Colorado's Gray Wolf Reintroduction
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus), are protected in 48 states and Mexico, with the exception of the Northern Rocky Mountain population. The Northern Rocky Mountain population includes wolves in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and a small area in Utah. This population is considered self sustaining and stable, having exceeded population goals in 2002.
Resources
Educational Opportunities
- Wolf Info and Resources
- Wolf-livestock Conflict Minimization Program
- Living with Wolves brochure
- Coyote or Gray Wolf: How to spot the Differences (English)
- Coyote or Gray Wolf: How to spot the Differences (Spanish)
Funding Opportunities for Non-lethal Conflict
- US Department of Agriculture Regional Conservation Partnership Program
- Colorado Department of Agriculture Non-lethal Wolf Conflict Reduction Grant Program
- CPW and CDA prepare for 2025 gray wolf releases with improved Livestock Conflict Minimization Program Press Release
Depredation Resources
2025 Legislative Bill
- Senate Bill 38- This bill blocks rancher's names, phone number and email, addresses, and business information from being released to the public when they file claims to the state for depredation. Note: the Bill states: "PERSONAL INFORMATION" DOES NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT NONLETHAL PREDATOR-LIVESTOCK CONFLICT MINIMIZATION MEASURES USED BY OR RECOMMENDED TO A PERSON, OR A SUMMARY OR AGGREGATED DATA RELATED TO SUCH INFORMATION, SO LONG AS THE INFORMATION OR SUMMARY OR AGGREGATED DATA DOES NOT REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON OR THE PERSON'S BUSINESS".
The Common Sense Institute's Rewilding at a Cost study "evaluates the economic effects of the gray wolf reintroduction initiated in Colorado in December 2021. It evaluates the true economic impacts of the program and attempts to quantify costs to the agricultural sector while also assessing indirect economic effects on the entire state".
Some of the key findings of the study include:
- Relative to FY 2023-24, actual program costs for gray wolf introduction have increased by nearly 119%.
- The State of Colorado has spent $3.5 million in the past year (between May 2024 and August 2025) on wolf reintroduction efforts – more than triple the amount initially communicated to voters during the 2020 ballot measure campaign. That spending included $1.6 million for staffing, $900,000 for operations, $410,000 for compensating ranchers whose livestock have been preyed upon by the wolves, and $85,000 for "conflict minimization."
- Each adult wolf is associated with roughly 2 confirmed depredation cases per year.
- CSI estimates each case costs ranchers and farmers approximately $32,000.
- Between 2026 and 2030, the cumulative cost of livestock depredation compensation is projected to total approximately $35.1 million.
- By 2030, when the wolf population is expected to reach a self-sustaining level of 200 wolves, CSI estimates that annual costs will be $12.5 million per year.
- Modeling using REMI forecasts suggests that wolf reintroduction results in substantial economic disruption, including a projected loss of nearly 400 jobs statewide and 170 in areas outside of Denver Metro and South Denver during 2030 alone.
- Between 2026 and 2040, the Coloradan reintroduction program is expected to cost the entire state:
- Over $334 million in GDP;
- Over $611 million in lost output from businesses;
- More than $333 million in forgone personal income; and
- Roughly $267 million in forgone disposable personal income.
- Cumulatively, by 2040, gray wolf reintroduction is estimated to cost rural Coloradans:
- Over $200 million in GDP;
- Nearly $400 million in lost output from businesses;
- Roughly $140 million in forgone personal income; and
- Over $120 million in forgone disposable personal income.
- Since the program’s inception in 2021, the average live weight of Colorado cattle has declined by at least 3%, suggesting broader systemic effects of predator-induced stress on herd productivity.
- At least 65 animals have been harmed or killed as a result of the wolf reintroduction as of May 2025, resulting in an estimated direct cost of $8.15 million.
- While it's still too early to publish definitive data on deer and elk population declines in Colorado, historical patterns from other states show that wolf reintroduction typically results in a 50% reduction in big game populations such as deer and elk. If similar trends hold, both ranchers and outfitters could face additional substantial long-term economic consequences.
- To date, only the Yellowstone region and the Smoky Mountains have experienced notable economic benefits associated with wolf reintroduction programs. From an economic perspective, this may be attributed to the relatively low population density in areas such as Eastern North Carolina and Yellowstone, which reduces the likelihood of conflict with agricultural and recreational land uses
To read the full study, visit the Common Sense Institute's website.
Gray wolf reintroduction FAQ
In 2020, Proposition 114, a citizen initiated ballot measure, now Colorado statute 33-2-105.8, passed by a margin of 51%. The measure required the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to create a plan to reintroduce gray wolves west of the Continental Divide by the end of 2023. In December 2023, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) released ten wolves from Oregon onto public lands in Summit and Grand counties.
Concurrent with the CPW planning process, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) conducted an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the State of Colorado's request to designate the gray wolf as an experimental population under Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This designation would support the state's efforts to reintroduce and manage the species.
Under the 10(j) Rule, reintroduced wolves in the State of Colorado were identified as a non-essential experimental population. This designation allows increased management, including lethal take of the gray wolf, however, management is still limited while the species is listed on the state or federal endangered list.
The State anticipates transfer of between 30-50 wolves over a 3 to 5 year time frame. All wolves released will be equipped with a GPS satellite collar. These collars submit signals to CPW. CPW's Collared Gray Wolf Activity Map will help inform where wolves have been in the past month. This map reports location of wolves utilizing watersheds, rather than exact locations.
CPW's Management Plan "authorizes downlisting of wolves from State Endangered (Phase 1) to State Threatened (Phase 2) when CPW biologists document a minimum wintertime count of 50 wolves anywhere in the state for four successive years. It authorizes delisting from the State Threatened and Endangered Species list and reclassification as nongame wildlife (Phase 3) when a minimum count of at least 150 wolves anywhere in Colorado is observed for 2 successive years, or a minimum count of at least 200 wolves anywhere in Colorado is observed, with no temporal requirement."
Actions taken by the Mesa County Commissioners regarding wolf reintroduction
Mesa County has consistently opposed the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado, citing significant concerns about the impacts on livestock, public safety, and existing wildlife populations. Since 2018, Mesa County Commissioners have taken a firm stance against active wolf relocation, passing a resolution, submitting letters, and engaging with state and federal agencies. Mesa County participated as a Cooperating Agency status with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 10J environmental review process and provided detailed feedback on Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Wolf Restoration and Management Plan. The Commissioners have called for a suspension of further wolf releases until improvements are made to address issues such as depredations, GPS collar malfunctions, and the inadequacy of compensation programs. Through these efforts, Mesa County has emphasized the need for better management strategies and local stakeholder involvement to mitigate the potential economic and environmental impacts of wolf reintroduction.