Earth Protect Blog

By The Associated Press

FORT COLLINS » The Montana Stockgrowers Association has asked its state wildlife agency to reject any requests to capture wolves in Montana to be transplanted in Colorado, after voters here passed a wolf reintroduction plan.

The Montana cattle ranchers say Colorado ranchers don’t have management tools in place to protect their property from wolves, the Fort Collins Coloradoan reported.

“Giving Colorado wolves from Montana isn’t going to solve the wolf issues in our state, but it will significantly impact livestock producers in Colorado,” Jim Steinbeisser, the association’s president, said in the January letter. “MSGA represents ranching families throughout the state, and we have experienced firsthand the impacts this apex predator has on our family ranches.”

Wolves killed 64 head of cattle in Montana in 2021, according to the Montana Livestock Loss Board.

Terry Fankhauser, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, said he understands the gesture from the Montana Stockgrowers Association is symbolic but said it supports Colorado ranchers.

“It is meaningful for the right reason because their comments support an industry that does not have adequate protection in place for wolves,” said Fankhauser, who added that the two organizations have worked together for years regarding wolves. “It makes a statement regardless of if wolves actually come from Montana.”

Eric Odell, species conservation manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said the state’s preference is to capture wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming for reintroduction. The three states have an estimated total of 3,000 wolves and hunting them is legal.