Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials announced yesterday that a planned third round of gray wolf reintroduction, expected to take place this winter, will no longer move forward.
The decision comes just one month after CPW received a letter from the federal government warning that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could assume control of Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program. In the letter, federal officials cited what they described as ongoing “compliance issues” that would need to be addressed for the state to retain management authority.
At this time, it remains unclear whether the federal warning directly influenced CPW’s decision to postpone the next release of wolves.
In a statement, CPW Acting Director Laura Clellan said the agency plans to continue meeting with livestock producers and other stakeholders in the coming months. The goal, she said, is to “explore how to maximize the restoration effort” during the next reintroduction window while balancing the protection of both livestock and wolves.
The wolf reintroduction program has been closely watched and, at times, controversial, drawing strong opinions from conservationists, ranchers, and wildlife managers alike. CPW officials indicated that discussions and planning will continue ahead of future efforts, with an emphasis on addressing concerns raised by both federal partners and local communities.
