Since its inception in 2020, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) gray wolf reintroduction program has been a hotbed of controversy. The plan to source wolves from Oregon and Canada and release them in Colorado has sparked criticism from livestock owners, as well as a split with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Now, the program has hit a major roadblock: CPW announced that it will not release additional wolves in 2026.
The Gray Wolf in Colorado
By the 1950s, the U.S. government helped eradicate the gray wolf in Colorado and much of the Lower 48 to protect livestock. Reintroduction programs began in 1995 in Yellowstone National Park, in an effort to restore balance to ecosystems and manage overpopulations of elk.
In 2020, the issue went before Colorado voters with Proposition 114, which would’ve allowed wolf reintroduction. It passed by an extremely narrow margin: 50.91% yes to 49.09% no.
In 2023, the CPW reintroduced the first 10 gray wolves, sourced from Oregon. Later reintroductions came from British Columbia.
2025: A Landmark Year for the Gray Wolf
In the last year, the Trump administration and USFWS have instituted many changes in federal approaches to the gray wolf.
In October, the USFWS said that CPW could no longer source its wolves from Canada, which had become common practice. Wolves would have to come from the Northern Rocky Mountain Area in the U.S. CPW pivoted after that, requesting wolves from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington instead. However, in December 2025, the tribe confirmed that it was denying CPW’s request.
In November 2025, the USFWS halted its nationwide recovery plan for the gray wolf, saying that the species was in a strong enough position not to merit a special plan. Lastly, in December, the House passed a bill to delist the animal as an endangered species.
The Program Pauses in 2026
Those changes bring us to Jan. 21, 2026, when the CPW made a major announcement. In a press release, the agency explained that it will not release any gray wolves during the 2026/2027 winter.
The CPW did not state a reason for not releasing wolves, but it’s likely due to sourcing issues. With wolves from Canada off the table, it was unclear where the program would source the wolves from.
The Effect
The CPW will continue to monitor and track the wolves it has released. The impact of a lack of new wolves could have on the overall population is unclear.
CPW Wolf Program Manager Eric Odell explained, “When populations are small, the contributions of each individual is especially significant. It is not possible to predict the impact of foregoing a third year of translocations without knowing what may occur in the coming year.
“If mortality remains high, as observed in 2025, the risk of failing to achieve a self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado increases, potentially requiring additional resources to address.”
A major determining factor of how the lack of additional releases will affect the population is gray wolf reproduction and how many pups survive. On average, female gray wolves have litters of four to six pups.
What’s Next
While it may not be releasing wolves this year, CPW is taking several steps to bolster the program. It has scheduled 240 site assessments.
It will hire a Wolf Damage and Conflict Minimization Manager to supervise compensation for wolf damage. Also, it stated that it will hire more wildlife damage specialists to help existing staff investigate wolf depredations.
CPW Acting Director Laura Clellan stated, “This is a complicated effort and I want to encourage all stakeholders to continue to work together as we move toward the goal of creating a self-sustaining population of wolves in the state, while at the same time minimizing conflict with livestock.”
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