For Immediate Release
21-Dec-2024
Durango, CO – Today, Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) Director Jeff Davis delivered a staff recommendation to the CPW Commission, asking that the Commission deny the September 2024 petition to pause wolf reintroduction. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Project lauds this action by CPW staff.
“We’ve had no further wolf releases in the last twelve months, so we’ve effectively been on pause. During that time, CPW and Colorado Department of Agriculture have built out robust livestock conflict minimization programs, and addressed all the points raised in the petition—the CPW staff recommendation puts a fine point on all of that,” said Rob Edward, President of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project.
CPW has been working tirelessly to establish a science-based program that will help livestock producers prevent conflict with wolves. This work includes convening an ad hoc group of livestock producers, CPW staff, and conservationists tasked with hammering out guidance regarding instances of repeated depredation.
“From the development of a range rider program, to the wildly successful first year of the ‘Born To Be Wild’ license plate, to the good work of the ad hoc group, Colorado is showing the rest of the world what it means to be good stewards of our wildlife and good partners with our agricultural producers.”
Edward emphasized the fact that Colorado’s first year of wolf restoration went largely as expected. “No project of this magnitude goes off without a few hiccups and opportunities for improvement. We expected some conflict with livestock production. Likewise, that some of the freshman class of wolves perished for various reasons cut us to the core, but didn’t come as a surprise. Despite these challenges, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has proven themselves a world class wildlife management agency.”
