Jim Pribyl, the chair of Colorado Nature Action and a former chair of the Parks and Wildlife Commission, said he wasn’t surprised wolves had become a divisive political issue. The reintroduction of the species to Yellowstone National Park in 1995 caused an uproar for years and also sparked legal fights from agriculture groups to stop it.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said experts began capture operations to move up to 15 gray wolves from British Columbia, Canada and reintroduce them in Colorado.

Coloradans who are not happy with the wolf reintroduction plan are trying a new tactic, one that has the potential to change the course of the wildlife landscape: another popular vote.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff started capturing a second round of gray wolves on Friday to be released in Colorado in the coming weeks.