Scientific Truth or Social Tolerance? The Influence of Public Stakeholders on Large Carnivore Management in North America

Since the 1980s, populations of gray wolves (Canis lupus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) have recolonized areas from which they were formerly extirpated in the western United States. Public opinion regarding... [ view full abstract ]

Since the 1980s, populations of gray wolves (Canis lupus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) have recolonized areas from which they were formerly extirpated in the western United States. Public opinion regarding predator expansion ranges from enthusiasm for increased biodiversity to fear for self and property. I reviewed the role of public stakeholders (e.g., hunters, livestock producers, and environmental groups) in federal and state management decisions regarding harvested (i.e. cougar [Puma concolor]), recolonizing (i.e. gray wolf), and nearly extirpated (i.e. grizzly bear) large carnivore populations in Washington, USA. Science-based management is often implemented at the onset of species recovery when public opinion is generally favorable. Management plans are later amended for more lenient hunting and control policies as the threat of human-carnivore conflict and negative impacts to ungulate populations – whether real or perceived – increases. This trend is evident in word searches for “conflict”, “hunt”, “habitat”, and “sustainable” in the current management and recovery plans for the 3 focal species at various levels of recovery; “conflict” and “hunt” comprised a minimum of 77%, 80%, and 36% of total search results for cougars, gray wolves, and grizzly bears, respectively. As another example, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission recently increased the cougar hunting quota from an empirically validated sustainable harvest of 12 – 16% to 17 – 21% in Game Management Units overlapping protected gray wolf territory in an effort to provide a “relief valve” for rural communities who cannot legally hunt wolves. The return of large carnivores to their former range necessitates the cooperation of multiple stakeholders, educating the general public on ecosystem benefits, and science-based management practices. Wildlife agencies should strive to balance conflict management with species conservation by establishing a message, budget, and management objectives which reflect the interests of all stakeholders and, most importantly, the species of concern.