Colorado gets initial go-ahead to kill wolves that kill livestock: Here’s what’s next

Difficulty in finding wolves could delay Colorado’s reintroduction of the predator by its year-end deadline, but a federal rule to allow the state to kill wolves in certain situations is ahead of schedule.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday the release of its final Environmental Impact Statement and draft record of decision to establish an experimental population of gray wolves in Colorado under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act.

The release came nearly three weeks ahead of schedule, the agency said in the Friday news release.

In the Environmental Impact Statement, the wildlife agency backed a 10(j) rule that allows for more flexibility in managing wolves throughout Colorado, including the option to kill the predators in situations where wolves are chronically depredating livestock or are caught in the act of killing livestock.

Ranchers have expressed concerns about not having the 10(j) rule in place before the state plans to reintroduce 10 to 15 wolves west of the Continental Divide this winter.

“This demonstrates a sincere and effective commitment by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to accomplish this task on a very accelerated timeline,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis said in a release. “National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) work typically takes two to three years and it was accomplished in a little over a year-and-a-half.”

The Environmental Impact Statement process cost Colorado $1 million.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s ruling still needs to be finalized.

Now that the agency’s rule has been published, there is a 30-day cooling period, during which no public comment takes place. The federal agency anticipates the 10(j) rule will go into effect after an additional 30-day period.

The agency had hoped to have the process wrapped up by Dec. 15, but it now appears well ahead of schedule barring litigation, which historically has followed such rulings.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said publishing the ruling earlier than anticipated does not necessarily translate to the capture and reintroduction of wolves into the state. The agency said the first reintroduction of wolves still is anticipated to occur prior to the Dec. 31, 2023, statutory deadline.

However, Colorado has had difficulty finding sources for wolves.

Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have refused to provide wolves to the state. Oregon is in discussions on whether it can or will provide wolves to Colorado. Washington has said it’s open to providing wolves to Colorado but likely couldn’t capture and deliver the wolves before early next year.

Colorado said it expanded its sourcing circle, reaching out to Idaho’s Nez Perce Tribe, and it may reach out to other Native American tribes to determine if they would be willing provide wolves.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado gets initial go-ahead to kill wolves that kill livestock