East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan

Public input on the draft East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan concluded on June 14th and is being reviewed by CPW staff prior to developing a final draft plan.

What is a management plan?

For Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), a management plan provides a science-based framework to coordinate strategies for maintaining healthy, resilient wildlife populations alongside demand for outdoor recreation opportunities. With development and urbanization increasing in the state, management is necessary to maintain the stability of Colorado's mountain lion populations relative to what the landscape and social tolerance can support. CPW's mountain lion management plans employ advances in research, including insights from recent long-term projects in Colorado, to maintain lion populations and provide multiple opportunities for the public to appreciate this species.

Why is CPW proposing an East Slope Lion Management Plan?

In 2020, CPW created its West Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan in recognition that larger, regional management scales are most closely aligned with the wide-ranging movements of lions across Colorado's landscapes and allow for managers to draw more accurate inferences from population composition and mortality data. With the West Slope plan underway, CPW is currently formulating a corresponding plan for the eastern half of the state. The East Slope Lion Plan's objective is to maintain stable mountain lion populations in the region by defining and implementing clear annual thresholds for adult female harvest and total human-caused mortality (e.g., harvest and roadkill or agricultural conflicts).

What's happening now?

CPW held eight public meetings in February and March 2024 to present information on mountain lions in Colorado, share details on the upcoming East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan, and hear from the public about their perspectives on mountain lions around their community. You can find a recording of a virtual public meeting, presentation slides, and the open house posters on this page. The perspectives heard at these meetings were considered when formulating the draft plan.

The draft East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan was open for public input through June 14th. Public input on the draft plan will be gathered and reviewed by CPW staff as part of the planning process prior to developing a final draft plan.

The final draft plan will be presented to the Parks and Wildlife Commission to consider for approval later this year. Any public comments after June 14th should be directed to the Parks and Wildlife Commission (PWC). Once approved by the PWC, the Final East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan will provide the framework for CPW to maintain a stable mountain lion population on the East Slope of Colorado.