The Denver Post, in a report by Associated Press writer Mead Gruver, says the Trump administration has told Colorado to stop importing gray wolves from Canada and to source any future releases from U.S. Northern Rockies states. The piece outlines a cease and desist directive from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik to Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis, asserting that wolves for Colorado’s program must come from states like Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming, not British Columbia.
According to the Post, Colorado began releasing wolves west of the Continental Divide in 2023 after voters narrowly approved reintroduction in 2020. Roughly 30 wolves now roam the state, with a long-term plan that contemplates 200 or more. Recent wolves have come from British Columbia, and the state had been planning to relocate another 10 to 15 this winter. Many Northern Rockies states have said they do not want to participate, leaving Colorado in a bind while the governor’s office says it is evaluating options.
The Bullet Point Brief
- The federal letter tells Colorado to quit using Canadian wolves and to secure animals from U.S. Rockies states. The pipeline just got pinched.
- Colorado’s program began releases in 2023 after voters approved reintroduction in 2020. Ballot box biology meets federal reality check.
- About 30 wolves are in-state, with a plan that envisions 200 or more over time. That is not a pilot. That is a population.
- Recent releases came from British Columbia, but Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are not eager suppliers. Good luck borrowing sugar from that neighbor.
- CPW and the governor’s office say they are weighing options after the cease and desist. Translation: the lawyers are warming up.
My Bottom Line
Seven years of performative policymaking under Governor Polis and a Democrat legislature obsessed with signaling to a socialist-leaning base has consequences. This weekend made that painfully obvious. First, the feds tell Colorado to get its wolf program in line with federal statute. Then Congressman Jeff Hurd asks the Department of Energy to step in before state regulators kneecap reliable power and turn brownouts into a lifestyle. When everyday Coloradans need Washington to be the adult in the room, something is upside down at the Capitol.
Colorado deserves stewardship, not stunts. Wildlife policy should protect ranchers and rural communities while preserving actual habitat. Energy policy should keep the lights on when the thermometer drops. Instead, we are stuck in a feedback loop where ideology writes the checks and families pay the bills. Time to grow up, follow the law, and govern for the whole state.
Source: The Denver Post
