Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of the Gray Wolf in Colorado

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), establish a nonessential experimental population (NEP) of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in the State of Colorado, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The State of Colorado (Colorado Parks and Wildlife or CPW) requested that the Service establish an NEP in conjunction with their State-led gray wolf reintroduction effort. Establishment of this NEP provides for allowable, legal, purposeful, and incidental taking of the gray wolf within a defined NEP area while concurrently providing for the conservation of the species. The geographic boundary of the NEP is the entire State of Colorado. The best available data indicate that reintroduction of the gray wolf into Colorado is biologically feasible and will promote the conservation of the species.