Wolf Update — November 14, 2024

November 14, 2024 Shannon Lukens

By Shannon Lukens

Much has been happening with wolves. Here is a wrap up on some of the issues, with some corresponding press releases from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is meeting in Lamar today and Friday. Director Jeff Davis spoke to the commission Thursday about how CPW is listening to understand the perspective of all groups involved.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife YouTube page

Davis said they have been working with the Colorado Department of Agriculture to get a Range Rider Request for Proposal Out.

Davis said they are very close to having a definition of Chronic Depredation. What is written is with the Attorney General’s office right for final review.

Davis said it is important to continue with reintroduction of wolves so they can get to pack formation.

Finally, Davis added that they appreciate the ranchers and producers in Colorado, and that they are “good people.”

Tim Ritschard with the Middle Park Stockgrowers out of Grand County presented with a request on a Citizen Petition for Rulemaking, from 26 entities including all Colorado counties except for Denver County. Here is his presentation, with pictures below. Nothing was decided.

Rio Blanco County has been removed as one of the counties being considered for the release of the next wolves coming from British Columbia. Here is why, according to Deputy Director of Policy, Reid Dewalt.

CPW says one reason is the proximity to livestock in Rio Blanco County as well as the potential impact to elk and deer herds in the area which are recovering from the severe winter of 2022-2023. (Full Press Release below.)

Dewalt also said CPW is doing site assessments, and being pro-active and reactive with ranchers. These are voluntary and CPW will provide reasonable recommendations to the individual producers. He said many landowners signed up after the regional informational meetings that have been hosted by Colorado Dept. of Agriculture.

Dewalt said they are working to secure funding for the Range Riding program, which will be modeled after the State of Washington’s program. He said it could cost as much as $500K a year, and possibly funded through the wolf license plate program which has brought in $544K so far, averaging about $50K a month..

One thing mentioned is the hiring of two non-lethal specialists. One is Shelby Neiberger from the Craig area.

Five more wildlife depredation specialists are also being hired for a total of ten.

Reid Dewalt said wolves are on the move on the landscape, and he gave an update on the logistics of getting wolves from British Columbia.

In more wolf news…

A calendar was sent to different producers and Grand County ranchers brought it to our attention. It is a Remington calendar, sponsored by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The first page for January 2025 shows an artistic drawing of wolves in the snow. We inquired as to why CPW would sponsor a calendar for ranchers that shows wolves. Here is the response from CPW spokesperson Travis Duncan. “The vendor selects the photos for these general calendars each year, which are a tradition for CPW to distribute to landowners in order to show appreciation. CPW cannot customize the photos. They are stock calendars, available nationwide. Wolves have been in this calendar in the past, along with a variety of other species.”

There is an unofficial Colorado Parks and Wildlife Facebook page out there. It uses the CPW logo and it is called “Colorado Parks and Wildlife.” We have brought it to the attention of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. If you are joining CPW on social media, make sure you have the correct site. The correct Facebook page is the page with 324K followers.

Press Release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Nov. 13, 2024

CPW updates list of potential counties for gray wolf releases

DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife has updated the list of potential counties under consideration for releasing gray wolves during the 2024-25 capture and release season. The counties currently being considered are Garfield County, Eagle County, and Pitkin County. The update is the next step in the planning process as the agency assesses sites that meet the stringent criteria set out in the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, as well as considers feedback from local elected officials and community members.

Rio Blanco County was removed as a potential location as the next level of analysis was conducted due to the limited number of state-owned sites that adhered to the criteria in the plan and their proximity to livestock, elevating the risk of conflict, as well as the potential impact to elk and deer herds recovering from the severe winter of 2022-23. Another consideration was adjacency to existing wolves on the landscape.

“We look forward to continuing our longstanding and productive relationship with Rio Blanco County Commissioners and landowners as we continue to elevate the importance of these communities and their contributions to Colorado’s natural resource outcomes and overall health to our state,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis.

Press Release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Nov. 8, 2024

CPW meets with county commissioners as part of gray wolf release planning efforts for 2024-25

DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife has begun planning for the next round of gray wolf releases. On Friday, Nov. 8, CPW Director Jeff Davis, Northwest Regional Manager Travis Black, Area Wildlife Managers and Wolf Program staff met with county commissioners and staff from counties where CPW is considering releasing wolves during the 2024-25 capture and release season. County representatives were from Rio Blanco County, Garfield County, Eagle County and Pitkin County.

“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,” said CPW Director Jeff Davis.

During the half-day meeting in Rifle, CPW staff shared the current status of wolves in Colorado, initial planning and approaches to the upcoming capture and release efforts, and an overview of criteria needed for potential release locations. Topics also included a brief recap of non-lethal mitigation presentations currently underway with local agricultural communities and other efforts underway within the wolf management program to minimize wolf-livestock conflict.

At the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting in August, CPW announced it would once again be releasing wolves in the northern release zone. When identifying potential release locations, local area wildlife managers and biologists, and wolf program biologists identified state-owned lands that are within the landscape context that will support wolves, keeping in mind movement immediately after the release. This included looking at the availability of natural prey sources during that time of year and appropriate habitat. In addition, staff is also considering access, safety for staff and animals, potential impacts due to weather conditions, and equipment needed.

“State statute has provided constraints on where wolves can be released. Within those constraints, the Wolf Restoration and Management Plan identifies additional consideration as to where restoration can occur,” stated Travis Black, Northwest Region Manager. “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.”

Final release site decisions will not be made until the operation is underway. Variables, including weather, animal welfare, staff safety, and many other day-of-operation logistics and possible scenarios, are taken into consideration when making the final decisions for release.

During the December 2023 wolf releases, (CPW) observed that several wolves made significant movements in the months following their release, which was to be expected. With this in mind, CPW staff are looking at social considerations, human and livestock, in the areas surrounding the release sites, where potential movement could occur. This included analyzing human presence, recreational activities, and established communities, and assessing the potential for conflicts with livestock.

Wrapping up the meeting, county commissioners had an opportunity to ask questions and share feedback they are hearing from their local communities and producers.

“We recognize that this is a challenging situation and all involved are listening to their constituents. 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,” said Davis.

In addition to this meeting, CPW has been collaborating with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) to host Conflict Reduction Training sessions in several counties within the Northwest Region. During these training sessions, producers receive valuable information on various topics, including range riding, carcass management, livestock protection dogs and investigations into wolf depredation. This training aims to prepare agricultural producers ahead of the calving and lambing season, which typically occurs in early spring each year.

These meetings took place in:

Moffat County
Routt County
Rio Blanco County
Garfield CountyJackson
Routt County

Upcoming training sessions are scheduled for Eagle and Gunnison counties in December.

“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. Effective and innovative solutions will result from this local expertise and extended, respectful collaboration. These relationships are critical to the success of wolf restoration in Colorado while at the same time supporting agricultural and rural communities and the vital role they play in Colorado’s economy, heritage and conservation efforts,” said Davis.

The meeting on Nov. 8 in Rifle marks the beginning of the collaboration efforts as we enter the next phase of gray wolf introductions and continues the discussions that have been taking place since January 2024. Colorado Parks and Wildlife remains committed to engaging further with county officials, local producers, and other stakeholders in areas where wolves currently reside and in locations where wolves may be released in the future.

Slides from Tim Ritschard’s presentation from Middle Park Stockgrowers Association