The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission met Thursday, June 13, at the Winter Park Mountain Lodge. Commissioners, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis and the public discussed wolves for several hours in a packed conference room. Wolves were released at the end of 2023 in Grand and Summit counties as part of a voter-mandated reintroduction program.

During the meeting commissioners passed new regulations regarding wolf management in a 6-4 vote that included: allowing the use of night vision technology that could be used to haze, injure or kill gray wolves; defining domestic bison as livestock, including hybrids; making pooled ranchers — livestock owners that graze stock together — eligible for compensation claims; and adding working dogs to the list of animals that can be protected if a wolf is actively attacking it.

Domestic bison were originally left off of the list of livestock eligible for depredation compensation. A Southern Ute Tribe representative spoke during the public comment period and asked commissioners to expand the definition to include domestic bison. The tribe manages a small herd of bison near Ignacio, a town in southern Colorado. 

One of the new rules passed by commissioners allows the use of various night vision technologies when lawfully hazing or destroying a depredating wolf, which will be authorized at the agency’s discretion. This includes situations where a wolf is caught in the act of attacking a protected animal or if a rancher has been issued a chronic depredation permit by Parks and Wildlife.

In cases where state and federal agencies don’t have the capacity to carry out lethal control measures on a wolf that has been determined to be a chronic depredator, Parks and Wildlife may issue a chronic depredation permit. This permit gives the holder the ability to injure or kill wolves in the designated permit area, regardless of whether they are attacking livestock or working dogs. This permit is valid for 45 days. Davis explained at the meeting that these permits would rarely be issued, if ever. 

Commissioner James Jay Tutchton was apprehensive about allowing civilians to use night vision technology to possibly shoot a wolf because of the danger it could pose to recreationists on public lands where livestock are able to graze.

The agency said it is looking at depredation cases individually and evaluating them on a case-by-case basis to determine what actions need to be taken, including lethal action. 

Livestock producers have previously asked Parks and Wildlife to issue a chronic depredation definition. The Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan states that state program managers will make the determination about whether a situation is characterized as chronic depredation on a case-by-case basis. At the meeting on Thursday, commissioners and staff ​​continued to stand by the decision. 

Ranchers, recreationists and conservationists speak out

Before voting on the wolf regulations, commissioners opened up an opportunity for the public to comment.

Speakers included ranchers, recreationists, wolf proponents, conservationists and a Girl Scout. The wide range of speakers all shared different perspectives and stories regarding the wolf reintroduction. 

The first individual to speak was rancher and Grand County Commissioner Merrit Linke.

He said he was wary of the direction that Parks and Wildlife was going with the wolf reintroduction. He pointed out problems that other states with established wolf populations were facing. Linke urged the commissioners to get ahead of the problems present in other states before things become a “runaway train.”

Many ranchers who experienced wolf depredations spoke during public comment, including Grand County rancher Conway Farrell and Jackson County rancher Don Gittleson.

“Seven kills, four preemie calves in six days, two dead calves 30 yards apart, two missing calves, one missing yew. If this ain’t chronic depredation, what is?” Farrell said while speaking to commissioners during the meeting. 

Paul Bruchez, a Grand County rancher, shared his personal experience about what it is like living and working near wolves. He said that his ranch experienced the first reintroduced wolf depredation in Colorado and the added stress and lack of sleep has put him on blood pressure medication. 

“I cannot fully describe the efforts taken to minimize more depredations. Many of us are physically living and sleeping with our cattle. Protecting our livestock became a 24-hour-a-day job,” Bruchez said.

A 15-year-old Girl Scout from Oklahoma made the trip to Winter Park to speak. She shared that she was trying to earn the Gold Award, the most prestigious award for Girl Scouts. She said some of the changes discussed at the meeting were “disappointing” since the wolves don’t have an established population in Colorado. She believes both sides can find common ground.

Group formed for wolf discussions

A temporary working group was also announced. It’s meant to provide input for Parks and Wildlife staff in specific areas related to the implementation of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. The group will include representatives from both wolf restoration and ranching interests, as well as agency staff. A total of 12 people will make up the group. 

Individuals were invited to the group based on a set of criteria, including experience working across sectors and interests, credibility across constituencies and an ability to represent and actively communicate with other stakeholders.

Members of the group have not yet been publicly revealed. 

“We’ve brought in a neutral, experienced facilitation team to manage the discussions. The willingness of this group to come together and collaborate on tough issues will help us achieve positive outcomes for all stakeholders in Colorado wolf restoration,” Davis said.

The group will meet in person three times in 2024 on the Western Slope.

This story is from SkyHiNews.com.