DENVER (KDVR) A coalition of over a dozen county commissioners, several agricultural producer associations and hunting groups wrote a letter to proponents of a ballot initiative seeking to end gray wolf reintroductions in Colorado.

The initiative would stop any further gray wolf reintroductions as of Dec. 31, 2026, if it made it onto the statewide ballot and was passed by voters. The measure’s representatives include Stan VanderWerf, who is a previous El Paso County Commissioner and 2024 candidate for Colorado Senate.

The coalition, which includes the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association and the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, said its members are concerned about the lack of consultation with stakeholders on the ballot initiative, and also urged the advocates to collaborate and understand the current “pathways that protect resources and support for landowners managing livestock-wolf interactions.”

“Like you, we share the underlying frustration with the administration’s approach to implementing Proposition 114. We would like to see a pause in any additional reintroduction of new wolves into Colorado until adequate programs and resources are provided to landowners to manage wolf and livestock interactions more appropriately,” the coalition wrote. “That said, we are concerned about the proposed ballot measure and respectfully request that you suspend your effort to place a measure on the ballot to end the reintroduction of gray wolves in 2026.”

The group said they believe that top-down decision-making and rushed implementation would cause more harm to producers and ranchers in the state.

“Our coalition is not against a ballot measure in principle,” said coalition leader John Swartout in a press release about the coalition’s letter. “However, any initiative must be developed through a thoughtful, inclusive process that ensures alignment with ongoing administrative and legislative efforts rather than undermining them. Anything done at the ballot needs to be driven by those most affected.”

The coalition’s letter advocated for a unified fight against the wolf reintroduction.

“We are all in agreement that we need to be proactive and deliberate about the processes and strategies we employ. However, we maintain that any meaningful discussion about a potential end to the gray wolf reintroduction must include those who have been engaged in these efforts since the passage of Proposition 114,” the coalition wrote.