New paper on predator-friendly beef and coexistence with wolves

New paper on predator-friendly beef and coexistence with wolves

Carol Bogezi, a UW researcher and Conservation Northwest Board Member, published a study on the feasibility of predator-friendly beef to promote wolf recovery. By Keiko Betcher, Communications and Outreach Associate As wolves continue to recover in Washington state, we’re working to promote coexistence and societal acceptance between these carnivores and people. Our goal is to … Continued

Stories from the field

One rancher within the Smackout Pack’s territory in northeast Washington wants you to know that our efforts for wolf coexistence are making a difference. By Jay Shepherd, wolf program lead Recently, I got a call from a rancher and long-time partner we’ve worked with for decades to support wolf coexistence. They wanted to express their … Continued

Understanding the science on wolf-livestock conflict

New research highlights the importance of using multiple tactics, from range riders to targeted lethal removal, to reduce and resolve conflicts between wolves and livestock. Key takeaways from recent wolf-livestock research: The science does not support general public wolf hunting as a solution for reducing cattle depredations in areas where wolves and livestock overlap. Wolf-livestock … Continued

Range riding in Togo Pack territory

Our staff and contract range riders have been in the field day and night working to prevent further livestock conflicts in the Togo Pack’s territory. Below is the latest report from our Wolf Program Lead Jay Shepherd, who also helps lead the Northeast Washington Wolf Cattle Collaborative: “We and others stepped up to help the … Continued

Of Wolves and People: The Science Behind Conservation Conflict Transformation

By Paula Swedeen, Ph.D., Policy Director Wolves are making an inspiring comeback in Washington, returning to our state on their own paws from populations in British Columbia, Idaho and Montana beginning around the mid-2000’s. In 2008, Conservation Northwest’s Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project discovered the first wolf pups born in Washington in nearly a century—the Lookout … Continued

Wolves, Collaboration, and Coexistence

By Mitch Friedman, Executive Director Washington’s wolves have been in the news again this summer. While infrequent conflict between wolves and livestock is not unexpected, it’s never easy. For Conservation Northwest, that’s especially true when these conflicts involve ranchers with whom we’ve worked for years to help build acceptance of wolves in rural areas, as … Continued

Low-stress livestock handling clinic preps for grazing season

Low-stress handling creates calmer and more efficient ranching processes and minimizes conflicts between wildlife and livestock By Alaina Kowitz, Communications and Outreach Associate At the end of May, I had the opportunity to drive across the state to attend a low-stress livestock handling clinic in Republic, Washington. Just a hop, skip and a jump away … Continued

Wolf photographed at Chiwaukum wolverine site

By Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project staff While most of our Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project remote camera sites are active only in the summer and fall, each winter our dedicated volunteers and staff maintain several sites looking for wolverines in remote areas of the Cascades. In 2016 one of them captured amazing new images of a gray wolf! … Continued

Ranchers, grizzly bears and the North Cascades (video)

By Joe Scott, International Conservation Director When we shot this documentary-style video in 2004 we couldn’t have known that we were still a decade away from any progress recovering grizzly bears in the North Cascades. So our enthusiasm from having a final quality product in hand was slowly dampened as it became clear that government was not ready … Continued

Range riding and howling with Washington wolves

This past August, Jay Kehne, our Conservation Associate and Range Rider Pilot Project manager, got a call from one of our ranching partners who grazes over two hundred head of cattle on an allotment in the Colville National Forest, within the territory of one of Washington’s wolf packs. With funding help from Conservation Northwest and … Continued