Govind Tekale
A special session bill aimed at halting Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program has been amended to allow wolf releases to continue, though it still redirects about $264,268 from the wolf program to a state health insurance fund.
The bill, initially introduced by Senator Dylan Roberts, would have stopped Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) from capturing or releasing wolves in the 2025-26 fiscal year. After pushback from Governor Jared Polis’s office and wildlife officials, lawmakers removed the pause language while keeping the funding shift. “Any effort to sabotage this program is an insult to the agencies, communities, ranchers and advocates who have been working collaboratively,” said Michael Saul, Rockies and Plains Program Director at Defenders of Wildlife, who had opposed the original bill.
CPW Director Jeff Davis emphasized the importance of continuing the program, telling lawmakers it’s “really important to put one more round of 15 animals out” to build a viable wolf population. The agency plans to stick with its schedule of releasing 10-15 wolves per year for 3-5 years to reach an initial population of about 50 wolves.
The wolf program has faced scrutiny over its costs, which reached about $3.5 million in the last fiscal year – significantly higher than earlier projections of around $800,000 per year. The state has paid $603,327.60 in livestock depredation claims in 2024, with 19 confirmed wolf attacks on livestock reported so far in 2025.
Governor Polis’s office called the pause attempt a “backdoor effort” that “won’t save money” and goes against voter will. In 2020, Colorado voters narrowly approved Proposition 114, which mandated the reintroduction of gray wolves to the state.
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The amended bill now contemplates finding “other sources of funding” for the wolf program if general fund dollars are reallocated. One funding source already helping is a specialty “Born to Be Wild” license plate, which has generated nearly $1 million to support range riders who help prevent wolf-livestock conflicts.
Despite challenges, the reintroduction program has shown progress. CPW currently tracks 21 collared adult wolves, with pups from four packs across the state. In 2025, three new packs have been confirmed – One Ear, King Mountain, and Three Creeks – though at least eight of the first 25 reintroduced wolves have died.
The latest decision follows a January 2025 vote by the CPW Commission, which rejected a petition to pause releases by a 10-1 margin. The commission cited risks to the small, growing population as a reason to continue with the planned releases.
Western Slope ranchers and county officials have supported a temporary pause, citing livestock losses and program strain. Meanwhile, conservation groups have argued that halting releases at this early stage would have “dire consequences” for the program’s success.
Colorado’s wolf reintroduction falls under the federal Endangered Species Act’s “experimental population” designation, which provides management flexibility, including limited options for lethal control in certain circumstances. The $264,268 reallocation is small relative to the estimated $100 million shortfall in the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise that it aims to address. With the amendment removing the pause language, CPW will continue its planned wolf releases this winter, keeping the voter-mandated program on track while state officials work to address budget concerns and mitigate conflicts between wolves and livestock.
