Colorado and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the reintroduction of gray wolves to the state. The MOU recognizes the Tribe’s sovereignty over tribal lands and treaty rights, while also enabling the State to implement its wolf restoration plan.Key points of the MOU include:

Wolf Release Areas: The State will ensure a 60-mile buffer between wolf release sites and the Tribe’s reservation and Brunot Area. The Tribe will be notified of potential release sites and can file objections.

Monitoring and Information Sharing: The parties will share information on wolf population status, trends, and movements.

Conflict Management: The State will provide training and resources to the Tribe on conflict minimization techniques.

Investigations and Response: The parties will collaborate on investigating wolf depredations on tribal lands.

Compensation: The Tribe and its members are eligible to participate in the State’s compensation program for livestock losses due to wolves.

Training and Education: The State will provide training on wolf safety and biology, while the Tribe will educate the State on Southern Ute history, sovereignty, and cultural values.

The MOU aims to promote cooperation and communication, avoid confrontation, and provide a process for resolving conflicts. It also affirms the Tribe’s participation in the State’s compensation program for livestock losses caused by wolves. Both the State and the Tribe are committed to operating on the basis of a government-to-government relationship.

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