Local news- Press Release
Pitkin County Colorado - Wolves on open space It s likely 02 January 2024 ( news )
Pitkin County , state Colorado ( By Press Release office)
Jan 02,2024
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They’re here .
Ten newly reintroduced gray wolves are on the ground in Colorado and up to five more are expected to be released by mid - March . With a reintroduction goal of 30 to 50 wolves within three to five years , according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife , it’s likely that Pitkin County will see gray wolves wandering its landscape for the first time in eight or so decades .
Will they show up on open space? Count on it , according to Jonathan Lowsky , wildlife biologist with Basalt - based Colorado Wildlife Science .
“They’re going to be here . People in the Roaring Fork Valley are going to hear wolves howl , ” said Lowsky , who conducts wildlife surveys on Pitkin County open spaces in consultation with Pitkin County Open Space and Trails .
Wolves are mobile , covering as many as 30 miles a day to hunt , and a pack’s territory can be 20 to 120 square miles , according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife . While CPW labels wolves as “habitat generalists , ” they’re commonly found in areas with plentiful deer and elk populations . The Roaring Fork Valley , and county open spaces , fit that bill , Lowsky said .
Area open spaces and the White River National Forest are already home to a couple of large predators , namely mountain lions and bears , which prey upon deer and elk . Lions tend to be secretive and nocturnal , and both animals generally shy away from people . Among the thousands of users at Sky Mountain Park during the summer season , few can claim to have seen one of the park’s lions , though wildlife cameras confirm their presence .
Living with wolves
Wolves , too , are calm and elusive , according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife , which has produced a brochure ,
Living with Wolves - How to Avoid Wildlife Conflicts
, to help Coloradans share the landscape with a species that once made its home here and now , does again .
It is rare for wolves to pose a direct threat to humans , according CPW , but the brochure offers a range of information on living and playing in wolf country , what to do during a wolf encounter , how to recognize a wolf ( versus a coyote , for example ) , and much more .
A
2021 reportby a Norwegian institute that tallied wolf attacks on humans worldwide in 2002 through 2020 put the danger posed by wolves this way: “…the risks associated with a wolf attack are above zero , but far too low to calculate . ”
The report found evidence of 12 wolf attacks involving 14 victims in Europe and North America during the 18 - year span; two ( one in Alaska and one in Canada ) were fatal . To put those events in context: there are close to 60 , 000 wolves in North America and 15 , 000 in Europe , all sharing space with hundreds of millions of people , the report noted .
Management of county open spaces in the near term will acknowledge the potential for wolves and provide guidance to the public as warranted , according to Liza Mitchell , natural resource planner and ecologist for Open Space and Trails . A draft management plan update for Filoha Meadows Nature Preserve , currently in the works , will be the first such plan to include a provision regarding wolves . It will call for keeping abreast of the CPW reintroduction process , coordinating with CPW as needed and providing guidance and education to the public in the event of actual wolf presence at Filoha .
Filoha Meadows in the Crystal Valley is a lightly visited open space that borders the White River National Forest . Closed to human use for 9 months each year and heavily used by elk in winter and spring , it’s a likely spot for wolves to at least pass through , according to Lowsky . Wildlife cameras on the property could confirm a wolf presence , though the meadows are also readily viewable from Hwy . 133 .
“With wolves on the ground now , it is important to move beyond ideological or political conversation and toward acceptance , curiosity and patience , ” said OST’s Mitchell . “Nature , and humans , adapt over time and while I expect there will be both amazing and difficult moments in this process for all , our goal at Open Space and Trails continues to be to provide space for flora and fauna to survive , thrive and adapt to our ever - changing world , and to foster human enjoyment of nature without detriment to the ecosystem . ”
What about livestock?
In addition to habitat value and recreational opportunities , county open spaces sometimes contain an agricultural component . Among the 790 acres of open space currently leased for agricultural use , there are a few livestock operations . CPW has provided a great deal of information and access to resources for Colorado ranchers , including a
Resource Guide to Reduce Depredations
.
In Pitkin County , Open Space Agriculture Specialist Drew Walters is reaching out to open space lessees to offer information and put producers in touch with resources as needed .
“Wolves will be in this area at some point . It’s kind of a matter of time , ” Walters reasoned . Now is the time for agricultural producers to start keeping records ( if they don’t already ) that could assist them in getting expanded forms of compensation for losses other than the actual depredation of an animal . With adequate record keeping , a producer may be compensated if wolf - caused stress results in decreased weight gain or reproduction among sheep or cattle , for example , according to Walters .
“I’d say that’s how producers in the area can really start prepping this year , ” he said .
Incidentally , Walters and CSU Extension services in Eagle and Garfield counties have Redbooks ( livestock record - keeping books ) available .
Alyssa Barsanti , owner of Marigold Livestock Co . , raises sheep on Glassier Open Space and plans to expand her herd . In addition , she has purchased 10 steers that will graze at Glassier this year . She admitted the prospect of another predator on the landscape makes her “a little uneasy , ” but she has successfully defended her flock thus far with electric fencing , a regular presence on the property , keeping the lambing area near residential buildings , and the addition of guard dog Levi .
She previously had lambs at Emma Open Space and lost two to predators before Levi entered the picture .
“I only had seven at the time so that was a really big hit , ” Barsanti said . “I haven’t lost a single animal to predation since I got him . His bark is tremendous . ”
Glassier is home to mountain lions , bears , bobcats , coyotes , foxes , raccoons and weasels , but Barsanti has successfully reared meat chickens on the property along with sheep . Unlike some ranchers , though , she does not graze livestock on vast federal lands where the danger posed by predators is likely greater .
Recognizing the wolf’s historic place in Colorado , Barsanti said she’s accepting their return despite some apprehension .
“There are parts of it that I find really exciting . I think it’s really cool and really powerful for the ecosystem and the landscape , ” she said . “There’s a lot that we don’t know yet . I think it’s going to be a learning curve . I think it will be hard , but I’m ready for that . I’m eager to see how it plays out . ”
Barsanti’s mindset is one all Coloradans might embrace , said Open Space’s Mitchell .
“Humans have co - existed with wolves for a very long time , with various ups and downs , ” Mitchell said . “We can learn and adapt if we choose to . Let’s choose to . ”
- By Pitkin County Open Space and Trails
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