GRAND COUNTY – According to a recent press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, on December 18, five wolves were released in the Grand County, Colorado. A few days later, five more wolves were released in Summit and Grand Counties. Bringing the total of wolves released in Colorado as part of the Proposition 114 to ten – four males and six females – as part of their agreement with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“A historic day for Colorado and for the first time ever — we released five wolves, three males and two females, in Grand County today,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in their release last week. 

In November of 2020, Colorado passed Proposition 114 requiring the Colorado Park and Wildlife Commission to take the necessary steps to begin the reintroduction of gray wolves into parts of Colorado by the end of 2023. An agreement between the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission allowed for the translocation of up to ten gray wolves from December 2023 to March 2024. 

With only a few weeks left to meet the beginning of their reintroduction plan on a December 31 deadline, lawsuits were filed by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and the Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association (GCSA) and the Colorado Conservation Alliance. 

The initial lawsuit, filed by GCSA and CCA on Monday, was seeking an immediate, temporary restraining order to pause the reintroduction however the Colorado Conservation Alliance asked for a “preliminary and permanent injunction” prohibiting the state from re-introducing gray wolves pending “full and complete compliance with NEPA”. 

Despite lawsuits by all three entities, Judge Regina Rodriguez, shot down the CCA, GCSA and the Colorado Conservation Alliance request to put the December 31 deadline on hold. The ruling allows for the state to continue with its plan of capturing and transporting approximately ten wolves from Oregon, as part of the agreement.

“Today’s release fulfills the wish of Colorado voters who, in 2020, directed us to begin reintroducing wolves by December 31, 2023, and kickstarts our goal to release 10-15 wolves by Mid-March 2024,” the Colorado Parks and Wildlife stated in their press release. “Gray wolves in Colorado are managed using the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan, approved by our Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission in May 2023 after more than two years of extensive statewide stakeholder meetings and outreach via a series of public hearings. The gray wolf in Colorado is protected by the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and state law.”

The reintroduction of grey wolves into parts of Colorado has sparked a lot of controversy among the Colorado citizens. Many citizens have expressed their gratitude to Colorado Parks and Wildlife while other citizens are concerned for the livelihood of Colorado livestock producers.

“(I am) so happy to see them back in Colorado,” Chrissy Elle commented on the release. “Great job, Colorado Parks and Wildlife. There is a compensation plan for ranchers’ livestock. Wolves have always been here and were eradicated by humans as of 80 years ago,” the comment continued.

Many of the comments siding with farmers, ranchers and citizens of rural communities, express the anger and disapproval of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

“(It’s a) very sad day for all livestock in the state of Colorado,” Kelly Burch commented on the release. “Good luck to all the Ranchers out there.”

There is a compensation package available for farmers and ranchers who lose their livestock to a wolf attack. The state created funding for provide up to $15,000 for any livestock killed in a wolf attack. A 10(j) ruling also changed the classifications of gray wolves in Colorado which allows producers to kill the animal should it attack livestock. 

“There goes 50 years of conservation,” Jody Dilley commented on the release. “Colorado Parks and Wildlife makes it like a great thing when all of the upper echelon should be replaced. Denver and boulder voted for this atrocity and they (gray wolves) should have been released down town there.”

“These releases complete our agreement with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to provide up to 10 wolves to Colorado,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in the release. “We will continue working to source additional animals until up to 15 wolves have been reintroduced in Colorado by mid-March 2024. We plan to recover and maintain a viable, self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado while balancing the need to manage interactions between wolves, people and livestock and will manage gray wolves as outlined in our Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan,” the release continued. “The gray wolf in Colorado is protected by the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and state law and any take that is not done by, or with a permit from, CPW or USFWS or in active self defense remains punishable by fines up to $100,000, jail time and loss of hunting privileges.”