Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently released their monthly report on wolf movement around the state, as well as a statement related to where additional members of the species may be released from late-2024 through 2025.

Big takeaways related to wolf movement included that at least one wolf successfully crossed I-70 for the first time, as well as that wolves were detected in a watershed that butts up against Glenwood Springs for the first time (find a full report on wolf movement over the past month here).

Perhaps even more noteworthy than where wolves were detected over the past month was a statement in the report about where wolves might be reintroduced next.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, there are three counties that are currently being considered for the next round of releases, set to take place at some point from late 2024 to next year. This shortlist of counties includes Garfield County, Eagle County, and Pitkin County – all three of which are home to popular mountain destinations. It’s also worth noting that all three of these counties are home to watersheds where wolves have been detected since reintroduction, though wolf activity in these counties appears to be relatively limited when compared to areas further north.

Garfield County is the largest county of the three in therms of both area and population, stretching from the Glenwood Springs area along I-70 to the western state line. Spanning just under 3,000 square miles, Garfield County is home to Glenwood Springs, Rifle, and Carbondale. This county of about 63,000 residents is also home to one of the most-trafficked waterfall destinations in the state, Hanging Lake. While a lot of people travel through this county on a regular basis, population density remains relatively low at 21 people per square mile – less than half of the state’s population density of about 56 people per square mile.

Meanwhile, Eagle County is home to the world-famous mountain town of Vail, along with Eagle, Avon, part of Basalt, and Dotsero. Also located along the I-70 corridor, Eagle has a notably higher population density compared to Garfield County, with about 56,000 residents in about 1,700 square miles of space. That equates to 33 people per square mile.

The smallest and least-densely populated county on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife shortlist is Pitkin County, home to Aspen. Pitkin County spans 973 square miles with a population of about 17,500 and a population density of 18 people per square mile. That said, Pitkin County, like the other two aforementioned spots, sees a lot of tourists throughout all seasons of the year.

Based on this list that was provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, it appears that the agency is considering rugged terrain around this hugely popular part of the state’s ski country for the next release. This is in contrast with the initial release, which took place in Grand County. Grand County’s southernmost border sits just off of the I-70 corridor, though tends to be more ‘off-the-beaten-path’ when it comes to tourism. It’s home to Winter Park and Grand Lake, but only has about 16,000 people living in its 1,870 square miles of space – a population density of just 8.5 people per square mile.

A second release days later in 2023 added wolves to the Summit County landscape, which is perhaps a better comparison to that of the three counties being considered for the next release, with an even higher population density of 51 people per square mile, also best-known as a key part of the state’s ski country along I-70.

While Grand County is less populated, this part of the state, including nearby counties, is home to significant ranch land. These ranches have been involved in a key pain point that’s continually been addressed throughout the first year of reintroduction, with wolves depredating on local livestock. Industry in the three counties being considered for the next release – especially Pitkin and Eagle counties – revolves moreso around outdoor recreation.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife seems to be keeping the ranching industry at top of mind with their recent list of counties being considered for reintroduction, as one county that was initially being considered – Rio Blanco County – was pulled from the list of consideration due to limited state-owned release spots that were also determined to be too close to livestock operations. Another factor in the decision to pull Rio Blanco County from the list of potentials was that local elk and deer herds are still recovering from the harsh winter of 2022 to 2023.

So, there you have it – those are the spots that Colorado Parks and Wildlife is considering for the next round of reintroduction-related releases. This next round of wolves will likely be captured in British Columbia, Canada for release in the Centennial State. That said, multiple livestock groups are currently in the process of pleading with the Canadian government to reconsider their decision.

Will one of the aforementioned counties end up being a part of the next round of wolf reintroductions? We’ll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, this map shows where wolves have been detected in Colorado over the last month.