The Eagle County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to oppose wolf reintroduction to the area unless a federal rule is part of the plan. The county has been identified as a potential reintroduction site.

Wolves are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act. That means it’s illegal to harm, hunt, kill or capture a wolf without a permit or other authorization.

The commissioners instead want the feds to apply a federal designation called rule 10(j). According to the resolution passed Tuesday, that rule would designate any relocated wolves as an “experimental population.” That would allow more flexible management of the animals.

The rule reclassifies a specific species as “threatened,” not “endangered.” That allows the creation of rules and regulations that aren’t allowed under the Endangered Species Act.

According to the resolution, classifying wolves as an “experimental” population would “provide for allowable, legal, purposeful, and incidental taking of the gray wolf,” while “providing for the conservation of the species” as authorized in the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Plan.

Eagle County Open Space and Natural Resource Director Marcial Gilles told the commissioners that the resolution doesn’t take a position on reintroduction in general. She noted that while the wolf reintroduction ballot measure narrowly passed statewide — with 50.9% in favor — 53% of Eagle County opposed the measure.

Gilles added that the decision on imposing the rule would be made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A decision could be handed down in December. That timing would mesh with Proposition 114’s language requiring that reintroduction start by the end of this year. But, Gilles added, she expects “a lot” of litigation over the rules, which may delay reintroduction.

Commissioner Matt Scherr said he isn’t opposed to wolf reintroduction but does oppose wildlife management at the ballot box. Imposing the federal rule “is better than a ballot measure,” Scherr said.

Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry said she believes the county resolution helps clarify the issue for the public.

“This is trying to come down on the side of wildlife managers,” Chandler-Henry said.

This story is from Vail Daily.