Ranchers and officials from Routt, Moffat, Grand, and Jackson counties gathered in Steamboat Wednesday to discuss wolves. It was a Colorado Livestock Producer Forum on Wolf Management. Krista Monger’s family has been ranching in Routt County since the turn of the century. She and her husband have a cow-calf operation on the Lower Elk River.
Cameron Krebs is a 5th generation rancher out of Oregon who said the solutions to wolf reintroduction will be created among groups like those ranchers at the forum. He says ranchers know the landscape best.
Don Gittleson was also at the wolf management forum with his wife and son. He has lost three cows to wolves in Jackson County recently. He told the group that it shouldn’t be a political issue of Republicans and Democrats.
Gittleson said they’re all ranchers and everyone needs to work together. And he emphasized that, “Wolves are very smart.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers were at the meeting. Many of the ranchers and speakers thanked the different agencies for working with them. Cameron Krebs added, “To the agency folks, trust us that we’re doing it well on the landscapes and that we know on our properties.”
Pat and Sharon O’Toole spoke. They are ranchers from the Little Snake River Valley in North Routt County, along the Colorado/Wyoming state line. Pat is a former legislator from Wyoming. He said the ranching community and those in agriculture are “fighting for survival.” He said to be involved and talk to your local congressmen and women. “We have an agenda with the urban legislators in this state and we’ve got to fight it or we will lose.”
Jo Stanko is a Routt County rancher. She said recreation needs to be considered, too, as she has bikers crossing their ranching property, which can scare their livestock.