No Silver Bullet for Wolf Issue

Last week we talked with Francine Madden, Executive Director, Human-Wildlife Conflict Collaboration who has been tasked with attempting to get both sides of the wolf issue together. More meetings are planned in the next few months and while progress has been made, Madden says a resolution will be difficult.

MADDEN: I don't think there's one silver bullet in this. I think this group is going to have to wrestle with a lot of difficult decisions. I think each side needs to demonstrate their flexibility and receptivity to the views of the other side. If one side wins today, all that does is fuel the fight for tomorrow and so I think there is this recognition that we have to create shared wins.

She says this is really difficult work for both sides and must be willing to take a risk.

MADDEN: It requires a lot of courage and strength that goes far beyond the actions of war but I feel like we're seeing more and more people who are recognizing that what has happened in the past, it's not working. It's not actually working for any side and so I think there is certainly people who still want to engage in the war but there's more people who I think are like, all right, maybe it's time to roll up our sleeves and move to something that's more collaborative.

The conflict with wolves has been around for centuries.

MADDEN: There is a whole cultural reaction and reaction to the reaction around wolves so is there going to be some grand chilling out on this forever? Right? Like in the next year? No. You don't change thousands of years in a year.

And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.