By Erin Crooks
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO/KJCT News)– Wolf reintroduction was the headline at the Caring for All Creation Lecture Series, hosted by the Church of the Nativity.
“It’s a value that Coloradans share, wanting to make sure that our landscape is healthy and that includes having healthy wildlife populations,” says lecture speaker with Defenders of Wildlife, Caitlin Cattelino.
Cattelino says the idea is to restore the natural balance: “Scientists believe that the loss of wolves has altered things including wild-life populations, the habitat on which wildlife needs to survive, even things like water quality”.
In fact, she says water is a main reason to bring them back: “This can cause erosion and it can make the water temperature warmer, which will impact some of the native fisheries”.
But not everyone agrees with the water theory.
“The researchers that have been up there checking that out- that’s not true. The wolves don’t change water,” says Denny Behrens with Stop the Wolf Coalition. He says it’s a bad idea all around.
“Livestock depredations, diminishing wild-life populations and then the fact that there is an issue with human safety. There’s a major disease called the Hydatid disease that is fatal to livestock, pets, wildlife and it can be fatal to humans,”” says Behrens.
According to CPW the last gray wolves in the state were killed in the 1940’s after attacks on domestic animals got out of control.
“Between 60 and 70 percent of Coloradans support wolves returning to Colorado,” says Cattelino.
Though others say, keep the wolves out.
“Bringing wolves into the state of Colorado is nothing but causing harmful consequences and chaos,” says Behrens.
Defenders of Wildlife is looking to place a ballot initiative on the 2020 ballot, which they say would direct CPW to create a plan for placing the wolves. Routt National Forest, the Uncompahgre, the San Juan and the Grand Mesa are four of the locations that could receive wolves if legislation passes.
Source: https://www.kjct8.com/content/news/Discussion-continues-on-wolf-reintroduction-558522781.html