Centennial State News

Colorado is organizing a free, full-day training session on range riding in Glenwood Springs. The event aims to improve skills and knowledge for managing livestock in areas with wolves and other predators.

"Range riders are an effective part of the non-lethal conflict mitigation toolkit, as human presence can be a deterrent for wolves," stated Dustin Shiflett, CDA’s Non-lethal Conflict Reduction program manager. "This training will help enhance the skills and knowledge of anyone who wants to learn more about how to manage livestock in the presence of wolves and other predators."

The training is scheduled for Thursday, January 30, from 8 am to 5 pm at the Morgridge Commons Meeting and Conference Center. It targets ranchers and livestock owners in wolf-populated areas or those interested in the Colorado Range Riding Program. Attendance is limited to 130 participants, requiring prior registration through an online form. Confirmations will be sent via email by CDA staff. A waitlist will be available once capacity is reached.

Topics include range riding best practices, conservation collaboration, wildlife management with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and camera deployment optimization. Notable speakers include Rae Nickerson from Utah State University, Amber Mason from Centennial Valley, Sisto Hernandez from Western Landowners Alliance, Kim Kerns from Northeast Oregon, and Matt Collins from Western Landowners Alliance.

Staff from the Colorado Department of Agriculture and CPW will also attend to provide context on wolf reintroduction efforts.

Additionally, the Colorado Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has partnered with Western Landowners Alliance (WLA) to offer funding through USDA's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This opportunity supports agricultural producers implementing land management activities that enhance terrestrial habitat while reducing carnivore-livestock conflicts. Applications are open until February 7, 2025.

For further information or application submission for phase one activities, contact local NRCS field offices or Matt Collins at matt@westernlandowners.org. Completed applications must be submitted by February 7 at 4:00 pm MST.

Western Landowners Alliance provides additional resources on predator-livestock conflict reduction through their Working Wild Challenge initiative.