County

Local agricultural groups join forces to fight wolf reintroduction

RBC I Rio Blanco Stockgrowers Association, Rio Blanco County Farm Bureau members, and Rio Blanco County Woolgrowers Association are joining forces to oppose the dangerous ballot initiative that will force wolf introduction on Colorado’s Western Slope. These local agriculture organizations are coordinating Dance Without Wolves, a fundraiser to provide information and education about the negative impacts wolves would bring to our rural communities.

“Our community and others like ours on the Western Slope are the ones that will be impacted first by this measure,” said Brian Collins, Rio Blanco Stockgrowers President and a local rancher. “We need to unite to protect our way of life and counter this serious economic threat to our families and local businesses. We are asking our neighbors to take action and support this event as a means to fight back.”

The dinner and dance will take place on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. beginning with happy hour, followed by a steak dinner at 7 p.m., and dancing to the Mainline Band after dinner. There will be a live and silent auction to assist with fundraising. Tickets are required for the event and available for $25 each.

In November, voters in Colorado will decide whether or not to force wolf introduction along the state’s Western Slope by voting on Initiative 107, a measure funded significantly by large out-of-state donors. This measure goes against state wildlife experts who have already rejected the introduction of wolves into the state multiple times and have a “free-ranging” wolf plan in place backed by scientific processes, research and expert guidance. The Coloradans Protecting Wildlife group and its supporters say management should be done by the experts, not by the ballot box. The measure is expected to cost taxpayers state-wide nearly $6 million over eight years. Based on the serious economic impacts experienced in neighboring states with the Canadian wolf, the toll on our local community will likely be much more.

Rio Blanco Farm Bureau President Janice Weinholdt said, “We enjoy an idyllic lifestyle with the largest elk herd in America and other abundant wildlife essentially in our backyard. Cattle and sheep ranching preserve a significant amount of our open space and visual aesthetics. All of this will be devastated by forced wolf introduction. We need to protect these historic treasures and our way of life in this valley we call home.”

Tickets are available in Meeker at Parts City, MGM, the Rio Blanco Farm Bureau office, and in Rangely at Nichols Store or by calling 970-220-2154 or 970-620-6088.

2 Comments

  1. Although some people repeatedly claim that wolves will “”put ranchers out of business,”” this is not supported by facts. Based on over 25 years of data from Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, we know that 99.95% of livestock that share territory with wolves will not ever have a negative encounter with wolves.

    Wolves do kill livestock, but these incidents are infrequent and largely preventable when ranchers take proper measures. Under current plans, when depredation does occur, ranchers will be compensated at fair market value. Good animal husbandry practices go a long way toward minimizing conflicts between large carnivores and livestock.

    In Colorado, we have the opportunity to pioneer new and innovative ways of fostering coexistence with wolves. For example, why couldn’t we pay ranchers who host wolves on their private land, rather than only if they experience a depredation event?

    Resources: https://defenders.org/issues/promoting-coexistence

  2. The claim that wolves have “decimated” their prey populations in the states where they were reintroduced is patently false. Here are the numbers, starting with 1995, when wolves were reintroduced.

    Wyoming
    1995 elk population = 103,448
    2017 elk population = 104, 800

    1995 elk harvest = 17,695
    2017 elk harvest = 24,535, average hunter success rate = 35%

    Montana
    1995 elk population = 109,500
    2018 elk population = 138,470

    No harvest data for 1995
    2017 elk harvest = 30,348

    Idaho
    1995 elk population = 112,333
    2017 elk population = 116,800

    1995 elk harvest = 22,400
    2017 elk harvest = 22,751

    Source: State Fish & Game agencies.

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Meeker FFA Chapter members competed at the District Leadership Development Event in Craig, Colorado, this month. Top row from left to right: Eva Scritchfield, Charlie Rogers, Alan Rivera, Trent Sanders, Koy Weber, Orion Musser, Said Rodriguez, Carlos Carrillo, Aidan Tapia, Hayden Garcia, Tristan Rollins, Mathew Willey, Quentin Simpson. Middle row: Sidney Keetch, Aurora Stallings, Sydnie Ross, Ava Nay, Lili Piper, Leah Wood. Bottom Row: Jaicee Simmons, Kailynn Watson, Cody Richardson, Kayla Castillo, Braydin Raley, Autumn Stallings, Aimee Shults, Emily Hamm. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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