearing that wolves donated to Colorado would move back north into his state and create trouble in areas that don’t now have wolf problems.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he’s open to talks. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, however, gave a cool but indefinite reception last week to Colorado’s request for wolves.

Although no doubt supportive of the effort, it seems unlikely that wildlife officials in either Washington or Oregon will actually give up any of their wolves.

Clearly Colorado is asking the wrong people.

Republican state Rep. Joel Kretz represents a northeast Washington district that’s filled with wolves. We think he speaks for elected officials and ranchers in both Eastern Washington and Oregon where wolf populations are healthy.

“Hell, I’ll deliver,” he said. “We have plenty to spare up here.”

Indeed. If Colorado wants wolves, Washington and Oregon should be willing to share.