Producers and others press for wolf pause

Wolf (Canis lupus) in autumn forest. Grey wolf in natural habitat

With the release of gray wolves in Gunnison County looming as early as December 2025, a pair of last minute efforts to hit the pause button are underway.

On Sept. 5, the Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association led a group of 28 Colorado organizations and government jurisdictions in filing a “Citizen Petition for Rulemaking” with the Colorado Wildlife Commission. Gunnison County commissioners did not join the petition.

A similar petition was filed in September 2024 and denied by the Commission in January 2025. A November 2023 lawsuit filed in federal court was dismissed in December of that year.

Colorado voters approved Proposition 114 in 2020 which mandated the reintroduction of wolves throughout Colorado by Dec. 31, 2023. Since then, 25 wolves have been released in two phases. Acting under authority granted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Endangered Species Act, the state aims to establish a stable population of at least 50 wolves within 3-5 years.

“Specifically, the petition seeks to adopt a rule that delays wolf releases until at least November 16, 2026 to address current program shortcomings as identified herein,” the document states. The petition further requests that the commission vote on the merits of the request and initiate the rulemaking at its regularly-scheduled Oct. 9 meeting.

Gunnison rancher Andy Spann is president of the Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association.

“Producers across the state and Gunnison County have been very engaged, and we continue to build the record, asking them to make adjustments, take a pause and work through the problems that are on the ground,” he said. “By the statute, Colorado Parks and Wildlife are asked to resolve conflicts with livestock producers. That's what they have to do.”

The petition states that the reintroduction program thus far “is not in compliance with the will of the voters” or subsequent statutory requirements.

“The Division has been overly focused on the fact that Proposition 114 requires wolves to be introduced to Colorado,” it states. “It has paid far less attention to the equally important part of the statute that requires the Division to manage wolves to prevent and resolve conflicts with farmers and ranchers. The Division has met its obligation to begin wolf reintroductions by December 31, 2023. It is time for the agency to take a much-needed pause to ensure that it can meet its obligations to prevent and resolve conflicts as required by the voters of Colorado.”

Federal approach

Alongside the petition to state officials, Republican gubernatorial candidate, Greg Lopez, on Sept. 12 delivered a letter to Matt Hogan, regional director of the mountain-prairie region of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The letter, co-signed by the Colorado Outfitters Association and the Colorado Wool Growers Association, asked the agency to issue a “cease-and-desist order halting further translocation of wolves into Colorado for a period of 12 months.”

Among other concerns, the letter alleges that CPW “exceeded its authority” when unilaterally contracting with British Columbia for 15 wolves to be relocated to Colorado. Lopez and others believe that action lies outside the 2022 Memorandum of Agreement between CPW and the Fish and Wildlife Service that designated the state as an “agent” in managing the relocation of wolves.

“Instead of wasting time with a designated agent of the Fish and Wildlife Service, it's time to go to the decision makers and have them do their job and do what's right for the betterment of this reintroduction,” Lopez said. “That is to take a pause on everything that's happening and re-evaluate why things are not being done correctly by the state, and what are they doing to avoid conflict.”

In calling for the pause, the letter further cites “escalating depredation and safety concerns” and an erosion of public trust in the Fish and Wildlife Service “as a balanced steward of wildlife resources.” Efforts to contact the Service for comment were unsuccessful.

“This is not going to undermine the vote of the voters of Colorado, Lopez said. “It's not going to jeopardize by any stretch of the imagination the success of this program. So we will ask continuously for a pause, because they're not [properly] managing this non essential experimental population.”

Lopez’ letter requests a determination from the regional office in 30 days or less.

“I am not going to allow it to stop at the regional office, unless they do the cease and desist order,” Lopez said. “If they do that, then we have a means by which we can have a conversation. Should they decide that they do not have the authority or they wish not to issue it? I will take it up the chain of command.”

(Alan Wartes can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or publisher@gunnisontimes.com.)