Colorado’s new wolf conservation manager inherits a growing program — and a lot of uncertainty

<img width="1024" height="682" src="https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="A gray wolf with thick fur stands outdoors, looking slightly to the right with alert ears and focused eyes." decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1023&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw – 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="496810" data-permalink="https://coloradosun.com/election-2020-colorado-wolves/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP20310797940569-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1706" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"AP","camera":"","caption":"FILE – This July 16, 2004, file photo, shows a gray wolf at the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake, Minn. Two groups opposing a Colorado ballot initiative to reintroduce the gray wolf into the state conceded the race Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, even though the race is too early to call because thousands of ballots are still uncounted. (AP Photo/Dawn Villella, File)","created_timestamp":"1493974629","copyright":"Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Election 2020 Colorado Wolves","orientation":"1","alt":""}" data-image-title="Election 2020 Colorado Wolves" data-image-description="

FILE – This July 16, 2004, file photo, shows a gray wolf at the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake, Minn. Two groups opposing a Colorado ballot initiative to reintroduce the gray wolf into the state conceded the race Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, even though the race is too early to call because thousands of ballots are still uncounted. (AP Photo/Dawn Villella, File)

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This July 16, 2004, file photo, shows a gray wolf at the Wildlife Science Center in Forest Lake, Minn. (AP Photo/Dawn Villella, File)

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Matthew Hyde replaces Eric Odell at a time Colorado’s wolf-reintroduction program is at a crossroads with increasing rancher conflicts, a federal review but also new packs and pups