Southern Ute Tribe

Colorado Parks and Wildlife reached an agreement to collect the wolves in Washington for release sometime next winter. However, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in southwest Colorado says they were never meaningfully consulted by the state about the reintroduction of wolves or the consequences it could have for tribal ranchers on the West Slope.

As many as 15 gray wolves could be reintroduced to Colorado’s Western Slope next winter, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. It’s a move that concerns the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in southwest Colorado. CPW reached an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation last week to collect the wolves on the tribes’ land in eastern Washington. 10 wolves from Oregon were released in Colorado last month, the first batch under the state’s reintroduction plan. However, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe says they were never properly consulted about the decision to reintroduce wolves to the state or the potential impacts it could have on the sovereign nation. And Mesa Verde National Park is asking for the public’s help in locating a 73-year-old man who went missing while hiking on a trail last week. Thomas Irwin was last seen hiking Petroglyph Point Trail last Monday.

An annual Native American athletic tradition is coming back to Southwest Colorado this week after taking two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ballots for Colorado’s upcoming primary election are being mailed out starting Monday and voters face a deadline to switch their party affiliation. And a wildfire broke out on Friday near Ignacio on the Southern Ute Reservation.

A COVID-19 variant has been confirmed within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.The Ute Mountain Hotel and Casino will reopen on March 3, with COVID…