The Hwy. 50 corridor — stretching east of Gunnison to Monarch Pass and west to Montrose, north of Crested Butte and as far south as the Saguache County line — has been flagged by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) as suitable habitat for the gray wolf. That earmarks the Gunnison Valley as a probable location for releases in the coming years under the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan.
The agency has been tasked with reintroducing the gray wolf in portions of the species’ historic range in Colorado by Dec. 31, 2023. CPW is responsible for taking the necessary steps to restore and manage gray wolves once they are on the ground, as well as paying fair compensation for livestock losses following reintroduction. CPW released the draft plan on Dec. 9, making the document available for public review and feedback. The comment window will remain open through Feb. 22, 2023.
Wolf reintroduction is the result of a voter-led initiative in Colorado that passed in 2020. Proposition 114 narrowly passed at the polls, with 50.9% voting in favor and 49.1% opposed. In Gunnison County, 57% voted against the proposition along with the majority of the Western Slope — evidence of tension generated from local ranchers and producers as they anticipated sharing the land with the predators for the first time in nearly 80 years.
While many in the western portion of the state feared for the safety of their livestock, and their livelihoods, much of the initiative’s support was generated by more densely populated regions along the Front Range such as Larimer, Boulder, Denver and Arapahoe counties.
According to Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association President Jason Peterson, the organization will comment in January after its board meeting.
As a member of the technical working group (TWG), Gunnison County Commissioner Jonathan Houck focused a significant amount of time on the damage and compensation plan for livestock producers — meeting numerous times with the Stockgrowers to “elevate their concerns and their voice.”
“If I have learned one thing being asked to serve on the TWG, the issues around re-introduction are many and complicated,” Houck wrote in an email. “This will continue to be a huge learning curve for all of us in Colorado, not just Gunnison County.”
After conducting nearly 50 public meetings across the state, CPW staff presented the draft plan to the Colorado Park and Wildlife Commission — a governor-appointed citizen board that sets regulations and policies for the state’s wildlife programs — at a virtual meeting on Dec. 9.
The draft plan represents the division’s “best effort to develop a blueprint and common sense approach to Proposition 114,” said Carrie Besnette Hauser, chair of the Commission.
“The goal was to develop a plan that the majority of the public will support, and one that represents reasonable compromise viability and has room to evolve over time, with lessons learned and wisdom gained,” Besnette Hauser said. “Preparing the draft was no easy task.”
Putting paws on the ground
According to the draft, the agency plans to reintroduce 30-50 wolves within the next three to five years — likely 10-15 animals annually. Wolves will likely be sourced from populations in the northern Rockies — areas ecologically similar to Colorado such as Idaho, Montana and Wyoming — in cooperation with other state wildlife agencies.
Once the wolves are captured and brought to Colorado, biologists will place them on the landscape using a “hard release strategy.” This means the animals will be released as soon as they enter the state, rather than holding them for a period of time for acclimation — a methodology that requires substantial time and resources, said Eric Odell, CPW’s species conservation program manager. Data gathered from releases in central Idaho showed similar effectiveness.
State statute constrains the geographic areas wolves can be released to west of the Continental Divide. Releases will likely be focused on the Western Slope based on the amount of ecologically suitable habitat available for wolf populations. This includes prey availability, topography and the size of the human footprint. It also considered the “conflict risk,” livestock density and land ownership.
Suitable habitat has been identified along the I-70 corridor between Glenwood Springs and Vail, extending down into the Roaring Fork Valley as well as along the Hwy. 50 corridor from Monarch Pass to Montrose. During the first year, releases will only occur in the northern area.
The plan does not presently contemplate releases on federal lands that fall under the management of the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management, because of the time and financial constraints to undertake a required National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis prior to releases, Odell said. Releases will instead occur on private and state lands.
According to the draft, scientists found wolves released in Yellowstone and central Idaho in the mid-1900s moved “substantial” distances in the months immediately after release with a recorded average of 50 miles. Others wandered as far as 140 miles away from release sites. Because of this, releases in Colorado will be given a 60-mile buffer from neighboring states, as well as a similar buffer from Tribal lands in the southwest portion of the state.
The winter season is biologists' preferred time to trap and move animals. All wolves that are released will have a GPS collar with a mortality sensor, which will supply “critical” data for CPW to monitor the success of the restoration effort, Odell said.
The number of individual wolves needed to maintain a viable, long-term population is widely debated, said Terrestrial Section Manager Brian Dreher. After contemplating the recovery of wolves to the north, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that 30 or more breeding pairs within a population of 300 or more wolves “should have a high probability of long-term persistence,” he said.
Wolves are protected as an endangered species in Colorado, labels that mean the species is at risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Wolves would be moved off of the Colorado State Threatened and Endangered Species List if the recorded population grows to 150 wolves for two successive years or if 200 wolves in total are counted.
Wolf-livestock interactions
CPW will address wolf-livestock conflicts on a case-by-case basis using a combination of management tools including education, non-lethal and non-injurious hazing of wolves, damage payments and lethal take specifically in rare cases of depredation.
“It's really challenging to write a general prescription for wolf management as so much is context dependent,” Odell said. “What works in one situation, may not be effective in another.”
Since the gray wolf was relisted as a federal endangered species in February of this year, CPW has requested that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issue an “experimental population” rule to create management flexibility that would otherwise be prohibited — designed primarily to reduce conflicts where wolves, people and livestock overlap.
The agency may provide temporary “conflict minimization” materials to some livestock owners such as turbo fladry — electric fencing with bright flags — and scare divides such as shell crackers, propane cannons and deterrent lights. If a depredation incident is confirmed, livestock owners can be reimbursed the fair market value of the animal up to a maximum of $8,000. The plan also allows coverage for the veterinarian costs to treat injured livestock and herding animals.
Producers who receive a special permit through the state may be allowed to kill wolves that are in the act of attacking or chasing livestock. This would be applicable on private lands as well as in areas where cattle are legally grazing on federal allotments. This regulation is still being developed and is not finalized.
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CPW will hold five hearings across the state to gather public input that will be considered when making final changes to the plan. An in-person meeting will take place in Gunnison on Jan. 25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The location has not yet been determined. A virtual meeting will also be held on Zoom on Feb. 16 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
CPW will provide a brief overview of the plan at each meeting and allow time for questions. Commissioners will vote on the final plan and regulations in Glenwood Springs on May 3 and 4, 2023.
To view the draft plan or submit a comment, scan the QR code below.
(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@gunnisontimes.com.)
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