Hunters: It’s Time to Speak Up on Colorado Wolf Management

According to a recent press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the draft Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan will be available for public review on December 9, 2022. Following a public input process, the final plan and regulations will be adopted in May of 2023. It’s imperative that hunters participate and are well represented in this public input process.

As Colorado’s draft plan for wolf management moves forward, here’s what the hunting community can do to stay involved:

The Draft Plan

The Draft Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan will be presented on December 9, 2022 starting at 8:30am on the CPW YouTube Channel. The same day, the draft plan will be posted at wolfengagementco.org.

Whether or not you are able to watch the presentation on YouTube, hunters should at least take time to carefully review the draft plan. When it comes to advocating in any wildlife management decision, knowing what’s on the table is always the first step.

Statewide Public Hearings

After the draft plan has been released, CPW will begin a series of statewide hearings, as a part of the public input process. As it concerns wolf management in Colorado, the most important thing hunters can do over the next six months is to attend these meetings. It is critical that hunters are strongly represented at these meetings.

The exact details of these hearings have yet to be announced. But the approximate locations and times will include the following:

Jan. 19, 2023 – Colorado Springs - 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Jan. 25, 2023 – Gunnison - 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Feb. 7, 2023 – Rifle - 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Feb. 16, 2023 – Virtual via Zoom - 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Feb. 22, 2023 – Denver - 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

According to CPW, these meetings will begin with CPW staff providing a brief overview of the draft plan. And all hearings will provide time for commissioner questions and discussion.

Final Draft Plan Presentation 

Following these hearings and the public input process, CPW staff will present a final version of the draft plan at a meeting to be held on April 6, 2023. The location of this meeting has not yet been determined.

This meeting will be streamed on the CPW YouTube channel. There will be an opportunity for in-person public comment and online comments through wolfengagementco.org. It is important for hunters to be strongly represented at this meeting as well.

The Final Plan and Regulations

Finally, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commissioners will vote on approval of the final plan and wolf regulations at a meeting on May 3-4, 2023. This meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held in Glenwood Springs. The exact time and location have not been announced.

Resources for Hunter Participation

These are big decisions that will be made over the next several months and hunter participation is important. Keep an eye on these resources to stay involved throughout the process: 

engagecpw.org: Visit engagecpw.org, where you can find the draft wolf management plan, submit public comment, and learn more about the engagement process.

Sign up for email updates: If you’re not already on the Colorado Parks and wildlife email list, sign up here. You can select your email preferences to be notified about news regarding hunting, fishing and other wildlife management issues in Colorado.

CPW YouTube Channel: Take a minute to subscribe to the CPW YouTube Channel and click the bell icon to turn on notifications. This will let you know when live meetings begin and whenever new videos are posted. In addition to the wolf management meetings, all of the CPW Commission meetings are live streamed on YouTube.

CPW Stay Informed Page: Make sure to bookmark the Stay Informed Page on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website. This page is dedicated to keeping the public up to date on wolf reintroduction news. You’ll find links to important information and updates on the public involvement process.