COLORADO (KOAA) — News5 is hearing from Colorado District 5 Representative Jeff Crank after a bill to delist gray wolves from the endangered species list throughout the country cleared the House floor last week.
The Pet and Livestock Protection Act passed by a narrow bipartisan vote of 211 to 204.
The bill, introduced by Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, would restore a 2020 Trump administration rule that delisted gray wolves in the lower 48 states. It was overturned in 2022.
Supporters are citing a population of more than 6,000 wolves nationwide. News5 spoke with Rep. Crank ahead of Thursday's vote, and he believes the work should now focus towards better management in order to help sustain the current population.
"Like all game, they can be managed rather than simply protected forever," said Rep Crank. "They're... getting to the point where there's plenty of them. They should be able to be managed, hunted, you know, and balanced as part of nature the way that other game (is) as well, and this bill would allow us to do that."
As of Monday, between 20 and 30 of the animals are living in Colorado since they were first re-introduced in late 2023.
News5 reached out to Colorado Parks and Wildlife to see if they had a plan in place regarding future re-introductions and protections if the bill were to clear the Senate. They responded saying they have no comment since it's pending legislation.
Following the bill's passage in the House, Congresswoman Boebert shared the following statement:
“I'm thrilled that the Pet and Livestock Protection Act has now passed the House with a bipartisan vote, marking a major win for ranchers, farmers, and property owners in Colorado and nationwide. The science has been clear for years: gray wolves are fully recovered, and their resurgence deserves to be celebrated as a true conservation success story. It’s long past time to delist them and empower states to set their own management policies. I can’t wait for President Trump to sign this bill into law.”
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
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