By Shannon Lukens. (File photo from Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Dec. 18, 2023)
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed 15 gray wolves for reintroduction from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington. The wolves will be captured on tribal lands sometime in December of this year through March 2025, and relocated to Colorado.
Press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Jan. 19, 2024.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife secures source population of 15 gray wolves for reintroduction efforts from Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
CPW plans for these wolves to be captured on tribal lands in eastern Washington during the capture season from December 2024 – March 2025.
DENVER – In an agreement announced today between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the tribes will be a source for up to 15 wolves for the Colorado gray wolf reintroduction effort. CPW plans for these wolves to be captured on tribal lands during the capture season from December 2024 – March 2025. The agreement between the state of Colorado and the state of Oregon to allow for the translocation of ten wolves this season has been successfully completed.
“We are grateful to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation for working with our agency on this critical next step in reintroducing gray wolves in the state,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis. “This agreement helps CPW to continue to meet our unanimously adopted Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan goal of translocating 10-15 gray wolves per capture season for a total of 30-50 wolves.”
“The Colville Tribes is very pleased to partner with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to restore the wolf population in Colorado,” said Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Jarred-Michael Erickson. “The Colville people strongly believe in preserving our environment, including its fish and animals. We are thrilled that our restoration efforts on our own lands have progressed far enough that we can share some of these magnificent creatures with the citizens of Colorado.”
Tribal representatives will provide guidance to CPW on target packs, avoiding packs with known active chronic depredation behavior.
Between December 18 – 22, 2023, Colorado Parks and Wildlife fulfilled their statutory responsibility and successfully released 10 gray wolves onto public land in Summit and Grand counties. CPW will not capture and release more wolves in the current capture season, which runs until mid-March 2024. The next releases will not occur until the December 2024 – March 2025 capture season. Although the agency could release up to five more wolves this capture season according to its Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, the additional time will allow the agency to assess the releases in December and let CPW staff adjust to any increased workload of having wolves on the ground in Colorado, as well as allow time for the additional resources for CPW and the Colorado Department of Agriculture to support ranchers proposed in the Governor’s budget to become effective July 1.
“After an incredibly successful first release of wolves from Oregon last month, our focus will be on refining our internal processes, continuing the work we’re already doing to bolster our staff expertise and honing our notification structure so the public is well informed regarding release efforts, while also balancing the need for the safety and security of staff and gray wolves,” Davis said.
Visit CPW’s Stay Informed page and sign up for the Wolf Reintroduction eNews to stay up to date with CPW’s Wolf Restoration efforts.
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Steamboat Radio News Past Coverage of wolves in Colorado
- Jan. 12, 2024 — CPW CONFIRMS WOLVES WERE IN SOUTH ROUTT BUT AREN’T (YET) IN MOFFAT
- Dec. 22, 2023 — FIVE MORE WOLVES ARE RELEASED BY COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE
- Dec. 22, 2023 — CPW DENIES GITTLESON’S REQUEST TO IMPLEMENT 10(J) RULE ON JACKSON COUNTY WOLVES
- Dec. 21, 2023 — THREE OF THE FIVE WOLVES RELEASED IN COLORADO WERE IN PACKS THAT KILLED OR INJURED LIVESTOCK IN OREGON
- Dec. 19, 2023 — LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS RECEIVE WOLF UPDATE FROM CPW IN CRAIG MONDAY
- Dec. 13, 2023 — GITTLESON SAYS ANOTHER CALF WAS ATTACKED BY A WOLF TODAY
- Dec. 11, 2023 — COMPLAINT FILED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT TO STOP WOLF REINTRODUCTION IN COLORADO
- Dec. 4, 2023 — KEEP YOUR PETS CLOSE AND CARRY A BIG STICK – CPW HAS ADVICE FOR LIVING WITH WOLVES
- Nov. 19, 2023 — THREE LAMBS KILLED BY A WOLF IN JACKSON COUNTY, SAYS RANCHER
- Nov. 17, 2023 – CPW AND CDA ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO WORK TOGETHER ON WOLF REINTRODUCTION
- Nov. 7, 2023 – U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SETS DATE FOR 10J RULE FOR WOLVES
- Oct. 6, 2023 – COLORADO WILL RECEIVE WOLVES FROM OREGON
- May 16, 2023 – POLIS VETOES 10J RULE WOLF BILL
- May 3, 2023 – CPW COMMISSION APPROVES FINAL WOLF RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN
- May 2, 2023 – MANAGEMENT OF GRAY WOLVES REINTRODUCTION BILL PASSES IN STATE HOUSE
- May 2, 2023 –CPW MEETS THIS WEEK FOR FINAL WOLF MANAGEMENT PLAN
- April 27, 2023 – CPW CONFIRMS WOLF SIGHTING EAST OF KREMMLING
- April 8, 2023 – CPW WOLF COMMISSION MEETS IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
- April 3, 2023 – CPW TO PRESENT FINAL DRAFT WOLF RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
- March 28, 2023 – THE SOUTHERN UTE TRIBE ASKS THAT CPW RELEASES WOLVES ALONG I-70 CORRIDOR
- March 15, 2023 – TWO DOGS DIE FROM WOLVES IN JACKSON COUNTY THIS WEEK
- March 3, 2023 –COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION RELEASES WOLF REINTRODUCTION MEETING RECAP
- Feb. 10, 2022 – MONTANA STOCKGROWERS VOICE SUPPORT FOR COLORADO RANCHERS OVER THE WOLVES
- Feb. 9, 2022 – WOLF MANAGEMENT DISCUSSED BY LOCAL RANCHERS AND OFFICIALS AT FORUM IN STEAMBOAT
- Jan. 22, 2022 – WOLF MITIGATION OPTIONS
- Jan. 19, 2022 – ANOTHER COW KILLED OVERNIGHT IN NORTH PARK BY WOLVES
- Jan. 18, 2022 – TWO MORE COWS ATTACKED BY WOLVES IN JACKSON COUNTY TUESDAY
- Jan. 12, 2022 – CPW ALLOWS WOLVES TO BE HAZED IN EMERGENCY DECLARATION
- Jan. 10, 2022 – A WOLF PACK KILL IS REPORTED IN JACKSON COUNTY OVER THE WEEKEND
- June 9, 2021 – WOLF DEN WITH PUPS CONFIRMED IN NW COLORADO