Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been on the defensive over its handling of wildlife, from the rollout of wolf reintroduction to hunting regulations to mountain lions. Now staff and commissioners are facing a recurring challenge: threats against their safety and personal freedoms.
“Staff are charged with doing things that really can’t make everybody happy,” commissioner Dallas May said Wednesday during opening remarks at the state Parks and Wildlife Commission’s first monthly meeting of 2026 in Denver. Among the topics they addressed were the killing of two mountain lions in Larimer County after Fort Collins resident Kristen Marie Kovatch was found dead on New Year’s Day near Drake, a lion near her body.
CPW acting director Laura Clellan said, “CPW does not take lethal actions lightly, and we approach these situations with seriousness, care and respect for both human and wildlife.”
But anonymous threats have been directed at Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff since the lions were euthanized.
Threats have also followed commissioners as CPW faces criticism over its mountain lion hunting policies and in the lead-up to the March commission meeting when they will discuss and potentially vote on changes to regulations for hunting furbearers, or animals traditionally hunted or trapped for their fur, including minks, pine martens, badgers, bobcats and coyotes.
Colorado has become a battleground for disputes over hunting and trapping, with animal rights activists pushing to end all hunting of furbearers and mountain lions and hunting advocates saying CPW follows The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and furbearer hunting should remain.
Staff and commissioners are flooded with calls and emails from both groups on these topics, while staff tries to manage more than 900 species and commissioners try to review hundreds of pages of briefings before meetings.
Agency law enforcement officers are “aware and investigating” threats to agency employees over the lion killings, a CPW spokesperson said. As this is an active investigation they had no further information to share.
But at the meeting last week, May referenced another threat commissioners faced recently, from the federal government.
CPW has weathered threats over wolf reintroduction at least for the last year. Last January, in a Joint Senate and House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee meeting, deputy director Reid DeWalt described some leveled against staff after the release of 15 gray wolves that month from British Columbia.
“We’ve been followed during the operation. We have people staking out our offices. There have been threats of violence on social media and through phone calls,” he said. “We’re taking this very seriously. I don’t think any CPW staff member should be threatened with violence because they’re doing their job.”
Some opponents tracked planes carrying the wolves from British Columbia to the Eagle County Regional Airport and were waiting when planes from Lighthawk Conservation Flying landed. Two men who believed they knew where the wolves were being released trespassed onto a ranch in Pitkin County carrying assault rifles and dressed in full camo.
And a new threat stirred up some commissioners before their Nov. 13 and 14 meeting in Sterling, May said last week.
He was referring to a discussion the former U.S. Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Greg Lopez had with conservative podcaster Nicholas Rogers on his podcast Big Timber Lodge on Oct. 25.
Rogers frequently talks to his 42,000 listeners about Colorado politics, Gov. Jared Polis and wildlife issues with the theme of “taking back Colorado.” Big Timber guests have included John Michael Williams, who runs the Facebook group Wolf Tracker, which has similar views on Colorado politics and wolf reintroduction.
In October, Rogers and Lopez discussed Lopez’s claim that CPW violated the Endangered Species Act when it sourced wolves from British Columbia. Following his claim, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik sent a letter to CPW telling them to “cease and desist” introducing more wolves to Colorado until the claims could be looked into. CPW later proved it had authority to source the wolves.
But in October, Lopez told Rogers “everyone involved,” including “a state or any employee of a state,” could face criminal violations resulting in a $50,000 fine and/or a year in federal prison.
The idea that everyone connected to the “illegal importation,” from Gov. Jared Polis to his husband, First Gentleman Marlon Reis to the commissioners, could be punished gave Rogers “a little tickle in (his) underparts.”
“Let’s see some handcuffs!” he exclaimed.
Lopez then told Rogers about the commission meeting in Sterling on Nov. 13 and 14, and Rogers asked if the “board of directors” would be there.
“Yes,” Lopez said.
“So potentially, if we could get in contact with the Department of Justice, they could show up with some warrants and make arrests?” Rogers asked.
Lopez didn’t get to answer, as Rogers transitioned to “backdoor dealings” he believes CPW made with Polis reflected in Senate Bill 3. Starting Aug. 1, the new law requires a permit and firearm safety training to purchase high-powered firearms that accept detachable magazines.
CPW is responsible for implementing the training portions of the legislation, including developing course standards, maintaining eligibility records and coordinating with county sheriffs, verified course instructors and licensed firearms dealers.
The costs for implementing the program in 2026 are expected to require a $1.4 million transfer from a CPW cash fund to a new fund to cover setup costs. In 2027 and future years it is expected to cost $530,000.
But rather than benefit from the legislation, many think CPW could be overwhelmed by the responsibilities of facilitating it. The agency has launched a website outlining the program requirements and timelines and will hold several firearm dealer and instructor stakeholder meetings across the state starting Feb. 9.
As for Rogers’ listeners showing up at the Sterling commissioners meeting, May said “nothing ever transpired.”
And Commissioner Jay Tutchton said even though he’s “received communications saying someone hopes something bad happens to me” he doesn’t worry.
“They’ve never been serious enough to get my attention.”