With new wolf pup — or pups — Colorado wildlife director insists on non-lethal response to livestock killings

The chief of Colorado Parks & Wildlife insisted that "non-lethal" means of managing wolves that kill livestock is crucial especially now that the two wolves brought to Colorado have a pup.

"And we believe that there are more pups within the recently named pack," Jeff Davis said in a round of letters in June with Sen. Janice Rich, who questioned whether he is taking the concerns of citizens who are being “impacted by wolf depredation seriously.”

"Again," Davis said, "deployment of non-lethal actions will be critical in avoiding and minimizing future interactions between wolves and livestock as well as people."

The round of letters confirmed the familiar points of contention between Davis and state policymakers who have criticized the state's handling of the wolf reintroduction program. The letters also offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the conflict that has strained the relationship between wildlife officials and ranchers.

In her letter to Davis, Rich highlighted the problems ranchers directly affected by the wolves' reintroduction.

In June 10, Rich expressed her disappointment in the state's May 28 response to worries raised by the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association.

“CPW has a different perspective than the association on some of the things stated in the letter and doesn’t believe that it would be productive or appropriate to provide specific responses to each of the issues raised in the letter,” the state agency said in its May 28 letter to the livestock association.

In response, Rich complained that letter "seems rather dismissive by CPW leadership (from the Front Range) with regard to the concerns raised by the ranchers."

Rich added: "I have no doubt the perspective is different. Several letters from the Cattlemen’s Association have clearly stated the situation on the ground with documented dates and times of sightings around the livestock and depredation or harassment by the wolves.”

In particular, the lawmakers from Mesa County pointed to the ranchers’ insistence that the state's “non-lethal” policy state is not working.

In his response to Rich, the CPW director communicated the state's preference for "non-lethal" means of dealing with wolf depredation.

“We will also continue to work with CDA to provide funds to the Middle Park Stockgrowers Association for non-lethal tools, such as range riders and non-lethal potentially injurious permits intended to haze the wolves away from livestock and people,” Davis wrote in his June 21 response.

In late May, Davis said CPW finalized regulations authorizing livestock owners to use artificial light and other night vision technologies to manage gray wolves, allowing pooled grazers to apply for wolf permits and compensation. As part of these regulations, Davis said domestic bison can now be defined as "livestock."

Davis said there has been a decrease in wolves killing livestock since the height of calving season since May 11.

In a vote reached after Rich's letter, a divided Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission on June 17 moved to allow for the lethal management of wolves under certain situations .

The commission approved a staff recommendation allowing several permits, including the lethal taking of chronically depredating wolves — those that have demonstrated repeated killing and harassment of livestock or working dogs.

Even with the commission's decision, CPW insisted it's best to use non-lethal means — because of the new pup or pups.

Davis said the state has established a working group to try and improve relationships among the agency, producers and wolf restoration advocates.

The group, he said, will "explore potential alternatives to lethal control to address wolf depredation and provide feedback on criteria that will trigger a situation-by-situation review by CPW in consideration for lethal management actions."

Davis said CPW will present the working group’s findings this summer and accept public comment in response.

“I want to make it clear that this effort is not a change to the wolf restoration plan,” Davis stressed in the letter to Rich. “The plan states that CPW will determine when lethal management will occur. We are simply utilizing the temporary group to provide us feedback on the criteria we are considering in review of other western states and our current experience in Colorado.”

Davis also said CPW will work with livestock owners to provide fair compensation for losses.

“We understand that compensation cannot address the stress that wolf restoration has had on impact producers,” Davis said. “We are committed to continuing to work on minimizing and avoiding additional conflicts and, where appropriate, conducting lethal management actions.”

Rich, on the other hand, stressed that the financial losses in Grand and Jackson counties are mounting, along with the mental toll the reintroduction program has taken on ranchers.

“Other western Colorado livestock producers are concerned for what the future holds as more wolves are introduced,” Rich said. “Trust and confidence in the state’s ability to manage wildlife is eroding daily.”