Sacramento, CA – As California’s gray wolf population continues to rise, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is enhancing its management strategies to support both the species and communities in areas where wolves are known to reside, the agency announced.
At the close of 2024, CDFW identified seven wolf packs statewide, with most concentrated in northeastern California and one in the southern Sierra Nevada. Five of these packs met the breeding pair criteria, marking a significant milestone in conservation efforts and triggering Phase 2 of California’s 2016 Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves.
Under Phase 2, CDFW is set to evaluate the legal framework for wolf management, develop new tools for tracking GPS-collared wolves, and release its first annual report summarizing gray wolf conservation from 2015 to 2024. Additionally, the department will continue to compensate livestock producers affected by wolf activity, with $3.1 million already allocated to date.…