December 31, 2024 Shannon Lukens

By Shannon Lukens.

Three livestock producers that we know of so far have submitted claims to be reimbursed for wolf depredations for over $575,000. Middle Park Stockgrowers have sent an email to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commissioners letting them know that the claims have been submitted by two producers in Grand County and one near the Grand County border in South Routt County.

The email from Middle Park Stockgrowers Association President Tim Ritschard says, “We are sending this information in advance of the January CPW meeting to make sure you are aware of the magnitude of the claims pending before the Division. These three claims total over $575,000 in actual loss. These are the only three of which we are aware of, and there are likely more.”

Comment from Conway Farrell

Conway Farrell in Grand County had the most claims, with losses of cows, calves, and sheep from the Copper Creek Pack, which was eventually removed from the area by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

“I hope we get paid so we can stay in business. We need to get paid. They’re the ones that made the law and we filed everything how they set it up so I dang sure hope we get paid.”

Wolf Compensation Claim Form

(One claim form is pictured, and it is enlarged at the bottom of this page.)

Claims include animals that died and animals that went missing. The form lists the maximum number of missing animals that can be claimed. That is 65 calves, nine cows, and 14 sheep. Farrell says his ranch lost nine sheep and six cattle to wolves, which is confirmed by CPW. He is missing 14 sheep, 13 cows, and 88 calves.

The claim form also lists a baseline weight and conception rate.

For example, the largest claim is from the Farrell Ranch near Kremmling in Grand County, for $422,784.78. It lists a Baseline Weight of 520.17, with the Current Year Average of 480.3, and the number of animals with reduced weights as 1,459. That Extended Value is listed as $193,125.50.

That same claim lists Conception Rates with a Baseline Rate of 91.21, and a Current Year Rate of 88.3. That claim is for $90,059.16.

This claim from Conway Farrell was submitted on Dec. 20. The two other claims were submitted on Dec. 21, and Dec. 30.

Updates to the Confirmed Gray Wolf Depredation Information Page

Steamboat Radio News has reached out to Colorado Parks and Wildlife twice about when the Confirmed Gray Wolf Depredation Information page will be updated with all current claims. This page lists a confirmed depredation, when it happened and in which county. It also lists the number of animals involved, if a claim has been filed and if the amount has been received.

This page also says original paperwork has to be filed within 90 days of a loss. But the claimant can delay filing the claim until Dec. 31 for the entire year that the losses have occurred. This is why claims are now being submitted by producers.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Public Information Supervisor Travis Duncan wrote to Steamboat Radio News on Dec. 11, 2024, “The page will be updated as soon as possible once a claim is submitted.”

At least three claims have been submitted, again on Dec. 20, Dec. 21, and Dec. 30. As of press time, the CPW page has not been updated with that information.

Upcoming Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission Meeting

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meets Jan. 8-9. A wolf update is on the agenda starting at 12:10 p.m., as well as a petition from 26 entities, mostly involving statewide livestock producers, to pause the next round of wolf releases. The “Wolf Citizen Petition” is at 1:40 p.m. which is followed by “Wolf Public Comment.” Colorado Parks and Wildlife is recommending a denial of the petition.

Here’s what today’s email from Middle Park Stockgrowers says, “We are aware of the Division’s recommendation to deny the citizen petition; its rationale will be addressed separately. We feel that the Commissioners need to have as much information as possible to make this decision. The financial damages associated with these three claims could have been much less had the agency taken lethal action on some of the wolves. We feel the process within the agency continues to not recognize what is happening on the ground. We also do not feel that these deficiencies to the program have been cured, which is why we filed the citizen petition to begin with. While the Division may be in the process of implementing programs, they are not in place and cannot be in place before calving season. For example, we do not know of additional Range Riders having been employed, and the Range Rider training sessions are not scheduled until April, after calving season is in process.

Not having all of the program’s elements in place before wolves are introduced is not only unfair to the wolves and livestock producers, but has significant state budgetary consequences.

We ask that the Commissioners take this into consideration at its meeting next week.”

Parks and Wildlife Commission Meeting: January 8-9, 2025

Final Agenda

Rule-Making Notice

Meanwhile, CPW says the next round of wolf releases in Colorado could begin in early January. CPW has not said where the next round will be released, or where the remaining members of the Copper Creek Pack will be released.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Compensation for Livestock Owners

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife website provides the following on Compensation for Livestock Owners.

Compensation Options

If a depredation incident is confirmed by CPW:

Livestock owners can be reimbursed the fair market value of the animal, up to $15,000.
Livestock owners can also receive reimbursement of veterinarian costs for the treatment of injured livestock or guard/herding animals, up to $15,000.

Once a confirmed wolf depredation occurs to cattle or sheep in large, open range settings where topography and vegetation make it difficult to confirm depredations in a timely manner, livestock owners will have two compensation options:

A Basic Compensation Ratio option, which provides compensation for missing calves or sheep in larger open range settings and may also cover some production losses.
An Itemized Production Losses option, which provides compensation for missing calves and sheep as well as indirect losses including decreased weaning weights, decreased conception rates and other indirect losses on a case-by-case basis.

More from the Coloradoan on Dec. 31, 2024 — Colorado ranchers’ wolf kill claims balloon after state’s first release in December 2023