The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners will host a public meeting with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to present the agency’s plans for reintroducing gray wolves into Garfield, Eagle or Pitkin counties. 

The meeting is slated for 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17 at New Hope Church, 880 Castle Valley Blvd., New Castle.

CPW will discuss next steps in the wolf reintroduction effort, including release site selection and potential risks to livestock and residents. Community members will have a chance to air their concerns and ask Garfield County officials and CPW staff questions regarding the reintroduction effort. 

“This is a community listening session to help form further public policy discussion by the county and interagency coordination with Colorado Parks and Wildlife,” said Renelle Lott, Garfield County chief communications officer. 

Up to 15 gray wolves from British Columbia are scheduled to be released in Garfield, Eagle, or Pitkin counties between January and March 2025 as part of the wolf restoration and management plan created after Proposition 114, now state statute 33-2-105.8, narrowly passed in November 2020.

Multiple release locations will remain in consideration up to the day of release in case of extenuating circumstances like poor road conditions, according to CPW.

A petition to delay more gray wolf releases until updates are made to Colorado’s wolf management program to further address wolf-livestock conflict was submitted by 26 Colorado agricultural and livestock producer organizations in September. CPW will present a staff recommendation regarding the petition to the CPW Commission at its next meeting Jan. 8-9 in Denver, according to the agency. 

Issues with depredation have plagued the reintroduction process as Colorado producers strive to protect livestock from gray wolves. In 2024, there have been 17 confirmed depredation incidents, some involving multiple animals, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

On Dec. 9, CPW announced an expanded conflict minimization program for the impending second release. The program includes site assessments to identify location-specific non-lethal tools and techniques, an increase in conflict reduction specialists in CPW and the Colorado Department of Agriculture and criteria for response to wolf conflict and depredation. Notably, the plan includes a Colorado Range Rider program, scheduled to launch in early 2025, which will train a team of range riders who are connected to local communities and can be quickly deployed. 

Under the updated conflict minimization program, grants of up to $20,000 are available for entities and organizations that assist multiple producers to help cover the cost of non-lethal wolf conflict reduction measures.

A Wolf-Livestock Conflict Minimization Program Guide, recommendations for carcass management and information on multiple educational workshops to be held across the Western Slope can be found in the Dec. 9 news release at cpw.state.co.us/news.