A citizen initiative that sought to end Colorado’s controversial wolf reintroduction program the same way it began — by ballot initiative — was rejected by the state’s election officials Wednesday. The Title Board concluded that Initiative 35 will not be allowed to move forward into the signature-gathering phase due to a technicality; it violated the state’s single-subject rule by trying to address too many issues in one go.
Meanwhile, another initiative to halt wolf reintroduction in Colorado has been accepted by the Title Board. Initiative 13’s supporters have until Aug. 27 to secure the 120,000 signatures necessary to get it on the November 2026 ballot. The ballot initiative would end the state’s wolf reintroduction program by Dec. 31, 2026, but other Coloradans who also oppose the wolf program worry that reintroduction will be wrapped up by that date, anyways. The effort is likely to encounter additional stumbling blocks, as the group behind both initiatives faces pushback from Colorado’s ranching and sportsmen’s communities, as well as funding challenges.
That group, Colorado Advocates for Smart Wolf Policy, released its first fundraising report Tuesday, and it showed the group had only raised about $29,000, falling well short of its $200,000 goal, according to Colorado Politics. Earlier that day, CASWP received a letter from a group of ranchers and county commissioners asking it to halt both initiatives.
“We share the underlying frustration with the administration’s approach to implementing Proposition 114,” the letter reads. “Unfortunately, the effort to end the gray wolf reintroduction was initiated without consulting the primary stakeholder groups and constituencies most affected by the wolf reintroduction. As a result, this approach is at odds with the strategy and policy outcomes that our coalition is working on.”
The commissioners’ letter followed a similar plea from a coalition of 22 hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation groups. In its April 11 letter, the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project explained that while its member groups agreed with the sentiment behind the push to repeal, they could not support the policy changes included in Initiative 35.
In addition to ending Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program by Dec. 31 2026, Initiative 35 also called for:
- Removing the “nongame” status of gray wolves
- Redefining livestock to include livestock guard docks and herding animals
- Prohibiting the importation of any wolves (not just gray wolves) from outside the state
The group noted that, among their other policy concerns, the initiative wouldn’t go into effect quickly enough to have a real impact on the ongoing reintroduction. Prop. 114, which initiated the program in , calls for a minimum of 50 wolves to be brought back into the state. CPW has already released 25 gray wolves so far, with more releases slated for the upcoming winter.
“It is our opinion that the state will achieve its desired reintroduction objectives prior to the proposed timeline in the initiative,” the letter reads.
The sportsmen’s group also said that with wolves already on the landscape, it would rather focus on “proactive efforts” and policy changes that could make it easier for ranchers and sportsmen to coexist with the predators.
“As we continue to seek proactive engagement opportunities and efforts to advance science-based wildlife management in alternative ways, we are concerned that pursuing Initiative 35 will result in diverting community sweat equity and limited financial resources toward an endeavor that promises little return on investment at a time when aggressive, proactive policy and measure that address future conditions are needed.”
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The group says it is similarly opposed to Initiative 13, which also calls for an end to wolf reintroduction by the end of 2026, but does not include the other policy changes that were included in Initiative 35.
Patricks Davis, campaign manager for CASWP, told Colorado Politics Wednesday that his group stands behind Initiative 13 and has already begun the process of collecting signatures.
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