Splitting the Baby? Public Trust, Multiple Use and Current Policy in Wildlife Management

Abstract

I gape at the complex tapestry of wildlife policy that has been woven over the past century in our state, and the concepts that color it from much further back and wider in history. Whether considering the interplay of Native American hunting rights with state game management regulations and private land rights during my Master's research, working on NEPA analyses for the Forest Service, or interpreting ESA wording for wolf depredation response during my time with MFWP, I always felt uneasy when it came to understanding where I fit into the policy picture as a wildlife biologist.