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Colorado wolf reintroduction plan evolves as challenges threaten early 2024 deadline to have predators roaming Western Slope

Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners hosted the fifth and final public meeting on wolf reintroduction plan Wednesday, with possible plans to allow the killing of wolves the most controversial topic.

Jason Blevins
The Colorado Sun

WESTERN SLOPE — Colorado Parks and Wildlife is navigating a minefield as the agency works to move wolves into northwestern Colorado by next winter. 

As the final pieces of a complicated puzzle fall into place and CPW’s commissioners make final adjustments to the voter-mandated plan to reintroduce gray wolves to western Colorado by the end of 2023, the challenges are mounting. Litigation is simmering that could delay reintroduction for years.

Calls are increasing for federal land managers to launch lengthy studies of how wolves might impact public lands. And pressure is growing from both wildlife advocates and ranchers who don’t like specifics of the draft reintroduction plan, which is supposed to be finalized in May, with a goal of relocating 10 to 15 wolves west of the Continental Divide by next winter. 



Ranchers think they should be reimbursed more for livestock that are harassed or killed by wolves. Wildlife advocates don’t want to allow recreational hunting of wolves and want to eliminate a final phase of the draft plan that allows ranchers to kill wolves that are threatening horses, dogs, cattle and sheep. 

The lethal management of wolves was the hottest topic Wednesday at the Adams County Fairgrounds where the last of five public wolf meetings was held. Killing wolves was also the most contentious issue at CPW’s previous public meetings on the wolf plan in Colorado Springs, Gunnison, Rifle and online, where hundreds of residents voiced their concerns and opinions



Read the full story on ColoradoSun.com.


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