In November, voters passed Proposition 114, directing Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to reintroduce gray wolves to Colorado no later than the end of 2023.
The last known wild wolf in Colorado was killed in 1945. Wolf advocates have been working toward wolf restoration since the 1990s and a lack of progress led to the idea of a ballot initiative. Wolf restoration has helped restore ecosystem dynamics, most famously in Yellowstone National Park, but also throughout Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Proponents of wolf restoration, backed by solid science, expect that restoration to Colorado will have similar positive effects.
CPW will now create a wolf restoration plan. How that plan is built is crucial to successfully implementing the will of Colorado’s voters, ensuring that everyone who is affected has their concerns heard and addressed, and in establishing a self-sustaining wolf population.
As Gov. Polis noted in his Jan. 13 remarks to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, it would be wise to complete the wolf reintroduction plan well ahead of the Dec. 31, 2023 deadline. He advocated for having some wolves reintroduced by late 2022 or early 2023. That’s just good planning, but the CPW process that has been adopted by the Parks and Wildlife Commission could lead to delaying the final plan until the very end of 2023.
CPW has wide-ranging experience and expertise in wildlife management planning and can work with other states and wolf scientists to quickly develop a scientifically solid draft before submitting it for public input and to reach to goal of a final plan and reintroductions by the end of 2022.
Wolves are best moved in groups of related individuals from the late fall through the late winter (November to March). Completing the first reintroductions by the end of 2022 would help CPW meet the legal requirement of Proposition 114 and deal with any problems that might come up preventing reintroductions before the fall of 2023.
CPW completed a wolf management plan in 2004, and that plan is a great starting point for the new reintroduction plan. A key finding of the group, that “wolves should be allowed to live with no boundaries where they find habitat,” reflects the reasoning of sportsmen, environmental advocates, agriculturists and wildlife biologists. By combining the 2004 plan’s recommendations with input from wolf scientists and managers, CPW can create a comprehensive and scientifically sound plan that offers alternatives to the public.
CPW intends to create a Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) to help gather input for the plan. Stakeholder groups can be a great way to collect input from the public. Such groups need a clear charter and understanding of their role. They are advisory, not decision-making bodies, and the group must be carefully structured to be sure that no one viewpoint can dominate the process.
The SAG could be used not only to help develop the management plan, but also to provide information about living with wolves to the public. If SAG members perform their duties well, they can become trusted representatives of their constituents and will be viewed by the public as a long-term source of high-quality information.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFSWS) removed the gray wolf from the federal list of endangered species on Jan. 4. Since reintroduction of a federally listed species requires a permit from the USFWS, the delisting gave CPW an opportunity to move forward with wolf reintroduction without USFWS involvement.
The USFWS decision was challenged in the courts immediately and the outcome of those challenges is unknown. The gray wolf could be protected under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) again.
Therefore it’s prudent for CPW to consult with the USFWS to ensure that if the wolf is re-listed, CPW can meet the legal mandate of reintroduction by the end of 2023. Federally listed species can be reintroduced through various tools under the ESA and CPW should immediately explore the possibilities with the USFWS and move forward quickly to gain any necessary permits.
Restoring wolves to Colorado will help restore our ecosystems to fuller function. We owe that to future generations.
Gary Skiba is wildlife program manager for San Juan Citizens Alliance, a Durango-based nonprofit.
