Colorado’s wolf restoration program has hit a few bumps, but overall has been successful in beginning the restoration of a native species.
Wolves are a keystone species whose presence strengthens entire ecosystems. By regulating elk and deer populations, they reduce overgrazing and allow streamside vegetation to recover – improving water quality and fish habitat in ways that benefit landscapes, wildlife and downstream communities. Restoring wolves means restoring the ecological balance Colorado's lands once knew.
Gray wolf restoration is required by Proposition 114, passed in November 2020. There are two primary requirements: 1) create a self-sustaining population of wolves and 2) pay fair compensation to owners of livestock for any losses caused by gray wolves. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been effectively and professionally implementing both requirements.
After the passage of Proposition 114, CPW began a planning process that included over 50 public meetings, online input, and the creation of two advisory groups. This work culminated in the unanimous approval of the wolf management plan in May 2023 by the CPW Commission, the governor-appointed body that oversees CPW policies.
To date, 25 wolves have been released in Colorado, 10 from Oregon, and 15 from British Columbia. Those wolves have produced at least six litters of pups, a testament to the quality of wolf habitat in Colorado and the effectiveness of CPW’s management. More litters are expected this spring. Since wolf releases began in late 2023, there have been 97 animals confirmed to be killed by wolves in Colorado.
About half the reintroduced wolves have died since their release. This is a higher-than-expected level of mortality, but it is not an indication of failure. While concerning, the losses will not stop restoration. These mortalities resulted from various causes. Three animals were killed in Wyoming, where there are few restrictions on killing wolves in their “predator zone.”
One bump in the road has been the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s October 2025 direction prohibiting further releases of wolves from British Columbia, the source CPW intended to use for an additional 15 wolves in January 2026. USFWS has ultimate authority over the management of wolves in Colorado, as they are listed as an endangered species under federal law. That USFWS prohibition reversed the agency’s 2024 approval of CPW for the early 2025 releases of British Columbia wolves.
The effects of not releasing additional wolves early in 2026 are unknown. It could stall the establishment of the legally required self-sustaining population. CPW intends to release additional wolves in late 2026 or early 2027 and will work with the USFWS to meet its mandate.
Regardless of the shifting landscape, CPW’s new director, Laura Clellan, has made it clear that the agency will continue full speed ahead to implement the will of Colorado’s voters, reestablishing native wolves to Colorado. Clellan is the agency’s first female director and brings executive and organizational management skills to the position. She has more than three decades of decorated military service, and wildlife interests across the spectrum are optimistic about her ability to lead the agency.
CPW has made strong progress in establishing a program to compensate livestock owners for losses to wolf depredation. They have developed tools to help minimize losses through conflict-prevention techniques, including funding “range riders” – individuals who stay with livestock to prevent wolf depredation – and a range of proven techniques that reduce attacks.
Nonprofit wildlife advocacy groups have joined in those efforts, providing both funding and people power to implement these techniques. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, the organization that managed the process for the passage of Proposition 114, established the Born to be Wild license plate. Wolf supporters donate $50 per year to CPW for nonlethal conflict reduction with each plate purchased, resulting in more than $2 million to date and expected revenue of more than $1 million annually.
Colorado, with CPW’s leadership, is carrying out wolf restoration with a reasonable, professional and effective program that will both restore a self-sustaining wolf population and compensate for livestock losses. That’s success, and many Coloradans have and will continue to contribute to this historic species restoration.
Gary Skiba is a wildlife biologist and the Wildlife Program Manager for the San Juan Citizens Alliance.
