Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has not yet secured a source for gray wolves for release this winter, marking a potential second consecutive year without new animals as the agency strives to meet a voter-mandated reintroduction goal. This uncertainty comes as CPW aims to build a self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado, following the release of 25 wolves in the first two winters of the program.
CPW’s wolf management plan recommends releasing 30 to 50 wolves within the program's first three to five years. While the agency released animals from Oregon and British Columbia in earlier winters, plans to continue sourcing from British Columbia were halted last year due to a change in federal guidance.
The challenge intensified in October 2025 when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Brian Nesvik stated that Colorado could only source wolves from Northern Rockies states where gray wolves are not listed as endangered. This directive contradicted CPW's previous understanding with the federal agency, which had worked alongside the state to capture wolves from British Columbia in 2025. CPW had also signed an agreement in July 2025 with British Columbia to secure more wolves through April 2028, a plan it was forced to abandon for the 2025-26 season due to the new federal stance.
Travis Duncan, a statewide public information officer for CPW, confirmed that the agency has not identified a source population for this winter's translocations but continues to explore options. Duncan noted that while CPW “respectfully disagrees” with the USFWS's interpretation of source limitations, the agency intends for any future translocations to align with USFWS requirements. A USFWS spokesperson confirmed the federal agency has responded to informal inquiries from CPW about potential source populations but did not provide further details.
Options from the designated Northern Rockies states appear limited. Officials from Idaho Fish and Game, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the Wyoming Game & Fish Department each stated in September that they were not aware of requests or discussions occurring this year. Idaho Fish and Game’s Connor Jay Lies reiterated that the agency's position on supplying wolves to Colorado has not changed since declining requests in 2023. Jim Fredericks, director of the Idaho agency, had previously cited concerns in a 2023 letter that "negative impacts of wolves sent to Colorado will not stay in Colorado.” The delisted portion of Utah has not had a known population of wolves, according to Faith Heaton Jolly with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, which supplied wolves in December 2023, did not respond to requests for comment. Last year, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife declined a request, citing concerns about Colorado's social and political challenges and its own wolf population. In September, Staci Lehman, a public information officer for the Washington agency, stated it would not entertain requests until the status of wolves in Washington changes from 'State Endangered'. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which had agreed in 2024 to supply wolves before backing out six months later due to concerns about CPW's engagement with Colorado's tribes, declined to comment in September on re-engaging discussions.
New funding constraints also present a challenge. Colorado lawmakers passed a budget footnote requesting that CPW not use any of its $2.1 million general fund allocation for new wolf translocations. Instead, the agency would need to rely on gifts, grants, donations, and non-license revenue from its cash fund. Capture and release efforts cost approximately $250,000 in January 2025.
Winter is the preferred season for releases, as snow makes tracking easier and translocations can occur before the February breeding season. Wildlife advocates emphasize that releasing more wolves is critical for CPW to meet its statutory obligation of establishing a self-sustaining population.
Regarding the impact of a second consecutive winter without releases, Duncan said it would depend on several factors. He stated that with the confirmation of four reproducing packs, Colorado's wolf population is growing, though it is too early to determine by how much. The agency expects to have a clearer understanding during its mid-winter counts, which will be published in its annual report in the spring. Following the release of the annual wolf report in May, Eric Odell, the then-wolf program manager for CPW, remarked that the state's wolf population was at an "inflection point," with high survival and pup recruitment potentially leading to expansion, but lower survival could impact recovery goals.
