In November 2020, Colorado voters approved a ballot measure to reintroduce wolves to the state. The first wave of wolves was secretively released on public land in Summit and Grand counties in December 2023. A year later, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is preparing for the second phase. But this time, the agency is being more transparent about where it’s releasing the wolves.
On November 8, CPW met with county commissioners and staff from Rio Blanco County, Garfield County, Eagle County, and Pitkin County, where they are considering the second release.
During the meeting, CPW updated the county commissioners and staff on the wolves’ current status and laid out some initial planning approaches to the upcoming capture and release efforts. They also outlined what habitat requirements were necessary for the release locations.
“As we move forward with the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, which is mandated by law, we are committed to having conversations with local elected officials and communities near possible release areas,” CPW director Jeff Davis said in a press release.
The already controversial wolf reintroduction effort started off on rocky footing when CPW officials released the first 10 grey wolves in secret and without engaging the community in the selected areas. Now, CPW has changed its approach to be more open and transparent.
“We recognize that this is a challenging situation, and all involved are listening to their constituents,” Davis said. “We wanted to create an opportunity for officials to have their questions answered and to understand how we can assist our local partners in informing their communities.”
More Wolves Enter Colorado Rockies
The first 10 wolves released in Colorado were captured and relocated from Oregon. This second wave will come from British Columbia. This time around, CPW is planning on releasing between 10 and 15 animals. Studies have indicated Colorado could potentially support between 400 and 1,000-plus wolves.
Wildlife managers and biologists working with CPW chose the prospective new release locations because they met previously outlined criteria for successful wolf habitats. The site must be on state-owned land (or private land with permission).
The region needs to have enough wild game to support a healthy wolf population. CPW also factored in potential access to the site, safety (for humans and wolves), and weather.
“State statute has provided constraints on where wolves can be released,” Travis Black, the Northwest region manager for CPW, said in a press release. “Within those constraints, the Wolf Restoration and Management Plan identifies additional consideration as to where restoration can occur.”
This will be the second release of wolves into the state’s northern zone. Since the first release in 2023, wolves have made significant movements around the state, making it as far south as Twin Lakes. Because of that, CPW analyzed human presence, recreational activities, and established communities in the selected areas. It also assessed the potential for wolf socialization and conflicts with livestock.
The September 8 meeting laid out all of this and more. Following the meeting, CPW took questions from county officials.
“We feel it is important to provide insight into our planning process, highlighting how we select potential release sites that align with these established boundaries,” Black said.
A Contentious Subject
Colorado’s reintroduction effort narrowly passed when it was voted on in 2020. It has since been the source of much contention in the state. Many residents in rural areas vehemently opposed the campaign. So when the state released the first wave of wolves without announcing where they were doing so, some feathers were predictably ruffled.
In April, the first wolf depredation kill was confirmed by CPW, and the controversy flared again.
“The incident, which resulted in the loss of livestock, underscores the ongoing challenges faced by ranchers in managing conflicts between livestock and wildlife,” the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association said of the incident.
However, pro-wolf advocates argue that apex predators like these put critical pressure on ecosystems. Reintroducing wolves to a place like Colorado could have positive effects on the mountain environments where they live and hunt. In ecology, this is called a “trophic cascade,” and is generally considered a ubiquitous pattern within food chains.
Because of this controversy, CPW is also hosting Conflict Reduction Training sessions for livestock owners in partnership with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). These training sessions cover topics like range riding, carcass management, livestock protection dogs, and investigations into wolf depredation.
“As restoration efforts continue, CPW is focused on supporting an environment where livestock producers, communities, state agencies and partners work both individually and together in order to reduce the likelihood of wolf-livestock conflict,” Davis said. “Effective and innovative solutions will result from this local expertise and extended, respectful collaboration.”
