Colorado Parks and Wildlife came to Evergreen Thursday night to conduct an in-person meeting about the future of managing the mountain lion population in the state.
CPW is starting a series of public information meetings as it begins to develop an East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan. There is already a Western Slope Plan that has been in place since 2020. CPW says the plans provide a science-based framework to coordinate strategies for maintaining healthy, resilient wildlife populations alongside demand for outdoor recreation opportunities.
“For a long time people were afraid of them, didn’t like them, wanted them out of there. And it’s been exciting to see that shift in humans,” said Mat Aldredge, a mammals researcher for CPW.
In recent decades mountain lions have thrived as Colorado’s population has grown. Nearly all of Colorado’s non-urban areas are good mountain lion habitat.
In Evergreen there were locals who showed up at the fire station for the information session who were merely curious. There were also people backing an attempt to put a question on Colorado’s November ballot seeking an end to the hunting of mountain lions and other big cats — and there was a larger crowd of hunters.
“That’s why we’re kind of hoping our Parks and Wildlife department will kind of step in and say ‘We’re healthy, we’re managing it, hunting is good. We’re doing good things,'” said Brandon Powell, a hunter from Idaho Springs.
CPW bills the sessions as an opportunity to listen as it drafts a plan that will eventually be approved by the commission in late summer or early fall.
There have been advancements in the ability to research mountain lions as Colorado’s population has grown over the past decades.
“They’re amazing to see and as we learn about them they become more and more amazing and take some of that fear away,” said Eldredge.
Here is a list of additional meetings ahead:
• Trinidad: Friday, February 23, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Trinidad State College, Sullivan Center, 600 Prospect St., Trinidad, CO 81082
• Florence: Monday, February 26, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Pathfinder Park Event Center, 6655 State Hwy 115, Florence, CO 81226
• Golden: Monday, February 26, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Jefferson County Open Space, Ponderosa Room, 700 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401
• Livermore: Tuesday, February 27, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Livermore Community Hall, 2044 W County Rd 74e, Livermore, CO 80536
• Colorado Springs: Thursday, March 7, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Hillside Community Center, 925 S. Institute St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Virtual meetings:
• Thursday, February 29, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Register here
• Wednesday, March 6, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Register here
