Parks and Wildlife Commission rejects petition to pause wolf reintroduction after daylong hearing

DENVER — The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted 10–1 on Tuesday to deny a citizens’ petition asking the agency to pause further gray wolf reintroductions while additional measures to reduce conflicts with livestock are put in place.

Commissioners concluded that agency staff and partner agencies have already organized the central tools requested in the petition — and that a one‑year delay now would risk losing momentum for a nascent wolf population while imposing more uncertainty for ranchers and managers. The motion to deny, carried 10–1, followed a daylong public comment period in which ranchers, wolf advocates, scientists and agency staff spoke at length.

Why it matters: Colorado voters approved Proposition 114 in 2020, directing the state to restore wolves. CPW staff said the division has implemented and expanded many of the practices petitioners asked for — including a formal definition of “chronic depredation,” a statewide site‑assessment process, a pilot and contracting plan to hire range riders, and grant pilots to support carcass removal — and urged the commission to let the program continue while those tools scale up.

What the petition asked for: The petition submitted in late 2024 requested that CPW pause further translocations until seven conditions were met, including clearer rules for lethal response, confirmed and funded carcass‑management programs, range riders and guaranteed compensation for producers. The petition also called for a public rule‑making process rather than internal agency “guidance.”

What staff reported: CPW and partner agencies described steps already in place or under way. Highlights supplied during the…