East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan

Public meetings have concluded. You can find a recording of a virtual public meeting, presentation slides, and the open house posters on this page.

CPW is now drafting the East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan. Additional information and opportunities to provide feedback, including on the future draft plan, will also be provided on this page when available.

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. CPW staff are now finalizing the draft plan, which will be available around May and will be open for public input at that time. The draft plan, and details on providing input, will be available on this page. A final East Slope Mountain Lion Management Plan is scheduled to be presented to the Parks and Wildlife Commission for approval in early fall.