ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

APPENDIX 3.
PUBLIC ATTITUDES ABOUT WOLVES: A REVIEW OF RECENT INVESTIGATIONS

American public attitudes toward wolves, both in general and in relation to Yellowstone National Park, have been surveyed by numerous investigators. This paper presents a chronological summary of surveys, including both Yellowstone-related ones and those involving other areas of the country. All such surveys are included, whether they involve Yellowstone or not, in order to more fully portray American attitudes about wolves, and trends in those attitudes.

Minn (1977) studied attitudes toward wolf recovery in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, and found that 74.2% of respondents favored wolf restoration, and 25.8% did not.

Kellert (1985b) found that in Minnesota, there was "a strong positive perception of the timber wolf among all sample groups except farmers," and that all groups agreed that the timber wolf was "symbolic of nature's wonder and beauty."

In a survey of attitudes among members of the National Cattlemen, American Sheep Producers, National Trappers Association, and members of the public in the Rocky Mountains and Alaska, Kellert (1985a) found that in the Rocky Mountain region, 50% liked wolves and 30% did not.

McNaught (1985), in a survey of Yellowstone National Park visitors, found that they favored reintroduction 3 to 1, and that they believed, 6 to 1, that "a presence of wolves would improve the Yellowstone experience."

Bath (1987a) surveyed various Wyoming interest groups, and found that 91.2% of members of the Wyoming Stock Growers were not in favor of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park; 89.2% of Defenders of Wildlife members were in favor of wolf reintroduction, as were 66.8% of Wyoming Wildlife Federation members. Bath (1987b) surveyed the public in Wyoming counties around the park, and found that 51% opposed wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park, and 39% favored it. Bath also found that those opposing wolf reintroduction had a poorer knowledge level about wolves than those favoring it.

Bath (1987c) surveyed the Wyoming general public, and found that 48.5% favored wolf reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park, 34.5% opposed it, and 17% had no opinion.

Lenihan (1987) surveyed Montana residents, and found that 65% believed that wolves belong in the state; 78% of people living in the state's most populous counties agreed, while 54% of rural Montanans agree. Of those surveyed, 78% believed that "ranchers should be able to shoot wolves that attack livestock on their own property." A majority (52%) approved of reintroduction of wolves into areas of Montana, Idaho, and Yellowstone Park, but 56% of those from rural counties did not approve. A majority (59%) believed that ranchers should be compensated for livestock lost. Lenihan found that the 2 most important rationale for support of wolf reintroduction were that wolves were an important member of the ecological community (41%), and wolves were historically present (40%). The most important rationale for opposition was that livestock losses would be unacceptably high (57%).

A survey conducted by the Idaho Environmental Science Teachers (1987) through the University of Idaho Wildlife Issues Course found that 78% of Idahoans agreed with the statement that "I would like to see wild populations of wolves exist in Idaho," while 12% disagreed and 10% had no opinion.

Tucker and Pletscher (1989) surveyed hunters and residents of Flathead County (northwestern Montana), and found that 71.5% of the residents of the North Fork area and 58.3% of the hunters in Flathead County hoped that wolves would continue to inhabit the area and "should be allowed to spread beyond this area." They also concluded that "support [for wolves] could dwindle if restrictions on recreational and commercial uses were introduced to promote recovery."

Bath and Buchanan (1989) surveyed attitudes of five different interest groups in Wyoming: members of the Wyoming Stock Growers, of Defenders of Wildlife, of Wyoming Wildlife Federation, of the statewide public, and of counties near the proposed recovery area. They found that "extremes of the issues were defined by the stock growers and members of Defenders of Wildlife. Most members of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation and the statewide public had positive attitudes toward wolf-restoration, although the public in counties surrounding the wolf-recovery site held more negative attitudes."

Bath and Phillips (1990) and Bath (1991) surveyed the Montana and Idaho general public, and found that 43.7% of Montanans, 48.5% of Wyomingites, and 56% of Idahoans favored wolf reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park, while 40.3% of Montanans, 34.5% of Wyomingites, and 27% of Idahoans were opposed. No opinion on wolf reintroduction was held by 16% of Montanans, 17% of Wyomingites, and 17% of Idahoans.

Kellert (1990) surveyed Michigan public attitudes. Of Upper Peninsula residents, 64% favored wolf restoration, 15% opposed it, and 21% were uncommitted. Of Lower Peninsula residents, 57% favored restoration, 9% opposed it, and 34% were uncommitted.

Bath and Phillips (1990) noted that the primary reason for opposition among Idaho and Montana residents to wolf reintroduction was the cost of the program, which agreed with Bath's (1987c) survey of Idaho residents. Bath and Phillips asked survey subjects if they would change their minds if a variety of conditions were met (including financial compensation for livestock losses, keeping livestock losses to less than 1%, and keeping wolves in the park and surrounding wilderness areas), and concluded that "most respondents who do not favor reintroducing the wolf would not change their opinion regardless of the options presented to them. On the other hand, if wolves could be monitored effectively and be restricted within the park and surrounding wilderness areas, an additional 27% (Montana) and 25% (Idaho) would be in favor of wolf reintroduction."

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Thompson 1991) surveyed Wyoming residents on wolf reintroduction, and found that 44% were in favor of Yellowstone Park wolf reintroduction, while 34.5% were opposed and the remaining 21.5% were undecided or had no opinion. This was very similar to Bath's (1987c) findings, but in other respects the 2 studies differed. For example, Thompson found that more than 30% (compared to 16.2% of Bath's respondents) of respondents would change their opposition to wolf restoration if wolves could be kept in the park and adjacent wilderness areas. Thompson also found that 14% of those opposed to wolf restoration (compared to 6.3% of Bath's respondents) would change their opinion if there was a compensation program for wolf restoration. On the other hand, Bath and Thompson's respondents agreed quite closely, 58.5% and 56.8% respectively, that wolves that killed livestock should be killed.

Freemuth (1992) asked Idahoans, "Do you favor or oppose having wolves in the wilderness and roadless areas of central Idaho?" He found that 72.4% favored wolves, 22.1% opposed them, and 5.4% did not know or had no opinion.

Eisenstein (1992) conducted an attitudinal survey analysis of 52 representative individuals regarding wolf restoration in Yellowstone National Park. He was seeking detailed responses on concerns and issues, rather than quantifiable yes-or-no expressions of positions. Thus his work does not statistically analyze public opinion, but summarizes and presents great amounts of personal position and opinion. His conclusions included the following general statement about wolves: "The interviews revealed not only polarization, but gross misunderstandings and misconceptions concerning the wolf and the program. It was clear that people still do believe in the horror stories of the wolf and 'Little Red Riding Hood.' Many respondents stated as fact that they know wolves kill people."

Duffield et al. (1992) surveyed American citizens nationally and found that "while GYA (Greater Yellowstone Area) respondents are nearly evenly divided in their opinion on wolf reintroduction, the U.S. respondents are heavily in favor of reintroduction...Almost everyone in the GYA has an opinion on this issue with only 7 percent saying they 'don't know.' The national sample shows a strong majority favoring wolf recovery--by about a 2:1 margin." When asked to respond to the statement, "I dislike even the idea of wolves being present in Yellowstone Park," 25% of the Yellowstone area respondents strongly agreed, while 4-6% of U.S.-wide respondents agreed.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gray Wolf Environmental Impact Statement, P.O. Box 8017, Helena, Montana 59601