Colorado non-profit Rocky Mountain Wolf Project has launched and established the new Colorado Wolf Reward, a standing reward set to compensate those who provide information leading to formal charges against those who illegally kill wolves in Colorado. The reward stands at $50,000 and will compliment any other rewards that Colorado’s Operation Game Thief (OGT) program currently offers.
OGT offers a $500 reward for information on poaching incidents of endangered species, and rewards up to $1,000 may be approved by the OGT Citizens Committee for flagrant cases. Rocky Mountain wolf project believes that by increasing the funds available, the profile of wolf protection will be raised throughout the state.
The Colorado Wolf Reward is built on funds from both private and organizational entities, including the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, Wolf and Wildlife Project, Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, Sacred Wolf Foundation, and Lockwood Animal Rescue Center.
“In other states, like Oregon, state and federal agencies embrace NGO-funded rewards and all parties work side-by-side to complement and enhance incentives to bring perpetrators of crimes to justice. We hope for the same collaboration in Colorado. While enforcement of, and imposition of penalties under, the law (i.e., fines, revocation of hunting privileges, or jail time) are probably the most effective deterrents to illegal activities, we believe that rewards may incentivize the public to ‘say something’ if they ‘see something’ regarding wolf poaching.” – Courtney Vail, Rocky Mountain Wolf Project’s Board Chair.
The reward will work alongside the existing Colorado Parks and Wildlife tip line. Both Colorado state statutes and the Federal Endangered Species Act prohibit harassing, harming, or killing wolves. Violators can be prosecuted under both civil or criminal statues, with possible punishments including a loss of hunting privileges, fines up to $100,000, and up to a year in jail. Under federal law, the fines reach up to $50,000 and one year in jail.