CPW gets harsh letter demanding answers from Roberts and McCluskie

January 22, 2024 Shannon Lukens

wolves-collared-in-north-park-feb-2023-courtesy-cpw

By Shannon Lukens. (These are the two North Park wolves in question.)

A very strong letter of frustration and disappointment with Colorado Parks and Wildlife was sent today to Director Jeffrey Davis, from State Senator Dylan Roberts and Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie. They both call out CPW for denying the request on Dec. 22 from Don Gittleson to remove the depredating wolves in North Park. Those two wolves have been there for at least two years and are responsible for killing or injuring 16 head of livestock and four working dogs including one heifer on Gittleson’s ranch last month.

The letter says CPW has not defined “chronic depredation,” and did not tell Don Gittleson the definition of what would be permissible under the 10J Rule for lethal mitigation of the wolves.

The letter to CPW says, “having a definition of chronically depredating seems necessary and a matter of immediate concern.”

Senator Roberts and Speaker McCluskie end the letter asking CPW to “take swift action to remove the depredating wolves that continue to kill and injure livestock and dogs in Jackson County.”

And they say Colorado Parks and Wildlife must immediately provide a definition of “chronically depredating,” and if they can’t, they need to tell the General Assembly and the public why a definition can’t be determined.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis was copied on the letter, as was Dan Gibbs, the Executive Director of Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Reid DeWalt – Assistant Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Travis Black – Northwest Regional Manager of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Don Gittleson, North Park Stockgrowers Association and
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.

Steamboat Radio News coverage on Dec. 22, 2023 — CPW DENIES GITTLESON’S REQUEST TO IMPLEMENT 10(J) RULE ON JACKSON COUNTY WOLVES

Here is the letter:

General Assembly

State of Colorado

Denver

January 22, 2024

Director Jeffrey Davis
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
600 Broadway
Denver, CO 80216

Director Davis:

As the elected state legislators for Jackson County, we write to express our frustration and disappointment with the recent Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) decision, dated December 22, 2023, denying the request of Mr. Don Gittleson and his neighbors to remove the depredating wolves in North Park. Further, we are confused by CPW’s refusal to assist livestock producers across the state by clearly and publicly defining the term “chronically depredating.”

Wolves “2101” and “2301” have been present in the North Park area for at least two years. They are not wolves that are part of the recent state-sponsored wolf reintroduction but rather they are wolves that have naturally migrated from Wyoming. To date, these two wolves have killed or injured at least 16 head of livestock and killed or injured 4 working dogs. That is at least 20 killed or injured animals in less than two years. These killed and injured animals are not only the property of our constituents but they are key to their livelihood as agriculture producers. Further, Colorado’s agriculture industry is a crucial part of our state’s economy and producers in Jackson County are dealing with the impacts of these wolves on the landscape, both directly and indirectly, and suffering hardship.

After years of personally implementing non-lethal means of mitigation and deterrence at his own expense, Mr. Gittleson formally asked your agency for help on December 16, 2023 after the most recent attack on one of his heifers by Wolf 2101. His request for the removal by lethal or other means of these wolves due to their continued depredation of livestock and dogs. On December 22, 2023, your agency responded and denied any assistance with removing the wolves. The response cited a reasoning for declining to assist with removal but crucially, it failed to determine whether or not the wolves were “chronically depredating” and failed to include a definition of “chronically depredating.” It is our understanding that Colorado does not have a public nor official definition for chronically depredating wolves.

Many other states have definitions of “chronically depredating.” CPW’s response to Mr. Gittleson essentially tells him to continue to take these wolf mitigation efforts into his own hands, yet fails to give him this crucial definition that would allow him, or anyone else, to know when and how lethal mitigation would be permissible under Colorado’s 10(j) rule.

Now that 10 wolves from Oregon, from packs with a recent history of depredation of livestock, have been released onto Colorado’s Western Slope, having a definition of chronically depredating seems necessary and a matter of immediate concern.

As Mr. Gittleson’s elected legislators in the Colorado General Assembly and now the legislators in whose districts the first 10 wolves of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program were released (Grand and Summit), we make two key requests:

(1) The decision reflected in your letter to Mr. Gittleson dated December 22, 2023 be immediately reconsidered and that CPW take swift action to remove the depredating wolves that continue to kill and injure livestock and dogs in Jackson County; and
(2) Colorado Parks and Wildlife immediately publish a draft rule for the definition of chronically depredating or, at the very least, provide reasoning to the General Assembly and the public as to why a definition cannot be determined.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

Julie McCluskie
Speaker of the House\ House District 13

(Signature)

Dylan Roberts \State Senator
Senate District 8

CC: Jared Polis, Governor
Dan Gibbs, Executive Director – Colorado Department of Natural Resources
Reid DeWalt – Assistant Director – Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Travis Black – Northwest Regional Manager – Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Don Gittleson
North Park Stockgrowers Association
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association