At its Jan. 15 meeting, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission heard about the Colorado Wolverine Restoration Plan, with the state planning for the translocation of wolverines back into Colorado, including the San Juan Range, after a century-long absence.
Translocation efforts, however, are dependent on CPW securing a 10(j) rule through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Under section 10(j), a USFWS document explains, the USFWS “may designate a population of a listed species as experimental if it will be released into suitable natural habitat outside the species’ current range. An experimental population is a special designation for a group of plants or animals that will be reintroduced in an area that is geographically isolated from other populations of the species. With the experimental population designation, the specified population is treated as threatened under the [Endangered Species Act], regardless of the species’ designation elsewhere in its range. Treating the experimental population as threatened allows the [USFWS] the discretion to devise management programs and special regulations for that population.”
Once secured, CPW has stated it plans to translocate up to 15 wolverines per winter for 3-plus years for a total of 45 translocated individuals.
Senate Bill 24-171, passed by the Colorado Legislature in 2024, calls for the restoration of the species, which CPW describes as “20- to 35-pound weasels that look like small bears with bushy tails and live in alpine areas near treeline.”
“Colorado has great unoccupied wolverine habitat, and we have the opportunity to conserve a species that has been missing from our state,” said Perry Will, who introduced the legislation while serving as a state senator. “Our legislation provides Coloradans with the ability to advance conservation while maintaining the management flexibility required to restore this species in a reasonable and efficient manner.”
Will is a former CPW area wildlife manager who now serves as a Garfield County commissioner.
At the Jan. 15 CPW Commission meeting, CPW Wolverine Coordinator Dr. Robert Inman noted the plan is to “restore a piece of Colorado history,” noting wolverines were native to Colorado, but there were 90 years of no records of the species in the state.
He noted that in 2009 one entered Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park.
Steps before
reintroduction
The plan, a CPW press release notes, is the first of four pieces to be completed.
It notes SB24-171 requires a CPW Commission rule be established regarding compensation for depredation of livestock by wolverines, with that rule presented to the commission on Jan. 15.
“Wolverine depredation on livestock is not anticipated to be significant given the history in states where wolverines have lived for the last five decades, their small size, and naturally low densities,” the press release notes.
At the Jan. 15 CPW Commission meeting, Inman indicated he expects at some time depredation wil occur with sheep, but stressed the extreme low density of the species and its small size, as well as that wolverines are not a significant source of mortality for livestock elsewhere.
CPW must also establish a communications plan that describes “how the division will communicate to stakeholders and boards of county commissioners in general locations of proposed releases of wolverines.”
The final piece is the designation of Colorado’s wolverine population as a “nonessential experimental population” through a federal 10(j) rulemaking prior to initiating the reintroduction process.
Wolverines are currently listed as a federally protected threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, and the USFWS is in charge of establishing a 10(j) rule.
What’s in the plan
CPW’s plan provides a summary of wolverine ecology, justification for the restoration, analyses to determine how many wolverines Colorado might eventually hold and how many individuals should be reintroduced, a ranking of potential source areas where wolverines would be obtained, and details for how the actual translocations might unfold.
The plan also sets benchmarks for transitioning from the active reintroduction phase to the population expansion phase, and ultimately to the conclusion of the effort and the removal of wolverines from the list of state-endangered species.
“CPW has engaged numerous wolverine, wildlife translocation, and veterinary experts to help develop a plan that has the best chance of success,” the press release notes. “However, there has never been an attempt to reintroduce a population of wolverines and the effort will require attention to detail, the ability to adapt and a commitment to success.”
“A planned reintroduction under the management flexibility of a 10(j) rule would bring in about 45 wolverines with a broad genetic background. This will have a far greater chance of establishing a robust long-term population than a single male and female wandering into Colorado, finding each other, and producing enough young to establish a population,” Inman said via the press release. “Colorado and the wolverine population will be better off with a planned reintroduction.”
The Colorado Wolverine Restoration Plan calls for the translocation of up to 15 wolverines per season for 3-plus seasons for a total of 45 translocated individuals.
“The number of translocations in any year, or overall, will depend on capture success, continued participation by cooperators, and the degree to which relocated animals remain in Colorado and survive,” the press release explains. “Therefore, annual translocations could vary, and reintroductions could be extended for additional years depending on the outcome of initial efforts.”
Inman told the commission success will depend on the ability to learn and adapt, adding later that it is a logistically difficult approach.
Translocated wolverines will be released into three release zones in high mountain areas described in the Colorado Wolverine Restoration Plan:
• North of I-70 (which includes Rocky Mountain National Park).
• The central portion of the state (Elk and West Elk Mountains between I-70 and Highway 50).
• The San Juan Range in southwest Colorado.
Suitable wolverine habitat occurs at about 10,000 feet elevation and above in Colorado, CPW explains in the press release. More than 94 percent of wolverine habitat is on public land, with nearly 70 percent occurring in federally designated wilderness, national park, wilderness study area, or U.S. Forest Service roadless area.
How many wolverines can live in Colorado?
CPW believes Colorado can hold about 100 wolverines once the population has been established.
“Wolverines naturally exist at very low densities wherever they are found. Fifty to 100 wolverines may not sound like a lot, but that is likely in the same ballpark as the historical capacity here in Colorado,” Inman said via the press release. “It would also represent about a quarter of the population in the Lower 48 states. There never were thousands of wolverines in the Lower 48.”
Inman told the commission that wolverines have an extremely large home range relative to their size, and the animals regularly patrol the range, versus moving through it seasonally.
Restoring wolverines to Colorado is considered a major step toward conserving the species in its native range in the Lower 48, according to the press release.
Next steps
The CPW Commission will again hear the proposed depredation compensation rule — which mimics the long-established rule governing mountain lion and black bear depredation of livestock — at a future meeting for final approval.
“Colorado’s livestock producers are understandably anxious about another carnivore on public lands,” the press release acknowledges. “However, the utilization of the 10(j) for management flexibility, and CPW’s commitment to a fair depredation compensation program will hopefully reduce the impact of wolverine restoration on producers.”
No public comment was offered on the matter at the January meeting.
CPW will also continue to work with the USFWS to establish a 10(j) rule to “provide increased management flexibility and relieve regulatory burden on established industries in the state compared to what would otherwise occur if wolverines made it back on their own with full protection under the Endangered Species Act.”
“Here in Colorado we have strong legislative support for restoring wolverines and the best staff for making this plan successful, but a 10(j) rule will be crucial to the fulfillment of the effort,” said Acting CPW Director Laura Clellan via the press release. “We are asking the federal government to support our work by utilizing a focused and concise NEPA process to finalize a 10(j) designation so that the state can move forward. Once this is in place, we will be able to work collaboratively with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in restoring wolverines back to Colorado as well as the future management of this native species.”
The 10(j) was a key component of the legislative process for several stakeholder groups that are most likely to be affected by wolverine restoration, the press release notes.
“Colorado Ski Country USA engaged in the rigorous stakeholding process conducted by CPW for this wolverine reintroduction,” said Melanie Mills, president and CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA. “We support the reintroduction of wolverine with the 10(j) rule and applaud CPW for its commitment to conservation of this remarkable species and doing so in a way that addresses our industry’s concerns.”
CPW notes it will provide updates on the public scoping/involvement for the NEPA process associated with the 10(j) designation as they become available.
randi@pagosasun.com
>