[Colorado] House Ag Committee Passes Bipartisan Bill to Address Issues with Wolf Reintroduction

From COHouseDems.com:

DENVER, CO – The House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources today passed bipartisan legislation to protect Coloradans from having their private information shared after a wildlife incident on their property. 

“In support of our agricultural communities, who are dealing with the consequences of wolf reintroduction on the Western Slope, we’re championing bipartisan legislation to protect their personal information when filing a claim for compensation following depredation,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “This bill ensures that the cell phone numbers, addresses, or any other personal information of those filing a wildlife damage compensation claim is kept confidential.” 

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Wolves Could Be an Unlikely Hero in the Fight to Save Humanity

From Popular Mechanics:

With the effects of climate change growing worse each day, some experts are turning to non-traditional methods to curb CO2 production.

Grey wolves were excised from Scotland roughly 250 years ago, ending decades of attempted eradication. Fortunately for Scotland’s climate, reintroducing wolves to the region could lead to native woodland growth and increased CO2 sequestration. Large carnivores, in fact, may be a nature-based solution to parts of the climate crisis.

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Wolf hunting in Serbia

From Deutsche Welle:

Serbia is home to one of the largest wolf populations in Europe. Although wolves are considered useful for the ecosystem — they also prey on sick and old animals and help “clean” the forest — Serbia controls the size of the population in order to protect game and livestock.

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Ranchers Advocate for Balanced Wolf Management in Sierra Valley [California]

From SierraDailyNews.com:

Sierra Valley rancher Rick Roberti recently addressed the Plumas County Board of Supervisors, highlighting the financial impact wolves have on local ranchers, with losses reaching up to $50,000 annually.

Roberti, representing the Sierra Cattlemen’s Association, serves on an ad hoc committee with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to manage wolf-related issues. He noted that the county is home to a significant wolf population, with over 100 wolves estimated, despite CDFW’s official count of 36 statewide.

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Europe’s big carnivores are on the rise – but can we live with bears next door?

From TheGuardian.com:

Europe’s carnivores have had a remarkable change in fortune. After tens of thousands of years of persecution that wiped out sabretooth tigers, hyenas and cave lions, there has been a recent rebound in the continent’s surviving predators.

Across mainland Europe, bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine numbers have risen dramatically as conservation measures introduced several decades ago have begun to make an impact.

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EU’s wolf climbdown has Dutch farmers reaching for their guns

From Yahoo.com:

Rendered dormant for over a century, the “wolvenjager” – the wolf hunter – could be unleashed once more if calls from Dutch farmers are heard.

Wolves were driven out of the Netherlands in the late 19th century, but after the feared predators were deemed untouchable under a “strict protection” order issued by the EU in 1982 they returned in 2015.

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[Montana] FWP releases final environmental impact statement for gray wolf management

From NBCMontana.com:

HELENA, Mont. — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks issued a final environmental impact statement for the 2025 Wolf Management Plan.

The draft EIS was open to public comment from Oct. 20, 2023, to Dec. 19, 2023, and also from Feb. 8, 2024, to March 9, 2024.

FWP analyzed two alternatives to the final EIS. The options included a “no action” alternative and FWP’s proposal to implement the 2025 Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan.

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Michigan’s wolf numbers are growing, presenting challenges

From SpartanNewsRoom:

LANSING – Michigan’s population of wolves has been growing since they were added to the Endangered Species Act slightly more than 50 years ago.

Since then, wolves have slowly repopulated the Upper Peninsula, moving from the western Great Lake states.

And on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, where the National Park Service reintroduced wolves from the mainland starting in 2019, the population is estimated to have grown to around 30.

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Reports of wolves killing livestock in Minnesota reach a record high

From StarTribune.com:

Wolf attacks on livestock have climbed to a new high in Minnesota as ranchers reported losing more calves, cows and other animals to the predators in 2024 than any year since records began in the 1980s.

Ranchers made 252 claims of wolves killing livestock last year, compared to the 10-year average of 174 claims a year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The losses, as usual, were primarily young calves.

Wisconsin also saw high numbers of complaints.

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Here’s where Colorado’s gray wolves traveled in February

From SummitDaily.com:

In addition to 28 collared wolves, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is now aware of at least three that are uncollared in the state. This is according to the latest map from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which shows the collared wolves activity between Jan. 21 and Feb. 25.

It shows that there was wolf activity in watersheds connecting portions of Rio Blanco, Moffat, Garfield, Mesa, Routt, Jackson, Summit, Eagle, Grand and Pitkin counties.

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