STATE AGENCY DOCUMENTS AND LAWS
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State of Colorado Capitol building in Denver
➤ Findings and Recommendations for Managing Wolves that Migrate into Colorado
In 2004, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife) developed a plan to address the possibility of wolf migration into Colorado from the restoration programs in the northern Rockies. It does not address reintroduction. Key recommendations of the stakeholder group that developed the plan are that wolves should be allowed to live wherever they find habitat and that negative impacts be addressed as they occur. This plan served as an information source for the ongoing (September 2022) development of Colorado’s wolf restoration plan.
➤ Proposition 114 / C.R.S. 33-2-105.8
This is the statute (Colorado law) created by the passage of Proposition 114 in November 2020. It requires Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)to begin reintroducing gray wolves to Colorado by the end of 2023, to fairly compensate ranchers for livestock lost to wolves, and to eventually establish a self-sustaining wolf population. To implement the statute, CPW created 2 advisory groups and a process that will lead to finalization of a plan by mid-2023.
➤ CPW’s “Wolf Resource Guide”
CPW’s Hands-on Resource Guide is adapted from a Montana publication. The Hands-on Resource Guide to Reduce Depredations is meant to be a useful introduction for ranchers and livestock owners to implement effective strategies to prevent wolf depredations.The goal of the brochure is to outline different tools that may suit a livestock producer’s operation. CPW and other organizations can offer additional help in evaluating and identifying options and may offer cost sharing, materials, or labor to assist producers’ efforts.
➤ Map of Reintroduction Area
This map depicts the area in which Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is most likely to release wolves for their restoration work. Wolves are not expected to remain at their release sites and will undoubtedly move throughout Colorado and beyond over time. There will be no effort to prevent wolves from dispersing outside of this area.
The base layer of this map shows a color-coded combination of the ecological suitability and risk of conflict as described in the peer- reviewed scientific publication listed below. The dotted eastern line is the Continental Divide; release sites must be west of the divide per requirements in the statutes created by passage of Proposition 114. The north and west lines are 60 miles from Colorado state boundaries, and the south line is 60 miles north of the tribal lands of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. These 60-mile buffers were recommended by CPW’s Technical Working Group.
Ditmer, M.A., Wittemyer, G., Breck, S.W., and Crooks, K.R. 2022. Defining ecological and socially suitable habitat for the reintroduction of an apex predator. Global Ecol. Conserv. 38 (Oct. 2022) e02192 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02192
Map Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife
➤ Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan-Final
Executive Summary: “Through the passage of Ballot Initiative 114 in the November 2020 state election, codified at Colo . Rev . Stat . § 33-2-105 .8, as amended (attached as Appendix A), the voters of Colorado mandated that the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (hereafter, Commission) restore the gray wolf (Canis lupus) to the state . This Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan (hereafter Plan) describes how this will be achieved and fulfills the planning components of the statutory requirements of CRS 33-2-105 .8 .”
➤ CPW’s Draft Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is seeking public feedback on the draft plan, and comments may be submitted either in person at one of CPW’s public meetings or through their online comment form found here. The deadline for online comments is February 22, 2023.
All public feedback will be shared with the Commission to help inform their final decisions about how to introduce and manage wolves in Colorado.