Friends of the wolves
Last week Crosscut.com asked if wolves can find enough friends outside of urban populations to bring strong, science-based protections to Washington's recovering wolves. As a numbers nerd, I thought I could maybe give an idea of who out there is ready for more balanced ecosystems.
If our supporters and action takers are any indication, friends of wolves can be found all over the state. Who doesn't love a balanced ecosystem? Photo: Chris Morgan
Last week Crosscut.com asked if wolves can find enough friends outside of urban populations to bring strong, science-based protections to Washington's recovering wolves.
Perhaps the natural return of wolves to our state speaks to the efforts by myriad Washingtonians to preserve and connect vital wildlife habitat in the North Cascades and northeast Washington, creating the wild passages wolves needed to travel to their new homes. Perhaps it simply is the resiliency of nature.
Yet in the Olympic Mountains, where studies have shown the absence of wolves is causing measurable damage to rivers, it's highly unlikely that wolves will wander back to those ancient forests on their own. There is too much development and water in the way. Wolves will need human help to come back to the Olympics, which is why we called for the state's wolf management plan to be improved by recovering wolves on the peninsula, along with other key changes.
So, is there support beyond the urban areas to recover wolves in Washington, especially the Olympics? As a numbers nerd, I thought I could maybe give an idea of who out there is ready for more balanced ecosystems.
Earlier this year, more than 1200 people took action using our tools to speak up for wolves. I did some highly unscientific analysis, and in one action alert, the number of people from rural towns was acutally more than the number of Seattleites. And a good portion of those rural towns were smack dab in potential wolf country in the Cascades and Olympics. Also, at the public comment meeting closest to the Olympics, the support was overwhelming for bringing wolves back to the area. Not to mention that 75% of Washingtonians surveyed in 2008 support allowing wolves to recover.
Seems to me that healthy, balanced ecosystems are a core Washington value, no matter where you live. We are optimistic that a strong, science-based wolf management plan will bring balance back to our wildest places, and lots of people from all over the state seem to agree. Go, team!
How about you, are you a friend to Washington's recovering wolves?
