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Residents of CPW's Southeast Region invited to public meetings to talk about mountain lion management

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Feb. 12, 2024 Bill Vogrin
Southeast Region Public Information Officer
719-466-3927 / [email protected]
Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Feb. 12, 2024

Southeast Region residents invited to talk mountain lion management

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Colorado Parks and Wildlife has scheduled three public meetings in the Southeast Region to provide updates on a proposed new management plan for mountain lions that live on the east slope of the Continental Divide.

The meetings will be Feb. 23 in Trinidad, Feb. 26 in Florence and March 7 in Colorado Springs.

Each 90-minute meeting will start with an overview of the mountain lion population of the east slope and issues facing the predator. CPW staff then will discuss goals for the management plan and a timeline for the project. The public will then be invited to circulate among various tables where they can talk to CPW terrestrial biologists, wildlife managers and carnivore experts to learn more. 

The effort will build on the successful development of a West Slope management plan in 2020.

When completed, the East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan will provide guidance to future CPW biologists and wildlife managers for maintaining a stable mountain lion population east of the Continental Divide including the Front Range and eastern plains. 

Mountain lions in Colorado have historically been managed on smaller, localized scales – similar to the management of Colorado’s deer and elk. Current scientific research, however, shows that managing mountain lions on a broader landscape scale is more appropriate and effective. 

A careful review by CPW biologists of research studies on mountain lions from Colorado, Wyoming and Montana has helped wildlife managers evaluate populations and set harvest objectives that align with the best available science.

Anyone interested in mountain lion management should attend the meetings, especially hunters, outfitters, farmers, ranchers and landowners.

 Historically, CPW has used big game management plans to provide guidance to wildlife managers who attempt to balance the biological needs of various animals, their habitat and public requests for wildlife-related recreation opportunities. 

The management plans drive important decisions, which include the license-setting process, and strategies and techniques to reach population and harvest objectives.

Here’s the Southeast Region meeting schedule:

  • 6-7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23, Trinidad State College, Sullivan Center, 600 Prospect St., Trinidad, 81082

  • 6-7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 26, Pathfinder Park Event Center, 6655 State Highway 115, Florence, 81226

  • 6-7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 7, Hillside Community Center, 925 S. Institute St.,  Colorado Springs, 80903

There will be two virtual meetings as well as three more meetings in the Northeast Region.

Here is the schedule for the virtual meetings:

For more information on East Slope Mountain Lion Plan public meetings, please visit EngageCPW.org.

CPW is in the first stages of developing a plan and future opportunities to provide comments will be made available through Engage CPW prior to final plan approval. Sign up here to receive CPW electronic newsletters and press releases straight to your email.

Learn more about current mountain lion management in Colorado on our website.   

 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.