Colorado Wildlife Commission Approves $706,000 in Wolf Depredation Claims

Six wolf depredation claims totaling $706,460.91 cleared the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission at its March 5 meeting in Westminster, more than doubling the $350,000 the state's general fund allocates each year to compensate ranchers for wolf-related livestock losses. The approvals represent only the first wave of a compensation burden that state officials expect will surpass $1 million before all 2025 claims are resolved.

All six approved claims originated in northwest Colorado, where 30 of the 32 wolf depredation events CPW confirmed for 2025 took place. The two remaining confirmed attacks occurred in Gunnison County. A Colorado law passed last year shields the identities of ranchers who file for compensation, so individual claimants are not publicly identified. The commission also denied three claims totaling roughly $53,600, consistent with staff recommendations from the state wildlife agency.

The $706,460.91 figure does not capture the full scope of 2025 losses working through the system. CPW spokesperson Luke Perkins said the agency is reviewing 26 claims tied to 2025 losses, and Coloradoan reporting on 10 ranchers' claims found they totaled approximately $1,034,000. More than $300,000 in additional claims had not yet been brought before the commission as of the March 5 meeting.

Laura Clellan, addressing the commission in her first meeting as CPW's permanent director, sought to temper public concern about the agency's ability to cover the mounting costs. "There's been a lot of speculation related to the amount of wolf damage claims to be paid out for last year, and I want to reiterate that CPW does have the funds to pay for wolf damage claims, and our team has been hard at work reviewing the claims submitted," she said. Clellan described the six approved claims as the "initial group" of claimants, signaling that additional approvals will follow.

CPW said it will draw on various funds to cover awards beyond the $350,000 general fund allocation, specifying that none of that money will come from hunting and fishing license revenue. The agency has not publicly itemized which funds will be used.

Commissioner Jay Tutchton, who represents outdoor recreation, parks utilization, and nonconsumptive wildlife on the commission, acknowledged debate over whether the compensation program is overly generous but pushed back on that characterization. "It's generous if you compare it to other state's programs," Tutchton said. "But it was not meant as a gift, not that type of generous. It was just meant to return people to the position they were before we put wolves on the ground. I think now that we have a couple years with this system, we could see if we could tweak it." Tutchton also encouraged CPW staff to propose changes that would reduce the complexity of the claims filing process.

Colorado voters approved Proposition 114 in November 2020, directing the CPW Commission to develop a reintroduction plan for gray wolves west of the Continental Divide by the end of 2023. Ten wolves were reintroduced to the state in December of that year. The 2025 depredation figures, and the compensation costs now flowing from them, reflect the program's second full year of operation.