Dear folks,
I have been lucky enough to hear the howl of wolves echoing in the wilderness. And I will always treasure the fact that, as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I had a hand in bringing wolves back to the wild.
You may not realize it, but you did too – in fact, as a Defender of Wildlife, you’ve been there all along.
Over the years, we’ve made great strides and, as a result of our tireless efforts, wolf recovery is working. Wolves are now living in areas where they were once wiped out – places like Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and California.
But turning back the clock on the devastation of wolves in this country isn’t as simple as reintroducing wolves to the wild.
Right now, wolves and other recovering wildlife are at a critical crossroads. The growth and expansion of wildlife populations into new territories means they are coming into contact with humans more often. And if history is any guide, contact means conflict. That is where our pioneering coexistence efforts come in.
Our coexistence work is at a pivotal point.
In order to achieve lasting success for wolves, we must change people’s hearts and minds about these iconic predators.
Defenders’ pioneering coexistence work has improved relationships with landowners and fostered partnerships with the federal government and state and local decisionmakers to advance recovery.
We have known since day one that reducing conflicts between wolves and people is key to long-term wolf recovery. And that long-term vision is what sets us apart.
The life of every wolf is precious, yet as wolf populations continue to grow, our focus must shift to be more about the survival of the species as a whole – especially as interactions with humans increase.
We can’t afford to be short-sighted. If we’re not coexisting with wildlife then we’re condemning wildlife.
Thank you in advance,
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Jamie Rappaport Clark
President, Defenders of Wildlife
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