Colorado Cattle Industry Files Lawsuit to Delay Wolf Reintroduction

Takeaways:

• The Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association and Colorado Cattlemen’s Association are suing state and federal agencies to delay the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado. They claim that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services did not adequately review the effects of the plan.

• The reintroduction of wolves, approved in a 2020 ballot measure, has caused controversy and division between urban and rural residents. The latter are concerned about wolves preying on livestock, which are crucial to local economies.

• The cattle industry associations are also seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the imminent release of the wolves. They argue that the process should not be rushed and that their concerns were not properly addressed in the wolf management plan hearings.

• The lawsuit alleges that the environmental review conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services does not meet federal environmental law requirements and fails to understand the consequences of wolf reintroduction.

• Data from 2022 shows that gray wolves attacked domesticated animals hundreds of times across 10 states in the contiguous U.S., including Colorado. However, the industry-wide impact is minimal, with the number of cattle killed or injured in the documented cases equating to 0.002% of herds in the affected states.

References:

[1] Colorado cattle industry sues over wolf reintroduction on cusp of animals' release. Link

[2] Environmentalist groups criticize lawsuit seeking to prevent wolf reintroduction in Colorado. Link

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