Colorado sure has things happening. They recently introduced wolves to the state, and now they are focusing on wolverines.
According to a press release by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, “Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and a bipartisan group of legislators joined together on Monday to announce legislation that would give the agency the authority to reintroduce the North American wolverine to Colorado.”
Back in the 1990s, Colorado wildlife officials explored bringing back wolverines, along with Canada lynx. However, the plans for wolverine restoration were put on hold due to various challenges, with lynx restoration taking priority. Fast forward to 2010, CPW revisited the idea and crafted a reintroduction plan, but it hit a roadblock due to “uncertainties surrounding federal listing decisions”. Now, with the wolverine listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, SB24-171 mandates that reintroduction can’t proceed until certain conditions, like the establishment of a nonessential experimental population, are met.
Given these historical and regulatory twists, do you think the time is right for wolverine reintroduction in Colorado? Do you see comparisons with Montana?
