Group of ag, livestock producers ask British Columbia to reconsider sending wolves to Colorado
A majority of the groups are part of a pending petition with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, requesting a pause in restoration efforts
Rocky Mountain Wolf Project/Courtesy photo
After a group of 26 organizations petitioned Colorado Parks and Wildlife this September to pause wolf introductions, a similar group is making a plea to wildlife officials in British Columbia.
On Tuesday, Nov. 26, Tim Ritschard, president of the Middle Park Stockgrowers, sent a letter to several British Columbia officials on behalf of 26 industry organizations and associations, asking them to reconsider supplying Colorado with up to 15 wolves.
“The program has not been good for the wolves or for the ranching community,” Ritschard said in the letter. “Your deferral would benefit the wolves and avoid your becoming embroiled in this controversy.”
The letter was signed by 22 of the same organizations that petitioned Colorado Parks and Wildlife and four new groups: the Rocky Mountain Bison Association, Wyoming Stockgrowers Association, the Gunnison County Farm Bureau and the Utah Cattlemen’s Association.
The Rio Blanco Wool Growers Association, Rio Blanco Stockgrowers Association, Delta County Livestock Association and Colorado Farm Bureau signed the petition but not the letter to Canadian officials.
Support Local Journalism
British Columbia’s Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship with Parks and Wildlife earlier this year to supply Colorado with its next 15 wolves. The capture and release operations are planned for January through March.
The letter’s concerns mirror those expressed in the petition, which asked the state wildlife agency to have more conflict mitigation measures in place before the next wolves are brought to Colorado. It contains seven specific requests ranging from defining chronic depredation to fully developing programs for carcass management, range riding and other nonlethal approaches.
While Parks and Wildlife has started the process of planning for many of the requested items, the organizations want to see them fully up and running first.
Ritschard presented the petition to the Parks and Wildlife Commission at its November meeting. The commission is waiting for a staff recommendation before discussing whether to deny the petition or consider any rulemaking. At the meeting, commissioners expressed hope it would have a recommendation by January, but no deadlines were set.
Colorado began wolf restoration efforts last December, releasing 10 wolves from Oregon in Summit and Grand counties. Since then, three of these wolves have died and there has been one successful pairing leading to five wolf pups, four of which remain in captivity with their mother.
The agency has indicated that having more wolves in Colorado will help it better address and respond to conflict. This is because the more wolves there are, the more packs are likely to be established. And as wolves create packs, the agency has said their movements will become more predictable as they establish and defend territories.
