Commissioners send collaborative letter regarding wolf reintroduction
During their Nov. 25 administrative public hearing, the Board of Mesa County Commissioners ratified a letter to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission regarding the consideration of providing wolves to the State of Colorado.
The collaborative letter from local governments, government associations, livestock organizations and producers was sent to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to request the commission carefully consider whether to provide wolves to the State of Colorado for the state's reintroduction efforts.
The letter cites Washington's declining wolf population, Colorado's low survival rate of introduced wolves and a lack of effective tools to help producers minimize conflicts with wolves as reasons for writing to the commission.
Read the full letter:
We are a diverse yet united group of Colorado citizens, sportsmen, producers, counties, legislators and wildlife conservationists. While we are living through our own wolf reintroduction, the process has been far from seamless. Our shared experiences have revealed several significant challenges, and we seek to share our perspective, and we request your careful consideration in providing wolves to Colorado.
It is our understanding that Governor Polis has contacted Governor Ferguson to request wolves for a winter release. We respectfully ask that you allow Washington’s wolves to remain in your state, where they have the greatest opportunity to thrive and contribute to the continued success of your population.
Recent reports from Washington indicate a 9%-16% decline in the overall wolf population and a 25% decline in breeding pairs. Meanwhile, Colorado’s reintroduction has faced concerning outcomes. Survival rates of released wolves have been low, depredation events have increased, and the resulting land use conflicts have placed heavy burdens on producers and rural communities.
Many counties, organizations and individuals have urged our state’s wildlife commission, governor, federal government and our wildlife agency to pause further introductions for one year, to evaluate survival rates, review program effectiveness and strengthen available mitigation tools for livestock producers.
Following the recent death of a female wolf from British Columbia, Colorado’s wolf survival rate has dropped below 67%. The Colorado Wolf Restoration Plan (page 22) specifies a 70% survival threshold as the trigger for a protocol review. Wolves have died after dispersing into Wyoming’s predator zone, some have been trapped or lethally removed due to chronic depredation. Some have traveled thousands of miles across the state in search of suitable habitat and a viable quality of life, while others have died from other natural reasons. These outcomes underscore the need for a responsible pause and program review before more wolves are released, for the welfare of all species involved.
Consider Gunnison County, central to the next proposed release zone. The county covers 3,260 square miles and winters 25,000 head of livestock (2022 NASS Census). The area already experiences regular winter mortality in native wildlife populations. Local producers were told that only eight miles of fladry, enough to cover roughly 2,560 acres, would be available for deterrence. A range rider program is in development, but contracted riders will not begin work until May 1, 2026, well after calving and lambing seasons and long after wolves would have been released. These tools can be effective, but we need more time and resources to make them truly functional in minimizing conflicts.
Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana declined to offer donor wolves. The human population, habitat fragmentation, and proximity to them were noted as negative.
For these reasons, we respectfully request that Washington’s wolves remain where they are most likely to survive and contribute to long-term recovery success. Colorado must first strengthen its own programs, ensure adequate mitigation measures and assess outcomes before any further releases occur. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
