STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) presented its final draft of its gray wolf restoration and management plan in front of commissioners Thursday, followed by a discussion and public input.
The CPW Commission is responsible for making the final decision to approve the plan. They will adopt it through a two-step process, starting with Thursday's meeting in Steamboat Springs. The final meeting is set for May 3 and 4 in Glenwood Springs.
Click here to read about the drafted plan.
The nearly seven-hour meeting began with CPW listing the items that had been altered in this plan since the previous meeting. That includes points such as reviewing protocol if gray wolf survival rate dips below 70%, increasing the maximum livestock kill compensatory limit from $8,000 to $15,000, and noting that the long-term management of the species may need to be considered in a way not outlined by the plan in the future.
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CPW to present final draft of Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan
The commission discussed the regulatory framework surrounding the plan. This included, after multiple points and explanations, voting to include verbiage to say that without CPW permission, it is unlawful for anybody to place electronic calls or olfactory attracts with the intent to lure gray wolves.
Tribal nations input was also brought in during the meeting, in which Councilwoman Vanessa P. Torres, who sits on tribal council for Southern Ute Indian Tribe, said the state did not consider the wishes of Colorado tribes when it allowed its residents to vote on Proposition 114 in 2020.
Wildlife knows no boundaries, she said, and now the tribes are forced to address their concerns. Torres asked the state to release wolves in the northern release zone to avoid Southern Ute hunting grounds, where she said elk populations are dipping. She expressed concern with how that issue could be compounded with the addition of wolves on the landscape.
After Torres' statement, Commissioner Taishya Adams noted that it was unfortunate this was the first time the tribe had been involved in a wolf-related discussion. She urged the commission to be better about including their voices.
CPW confirmed that wolves would not be released within 60 miles of Colorado's state boundaries, which includes the Ute boundary. However, CPW also noted that wolf packs move around.
Following a lunch break, the session opened for public comment. In total, 20 people — including ranchers, local residents, experts, and organization representatives — explained their support, concerns and suggestions for the draft plan.
With each of their two minutes of allotted time, the speakers made the following comments:
- The total number of wolves outlined in the draft plan seem to aim to avoid extinction, and not support recovery. The latter should be the priority
- The draft plan could do more to prioritize nonlethal, conflict prevention methods
- If 10-15 wolves will be introduced to Colorado in 2023 and an additional 10 to 15 will be introduced over the next two to three years, ranchers have plenty of time to incorporate strategies to make their operations more resilient and profitable
- The livestock loss reimbursement for wolves — up to $15K — should match that the reimbursement if livestock is killed by a mountain lion or bear so there is no incentive for a rancher to blame a wolf for another predator's kill
- There needs to be more incentives for ranchers to use nonlethal deterrents
- There will likely be false claims of wolf depredation, when the kill is actually due to a mountain lion or bear. This will become a problem
- Studies say killing wolves is not an effective way of preventing livestock loss
- CPW's draft plan should require — not just consider — nonlethal techniques before lethal methods if there is a problem wolf
- Ranchers should have at-risk status for compensation and if there is a conflict or kill somewhere, all ranchers in that vicinity would be considered in an at-risk category
- Ranchers are concerned about the cost of carcass removal, which could attract wolves, if it is a large animal or in a remote place
- Science says a wolf pack as small as the proposed reintroduction number is too small and there needs to be at least 750 animals for genetic biodiversity
- The Gunnison County Stock Growers Association requested sharing of real-time locations of wolves as a means of conflict mitigation
- Multiple wolf packs interacting could lead to more random or social killings
- Montana saw about $82 million in wolf tourism in one year, and Colorado could see this as well as wildlife watchers generate three times more economic output than hunters paying for licenses
- CPW should have a rapid response team to answer calls about depredation — the faster the better. This will help confirm if a livestock kill is actually due to one wolf, several wolves or another predator
The final CPW Commission meeting for the gray wolf plan is set for May 3 and 4 in Glenwood Springs.
To watch the full meeting Thursday, click here.
The CPW Commission involves Chair Carrie Besnette Hauser, Vice Chair Dallas May, Secretary Marie Haskett, Commissioners Taishya Adams, Karen Michelle Bailey, Betsy Blecha, Gabriel Otero, Duke Phillips IV, Richard Reading, James Jay Tutchton and Eden Vardy.
It also includes Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources Dan Gibbs, Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg, and Acting Director of CPW Heather Disney Dugan.
During the meeting, Director Gibbs said earlier that morning, the commission ratified the selection of Jeff Davis as the new director of CPW. He thanked Dugan, the acting director, for her service.
