GRAND COUNTY, Colo. — The North Park Stockgrowers Association wrote a letter, again, to Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife leaders to kill wolves that have repeatedly killed livestock.
In April, wolves have killed eight cows in Jackson and Grand counties, according to CPW.
"CPW officials must take action. Good fences make good neighbors; right now is the time for CPW to start fixing fences before they fall completely apart," the North Park Stockgrowers Association letter reads.
The organization already asked the state to kill a wolf, or wolves this month. CPW's director rejected that request, calling it "Irresponsible Management."
On Sunday, CPW confirmed a wolf killed another calf in Grand County. 9NEWS asked Gov. Polis, at a news conference Monday, if the latest death would change the state's thinking.
"Voters knew that wolves would eat cattle, and they voted to reintroduce them anyway," Gov. Polis responded.
About 64% of voters in Grand County voted against reintroducing wolves, but CPW released eight of the 10 wolves that it captured in Oregon in Grand County as part of reintroduction.
When pressed if the governor had any thoughts for one Grand County rancher who has lost five cows, Polis said the following:
"I think it's terrible. I was businessman myself, and any cause of loss to a business is terrible and it's even more emotional for people who have deep connections to their cattle and their land. So, I think that's why many people opposed it, but a majority of people voted for it and that's why Colorado Parks and Wildlife is following the law."
"Restoration of the Gray wolf to the state must be designed to resolve conflicts with persons engaged in ranching and farming in this state," the state's law regarding wolf reintroduction reads.
When CPW denied the request earlier this month, Director Jeff Davis wrote that one wolf is likely responsible for most of the livestock deaths in Grand County, a male that may have impregnated a female wolf.
"Removing the male breeder at this point would be irresponsible management and potentially cause the den to fail, possibly resulting in the death of the presumed pups. This is not a desirable result and I am therefore not going to take action at this time to lethally remove this animal," Director Davis wrote.
The technical term for a wolf that repeatedly kills livestock is chronic depredator.
"Chronic depredators must be dealt with; den or no den. The 'presumed pups' have already or will acquire a taste for beef. Are we not setting them up for failure, to be chronic depredators? We again ask for the prompt removal of chronic depredating wolves in Grand and Jackson counties," the North Park Stockgrowers Association wrote.
Read their whole letter here: