News Release, September 26, 2001
Contact: Predator Conservation Alliance (406)587-3389
Coexistence Key to Future of Endangered Wildlife
Addressing the needs of both people and wildlife is not an easy task. Over the past few decades, both the grizzly bear and wolf have been restored to the American West, brought back from the brink of extinction. Soon, the federal government will turn over control of these two endangered species to the individual states. Without Endangered Species Act protection, the wolf and the grizzly bear will increasingly need help from us humans to coexist, rather than compete, with them.
"Predator Conservation Alliance is working hard to come up with new and creative ways to live with these animals, and do a better job at coexisting," said David Gaillard, Forest Program Associate with Predator Conservation Alliance.
Predator Conservation Alliance, a Bozeman, Mont.-based conservation group, is bringing together experts to discuss lessons from the past, emerging trends in land uses and visions for the future of predator conservation. "The Path of People and Predators: Reflections on Conservation, Visions of Coexistence" is the theme for the organization's second annual conference to be held October 5-7, 2001 at Mammoth Hot Springs, located in Yellowstone National Park. Last year, the conference drew over 170 attendees.
Dr. Michael Soule, often referred to as the "Father of Conservation Biology," will open this year’s symposium. Soule is Science Director for the Wildlands Project, an organization that seeks to conserve wildlife by protecting habitat on a regional scale, will open this year’s conference. "Predators are not just charismatic fur balls with teeth; they are the governors of ecosystems. Without them, ecosystems often collapse," Soule said. "Moreover, their symbolic presence in a few places, like Yellowstone National Park, does little to address the deteriorating landscapes of the western U.S. This conference will cover both the science of predator conservation and the human context in which conservation must occur."
Other experts who will participate in the conference include representatives from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, The Sierra Club, The Montana Nature Conservancy, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and the Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads.
"We've invited experts from all over the region to address different aspects of conservation," said Tom Skeele, Executive Director of Predator Conservation Alliance. "This conference is about the sometimes complex, usually controversial, and always challenging balance between people and predators and the places we call home."
The conference is open to the public. Anyone interested in the future of the wildlife heritage of the West in encouraged to attend. Registration costs $35 and includes breakfast and lunch on Saturday and a wildlife-viewing trip on Sunday. Overnight accommodations are available in the park by calling (307)344-5518 or tami@travelyellowstone.org.
events | about us
|
