Colorado awards group $28K for non-lethal wolf deterrents, range riders

DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are extending an agreement with the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association to continue supporting on-the-ground, non-lethal wolf deterrents.

The pair of state agencies are adding another $28,000 to support the association’s non-lethal deterrence plan, which includes a nighttime range rider to help prevent further conflicts between wolves and humans or livestock.

The money will be taken from CPW’s wolf depredation and conflict fund. No license funds were used for range riders and other tools, according to the agriculture department.

“We are grateful for our continued partnership with CDA, Middle Park Stockgrowers, and our agriculture communities across Colorado as we continue to restore this species,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis in a CDA release. “This additional funding will help producers in Middle Park and surrounding communities ensure they have the non-lethal tools in their conflict mitigation toolbox to protect their livestock and minimize conflict with wolves.”

Funding aims to continue state, county relationships

State agencies have sought to maintain positive relationships with stockgrowers and livestock producers after reintroducing wolves to the state over the winter. However, the state has also confirmed 10 wolf depredation events so far this year. Depredations refer to the wolf attacking and often killing livestock from a rancher, usually for food.

Although the state provides ranchers with fair market value for livestock lost to wolf depredations, only two claims have been submitted for depredations. One claim is still pending, and the other resulted in a Jackson County livestock producer receiving $1,514 for a calf killed by wolves.

“We were not prepared for the negative impacts that are happening, but the producers are having ongoing discussions about solutions with CDA and CPW,” said Tim Ritschard, president of the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association, in a state release. “We appreciate the assistance, this is an important first step in our partnership as we continue to work together through this process.”

The additional $28,000 builds on another $20,000 that was already awarded to the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association for non-lethal deterrents. Those deterrents include fladry — tying fluttery material to fences to scare off predators — and range riders.

“We commend the many producers who are putting in the hard work of reducing predator conflict using non-lethal tools,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg in a release. “There are resources available to producers, and CDA and CPW remain committed to not only deploying those resources quickly, but making sure they fit the needs of each agricultural community we serve.

Hiring to increase wolf deterrence efforts

Greenberg said the funding will allow the stockgrowers to implement further non-lethal practices, such as range riding, and added that the measures are working.

“The more we work together to put different non-lethal techniques on the landscape, the more tools we’ll have to reduce conflict and ensure resilient ranches well into the future,” Greenberg said in the release.

CDA has hired Dustin Shiflett to manage its Non-lethal Conflict Reduction Program in the Animal Health Division. According to the CDA, Shiflett will hire two additional employees for CDA’s program to work directly with producers in communities where wolves have been spotted, as well as agricultural communities that have not yet had wolves present.

CPW is also doing some hiring, adding five damage conflict mitigation specialists to its team. The new staff will assist Adam Baca, wolf conflict coordinator, to expand the current wolf conflict mitigation program and assist with depredation investigations.

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