Gray wolf activity was detected in La Plata County earlier this year – the first time since their reintroduction to Colorado in 2023.
To address questions from local ranchers about wolf activity in the area, the La Plata-Archuleta Cattlemen’s Association and Colorado Parks and Wildlife will host an informational meeting Monday.
“We haven't had wolves in this part of the world for a long time. Now we have a new apex predator coming in,” said Wayne Jefferies, president of the La Plata-Archuleta Cattlemen’s Association.
It poses a serious concern to the agricultural community, and cattle ranchers with grazing permits on Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land will likely be among the first affected, Jefferies said.
Especially since there are four mother wolves along the Colorado-Wyoming border that have recently had litters of four to six pups each, he added.
Gray wolves have been known to travel south from Wyoming onto Colorado’s Western Slope, and the potential addition of up to 16 untagged, and therefore untraceable, predators compounds ranchers’ concerns, Jefferies said.
Monday’s meeting will include an update on Colorado’s wolf management plan and CPW’s loss-minimization plan, as well as information regarding the compensation for ranchers who suffer wolf-related losses.
Following the presentation, there will be a brief question-and-answer session.
Jefferies said developing and maintaining the relationship between the ranching community and CPW is critical. The meeting is a way to make those connections and stay on top of any changes to management or mitigation plans and potential issues.
The informational meeting begins at 6 p.m. Monday at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Extension Building.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
