In a significant development, a federal judge has denied a request from the Colorado cattle industry to temporarily halt the reintroduction of gray wolves in the state. Judge Regina Rodriguez's ruling allows Colorado to proceed with its plan to capture and transport up to 10 wolves from Oregon, with the aim of releasing them in Colorado by December 31. The reintroduction is part of a voter-approved initiative that seeks to release up to 50 wolves in the state over the next few years.

The lawsuit, filed by the Colorado Cattlemen's Association and The Gunnison County Stockgrowers' Association, argues that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to adequately review the potential impacts of the wolf reintroduction plan. The groups claim that the inevitable wolf attacks on livestock would result in significant costs for ranchers, who greatly contribute to the local economies where the wolves will be released.

Attorneys for the U.S. government countered the claims by stating that all necessary environmental reviews had been carried out and that any future harm caused by the wolves could be compensated through the state's compensation program, which provides up to $15,000 per animal for livestock killed by wolves. Judge Rodriguez sided with the state and federal agencies, stating that the concerns of ranchers did not outweigh the public interest in meeting the will of the people of Colorado.

Gray wolves were once nearly extinct across most of the U.S., with government-sponsored campaigns leading to their extermination by the 1930s. However, they received endangered species protections in 1975, and populations have since rebounded in the Great Lakes region. They have also been reintroduced in several western states, including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, and California.

The reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado has been a divisive issue, with wildlife advocates supporting the move to fill in a major gap in the species' historical range in the western U.S. However, ranchers in rural areas express concerns about potential attacks on their livestock, which play a crucial role in the local economies. The lawsuit by the cattle industry sought to halt the reintroduction, claiming inadequate review of the plan's consequences.

The ruling by Judge Rodriguez allows Colorado to proceed with its plan to reintroduce gray wolves, marking a significant step towards achieving the long-standing goal of wildlife advocates. However, the lawsuit will continue, and the ultimate impact of the reintroduction on the state's ranching industry remains to be seen.