The Southern Ute Tribe

The present-day Southern Ute Reservation roughly forms a rectangle 75 miles east to west by 15 miles north to south, and is slightly more than 681,000 acres in total area. Often referred to as a "checkerboard" for its irregular pattern of land ownership, the reservation lands are divided among many interests, including primarily Tribal trust lands, allotted trust lands, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Reclamation lands, and fee simple lands. Much of the Tribe's lands, with the exception of the Pine River valley, are rugged, upland and foothill areas, while non-Indian fee lands predominantly occur on the arable mesas within the reservation. U.S. Forest Service lands are those of the San Juan National Forest, while Reclamation lands are those immediately surrounding Navajo Reservoir. Most of the Southern Ute membership resides in the Pine River valley, and the Tribal government offices are located at the center of the reservation in Ignacio, Colorado.

The reservation, situated in a transitional zone between the high alpine forests of the San Juan Mountains and semi-arid desert of northwestern New Mexico, is a diverse landscape with an abundance of fish and wildlife resources. While energy development and housing growth, both on and off of Tribal lands, has altered the landscape within some parts of the reservation, the Tribe has managed to maintain a diverse assemblage of wildlife species, including black bear, mountain lion, wild turkey, and large herds of mule deer and elk. Five major drainages pass through reservation lands, including the La Plata, Animas, Los Pinos ("Pine"), Piedra, and San Juan drainages. Numerous fish species, including native and non-native game species, inhabit the perennial streams of these drainages.

Fish and wildlife management on the reservation is primarily the responsibility of the Tribe's Division of Wildlife Resource Management, a Division of the Southern Ute Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife enforcement is handled by the Tribal Rangers, who are located in the Tribe's Justice Department. Due to shared interests in local wildlife management and enforcement, the Tribe works closely with the local Durango office of the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Division of Wildlife Resource Management

The Southern Ute Division of Wildlife Resource Management is responsible for managing, protecting, and enhancing the diverse fish and wildlife resources of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. This requires the dedicated efforts of seven full-time staff in carrying out a wide variety of functions. These include the administration of Tribal member and non-member hunting and fishing programs, conducting field research on fish and wildlife populations, implementing habitat enhancement projects, developing Tribal wildlife management programs and policies, working cooperatively with Federal and State agencies, providing local wildlife education and outreach, managing the Tribe's bison herd, managing threatened and endangered species, overseeing environmental review and NEPA compliance, and many other activities.

The Division consists of four primary programs: wildlife administration, game management, fisheries management, and bison management. The Division is resource-management oriented and coordinates closely with Tribal Rangers of the Southern Ute Justice Department on wildlife enforcement matters. Staffing for the Division includes seven full-time employees: a division head, two biologists, two wildlife technicians, a bison manager, and an administrative assistant. The Division also hires up to five seasonal employees for its summer Youth in Natural Resources program.

Like many other programs of the Southern Ute Tribal government, the Wildlife Resource Management Division is headquartered in Ignacio, Colorado. If you would like to learn more about wildlife resource management on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, please contact us.