Wolf reintroduction plan passes final draft

There are a lot of contentious issues across the political spectrum, but there is a particularly wild one in Colorado: wolf reintroduction. 

It's been years since Colorado voters passed the vote to bring wolves back to Colorado, and now Colorado Parks and Wildlife has approved their final draft of the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. The CPW board unanimously adopted the plan Wednesday morning. 

Major changes that have come along the way include more money for ranchers who lose livestock to wolves, to the order up to $15,000 or fair market price (same goes for vet bills if the livestock is only injured.) A 10J amendment is also working its way through the legislature hoping to give CPW more tools to manage the wolf population, including the option to kill the protected species if they are going rogue and continuously attacking livestock or people. CPW has explained that is only in those specific events and other tools still exist in order to help direct the reintroduction of the wolves appropriately.

There's also the question of where the wolves will actually come from. CPW's plan says it intends to introduce 10-15 wolves per year for the next 3-5 years (with tracking collars to monitor the population and location of the population ). Still, they need a source to agree to give them it. 

"With the approval of the plan that is the signal to the other states that we are ready, and those conversations can begin more in earnest right now after that plan is approved," Travis Duncan, CPW spokesperson said. 

Still, the pride CPW feels right now comes from the amount of public comment absorbed in the last two-plus years, trying to mold a perfect, scientific-driven compromise to a law passed by more than half of Colorado (if only just.)

"Really more than anything it is a chance to see what effect wolves will have on the landscape for our biologists, on the landscape to study how they are affecting Colorado," Duncan said. "We know Colorado is different than Yellowstone, or different than other locations but we are interested to see what effects wolves will have on Colorado and excited to share what we find with the public. "

Lindsay Larris of WildEarth Guardians, an environmental non-profit organization in favor of the reintroduction of wolves said she was disappointed in aspects of the plan that was just approved, specifically the clarity of the rules that determine if wolf-killing is allowed. 

"The devil is in the details and in the discretion allowed to CPW staff who determine when wolves can be killed," Larris said. "If caution and coexistence are emphasized in those determinations, wolves stand a chance to thrive. If not, there will likely be more conflict than there needs to be."

Ranchers on the northwest portion of the state also issued concerns to mountain newsroom reporter Spencer Wilson, still hesitant about the introduction in the first place but thankful there has been an adjustment to the plan to support them in the event wolves continue to harras their livestock.  

Gov. Jared Polis issued a statement after the plan passed, reading in part, "This plan is better because of the thousands of Coloradans who provided thoughtful input, and I thank the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for their comprehensive work to develop this thoughtful plan. This science-based plan is the result of months of planning, convening stakeholder and expert working groups, and offering live and public comment opportunities, while factoring in the biological needs of the species, and creating the best possible chance for these amazing animals to be successfully restored to our state."

The wolves are expected to be released into most parts of the state west of Summit County by Dec. 31.  

UPDATE: CPW still trying to figure out where wolves who will be reintroduced in Colorado will come from