The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission has directed its staff to create an adaptive management plan for the reintroduction of gray wolves, following Colorado voters’ narrow approval of Proposition 114 in the general election.

“This authorizes us to move forward in a phased approach that will allow us to be both efficient and flexible as we enact the plan,” said Dan Prenzlow, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “We will introduce wolves in Colorado no later than Dec. 31, 2023,” the deadline in the ballot initiative.

Reid DeWalt, the assistant director for aquatics, terrestrial and natural resources, told the commission during its virtual Jan. 14 meeting that the department will seek input from relevant parties and collaborate with technical experts. A comparison to others states that developed wolf conservation and management plans showed timelines ranging from 18 months to five years.

There will be two working groups to advise the commission: a technical group and a stakeholder advisory group.

Approximately 6,000 gray wolves exist in the continental United States, with up to 70,000 living in Canada and Alaska. It has been seven decades since a self-sustaining population of gray wolves was confirmed to exist in Colorado.

The commission voted to develop the plan by 10-1. Now it will hold virtual public meetings from February through May.

Commission member Taishya Adams, representative for outdoor recreation and utilization of parks resources, was the dissenting vote.

“I am in lockstep with many of you around the process,” she said, but requested that flexibility be officially built into the dates in the timeline.