Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Colorado Parks and Wildlife Formalize Wolf Management Agreement
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Colorado Parks and Wildlife have signed a long-awaited agreement concerning wolf reintroduction. This memorandum of understanding, signed recently, acknowledges the tribe's authority to manage wolves on their own lands, three years after the reintroduction…
Denver, CO, August 20, 2026 —
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Colorado Parks and Wildlife have recently signed a significant memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the management of wolves within the state. This agreement, finalized recently, formally recognizes the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s inherent authority to manage wolves on tribal lands.
The signing of this MOU comes approximately three years after Colorado’s wolf reintroduction process commenced. The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration and acknowledges the tribal sovereignty of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in matters of wildlife management, specifically concerning the reintroduced wolf population.
Details regarding the specific management strategies or operational plans to be implemented under this new agreement were not immediately available. The terms of the MOU outline the shared interest in successful wolf reintroduction while respecting the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s governmental authority over its lands and resources.
This agreement marks a crucial step in co-management efforts between state agencies and tribal nations in Colorado. It signifies a commitment to cooperative stewardship of wildlife, ensuring that the reintroduction of wolves proceeds in a manner that is both ecologically sound and respectful of tribal rights and traditional territories.
Further information on the implementation and specific protocols of the MOU is anticipated as both parties move forward in their collaborative management efforts.
Story summarized from the original created by Tracy Ross on coloradosun.com, see more information here.
