3 days Ago By Scott Miller
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Eagle County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday hosted a listening session regarding wolf reintroduction efforts. They got an earful. A good portion of Eagle County’s ranching community filled the commissioners’ meeting room in Eagle for the session.
After District Wildlife Manager Matt Yamashita laid out plans for reintroducing more wolves to the region, several local ranchers had their say. All of them urged delaying further reintroduction, and many asked the county commissioners for help. James Bair, a member of a longtime ranching family at the eastern mouth of Glenwood Canyon, said he was at the meeting to petition for a pause in the program.
Bair said ranchers need a clear definition of “chronic depredation” and better management plans, for both livestock and wildlife. Bair said he’s concerned that wolf reintroduction could “decimate” the state’s burgeoning moose population. And, he added, wildlife attacks could hurt out-of-state hunters.
Rod Schlegel, whose family has long ranched in the northern part of the county, said knowing there are wolves in close proximity to his cattle herds is stressful, for both his family and the animals. Schlegel noted that “hunters have taken the place of wolves” when it comes to managing prey animals including deer and elk. And, while reintroduction advocates frequently cite the success of bringing wolves into the Yellowstone ecosystem, Schlegel said “The Western Slope isn’t Yellowstone.
” Jill Schlegel stated flatly that she believes her family’s property rights have been taken away, adding that ranchers need to be able to kill wolves that are taking their livestock. Longtime local rancher Susan Nottingham said while the state’s voters thought they were doing something “noble and romantic,” her cattle are scared. Wolves are driving them “in a way I’ve never seen,” she said.
Nottingham said she demands “responsible policy-making,” adding that the current plan was rushed, and the process so far has been “deeply flawed.” Nikki Luark noted that her family ranch has been recognized as a “Centennial Ranch,” one that’s been operating for more than 100 years. That operation now is faced with challenges that threaten its future, Luark said.
Wolves have been spotted barely more than a mile from their property, she said, adding that the commissioners need to take a stand on wolf reintroduction. “We cannot live in harmony with them,” she said. Harold Smethills owns a ranch near Burns.
He offered ideas the state legislature could implement to make reintroduction to clarify the reintroduction process and make ranchers’ lives somewhat easier. The first is clarifying that ranchers have a right to protect their livestock, pets and families with lethal force. Smethills also suggested that depredations should be investigated within 24 hours and that in those investigations, “the tie goes to the rancher.
” “We’ve got to keep our ranchers ranching,” he said. Longtime Gypsum resident Chris Estes noted that the definition of depredation was one of the issues when the reintroduction process began, and still hasn’t been finalized. Estes noted that range riders and drones don’t seem to be much use in watching out for wolves and guarding flocks and herds.
Electric fences aren’t much use, either, especially when dealing with grazing allotments that measure tens of thousands of acres. Ultimately, Estes said, if wolves aren’t causing problems, “who cares?” But the ones causing problems need to be addressed, he added. After the ranchers had their say, Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry thanked the ranchers for attending.
“You all are our heritage,” Chandler-Henry said. “We’ll do what we can.” Yamashita also thanked those who attended, complimenting those who spoke for their composure.
“It’s easy to get frustrated,” Yamashita said. “Your community has done an admirable job. It makes me proud to work in Eagle and Garfield counties.
You hold yourselves to a higher standard ...
You guys are doing it right.”.
