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Wolf votes follow politics

Colorado's 2020 wolf vote was closer than any other ballot measure that year: 50.91% yes, 49.09% no. Social scientists discovered the vote was deeply politicized, with wolf support aligning with presidential preferences more than any other factor. Media coverage shifted public opinion, and a phrase emerged that would define the debate: "ballot box biology." 

The role of expertise in decisions

Wildlife decisions in America typically rest with state agencies guided by the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation – a system built on science, public input, and user-pay funding. However, with the vote for reintroduction of wolves, many questions surface about how to balance the role of expertise with the voice of the public in conservation decisions.  

First paws on the ground 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife had three years to put together a plan, secure federal exemptions, and release the first set of wolves. The process to develop the plan was built on compromise and adaptive management, which led to it being unanimously adopted by the CPW Commission. And in December 2023, ten wolves were released on the Western Slope of Colorado.

Image: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

An erosion of trust

For ranching communities near the release site, the arrival of wolves brought uncertainty and frustration. Issues like compensation for loss or a definition for chronic depredation had not been figured out yet. The communication with those in the area fell short, creating a fracture of trust between wildlife managers and ranching communities, especially when the first livestock were killed by a wolf.

 

Becky Niemiec, Co-director, Animal Human Policy Center; Associate Professor, Colorado State University
Kelly Dunning, Timberline Professor of Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, University of Wyoming
Eric Odell, Wolf Conservation Program Manager, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Tim Ritschard, Rancher and President, Middle Park Stockgrowers Association

Further Reading

"Socio-ecological drivers of public conservation voting: Restoring gray wolves to Colorado, USA", by Mark A. Ditmer, Rebecca M. Niemiec, George Wittemyer, Kevin R. Crooks, Ecological Applications: Volume 32, Issue 3, April 2022.   

"The Wild World of Wildlife Conservation Funding", by Madeline Bruning, The Regulatory Review, May 16, 2024.  

"Shifting Wildlife Values and Ballot Box Biology" by Tony Wasley, Wildlife Management Institute, October 2024.   

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