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Tag: Wolf Depredation

Wolf claims top $650K, but CPW records don’t add up
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Approved, Colorado Politics, State

Wolf claims top $650K, but CPW records don’t add up

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The state wolf compensation fund, set at $350,000 by statute last year, saw claims from 2024 that are approaching double that amount. Data obtained through an open records request to Colorado Parks and Wildlife showed that the agency paid out $425,478.61 in claims. But the information provided by the agency appears to exclude claims that were denied, recent claims paid and claims still awaiting final payments or settlements. Based on information independently verified by Colorado Politics, the total amount of claims stood at at least $649,765.90, with a dozen claims still showing as pending on CPW's wolf depredation website. Two ranchers in Grand County settled for lesser amounts, which are not reflected in the data obtained from...
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Multiple wolf attacks hit Western Slope ranchers—CPW accused of broken promises
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Approved, Local, The Colorado Sun

Multiple wolf attacks hit Western Slope ranchers—CPW accused of broken promises

By Tracy Ross | Colorado Sun Three ranches near where wolves were released in January say Colorado Parks and Wildlife is not keeping its promise to let them know when the collared animals are near Ranchers are calling multiple wolf attacks on cattle over Memorial Day weekend in Pitkin County “devastating” and evidence Colorado Parks and Wildlife is failing to keep its promise to alert ranchers when wolves are in range of their livestock.   The attacks occurred over three days on the Crystal River Ranch, in the Crystal River Valley, and on the Lost Marbles and McCabe ranches, in the Roaring Fork Valley.  The first happened early Friday morning on the Crystal River Ranch, according to Tom Harrington, manager of the ranch and president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association....
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Wolves roam, pups are born, riders deployed—but land-use plans still stuck in 2023
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Wolves roam, pups are born, riders deployed—but land-use plans still stuck in 2023

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Wolves are roaming, ranchers are riding – but the rulebook hasn’t changed. Wolves are traveling farther, forming dens and producing pups. Many have turned up dead — especially in Wyoming, where wolves that prey on livestock can be killed on sight under state law.  Yet not one federal or state land-use plan in Colorado has been updated since gray wolf reintroduction began in December 2023. That’s the backdrop for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s May 13 press release announcing that its Range Rider Program is fully operational and patrolling western Colorado.  Eleven contracted riders hired by CPW have joined two staff from the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) to monitor livestock, haze predators and report signs of wolf-livestock ...
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Wolf reintroduction strains rural Colorado as payouts outpace budget
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Approved, State, Westword

Wolf reintroduction strains rural Colorado as payouts outpace budget

By Catie Cheshire | Westword Colorado is eighteen months into the state’s wolf restoration project, and the teeth are still coming out. So far, the state has paid over $370,000 in claims to ranchers who have been impacted by the presence of wolves near their operations. Although wolf advocates and detractors both agree that Colorado should compensate people for wolf-related losses, ranchers believe the funds are not enough to cover the full breadth of the impact of the carnivores in this state. Conversely, wildlife advocates question if some of the reimbursements that ranchers have claimed are a good use of taxpayer money. The wolf-related claims that made many wildlife advocates howl came on December 31 from three ranchers in Middle Park. The ranchers argued the state s...
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“Celebrate the win”: Boebert’s gray wolf delisting bill clears key House committee
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Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

“Celebrate the win”: Boebert’s gray wolf delisting bill clears key House committee

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In rural Colorado, the fight over wolves isn’t just about wildlife—it’s about life and livelihoods. On Tuesday, a bill sponsored by Reps. Lauren Boebert and Tom Tiffany passed a key House committee, aiming to take gray wolves off the Endangered Species List and block federal courts from reversing the move. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act (PALPA) cleared a key vote, handing a win to farmers, ranchers and energy producers across the West. In Colorado, wolf attacks on livestock and fears that the predators could stall energy projects have kept the issue front and center. Boebert took to social media to celebrate the committee’s vote and reaffirm her stance on state-led wildlife management. https://twitter.com/RepBoe...
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Rewriting the rules: Wolves, federal reform and a lawsuit from rural Colorado
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Rewriting the rules: Wolves, federal reform and a lawsuit from rural Colorado

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Late last year, five wolves were airlifted from Oregon to Colorado under a plan voters narrowly approved—but few knew one of them came from a pack with a history of livestock attacks.  Fewer still knew the move may have violated federal law. At the center of the controversy is a growing belief that Colorado’s wolf reintroduction bypassed environmental law and public transparency.  And a federal lawsuit now threatens to unravel the entire plan. The lawsuit that could reset the rules The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, is one of the country’s cornerstone environmental laws — meant to ensure that federal actions don’t proceed without full environmental review and public input.  But when...
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Rio Blanco County hires deputy trained to investigate livestock depredation
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Rio Blanco County hires deputy trained to investigate livestock depredation

By Lindy Browning | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Responding to concerns of livestock growers and community members, and to assist in investigating livestock depredations that occur in Rio Blanco County, commissioners have authorized the sheriff’s office to hire their first Animal and Livestock Conflict Investigator. Some have voiced concerns that, to receive compensation for livestock killed by wolves, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) must confirm the kill was caused by a wolf. When a rancher finds a dead animal, they are instructed to call CPW to investigate. Sometimes CPW could not come out to the ranch or grazing allotment for a day or two. In the meantime, other wild animals and birds were coming to the carcass and changing the “scene of the crime,” making it mor...
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Colorado ranching groups file petition to pause more wolf reintroductions until depredations are addressed
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Approved, KOAA News, State

Colorado ranching groups file petition to pause more wolf reintroductions until depredations are addressed

By Stephanie Butzer | NBC 5 News More than two dozen organizations that represent agriculture and livestock producers in Colorado have filed a petition to delay future gray wolf reintroductions until depredations are addressed and mitigation tactics are fully implemented. The Colorado Cattlemen's Association, based in Lakewood, announced the petition, which is addressed to the CPW (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) Commission, on Monday. In addition to that association, the other petitioners include Middle Park Stockgrowers Association, Colorado Farm Bureau, Club 20, and Colorado Wool Growers Association. Local livestock and stockgrowers associations from across the state also joined the petition. READ THE FULL STORY AT NBC 5 NEWS
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Enough with beef, wolves feast on lamb in latest depredation, CPW officials say
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Approved, State, The Craig Press

Enough with beef, wolves feast on lamb in latest depredation, CPW officials say

By Meg Soyars Van Hauen | Craig Press Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed that eight sheep in Grand County were killed by wolves. The agency updated its Gray Wolf Depredation Report webpage on Wednesday. According to the webpage, the depredations occurred on Sunday, and the investigation is still in progress. This is the 14th wolf depredation incident confirmed in Colorado since reintroduction. On Sunday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials responded to another possible wolf depredation in Grand County. Two sheep were involved — a lamb and a ewe.  “The field investigation, which included a necropsy, found injuries consistent with wolf depredation,” stated Parks and Wildlife in an email. “… This is still an ongoing investigation.” READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CRAIG PRESS...
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