Centennial, Colo. – May 3, 2023 – Today, Senate Bills 255 and 256, two key bills in the management of wolf introduction, passed the Colorado House of Representatives. These bills provide a designated compensation fund for ranchers who have lost livestock from wolf attacks (SB23-255: Wolf Depredation Compensation Fund) and require the Secretary of the Interior to determine whether or not the gray wolf population is experimental and non-essential through a 10j rule before wolves may be introduced (SB23-256: Management Of Gray Wolves Reintroduction).
“We are thankful for the sponsors who championed these bills. This legislation gives ranchers the necessary tools they need to manage the threats that wolf introduction poses to their livestock,” said Carlyle Currier, Colorado Farm Bureau president. “Thank you to the sponsors for fighting for agriculture and getting these bills across the finish line in the last few days of the legislative session.”
Sponsors include:
SB23-255
- Senator Dylan Roberts
- Senator Perry Will
- Representative Julie McCluskie
- Representative Marc Catlin
SB23-256
- Senator Perry Will
- Senator Dylan Roberts
- Representative Meghan Lukens
- Representative Matt Soper
The bills move back to the Senate for concurrence, then to the governor’s desk, where they will be signed by Governor Polis or become law after 30 days.
“Colorado voters passed the wolf initiative with the narrowest of margins, but they did it with the knowledge that ranchers must be compensated for their losses and have the ability to manage problem wolves,” said Currier. “We are hopeful that the Governor will follow the will of the legislature and sign these bills into law.”
