Southwesterners Want Wolves!
Western Watersheds Project co-sponsored a poll released Monday, June 16, in which it was revealed that voters in Arizona and New Mexico overwhelmingly support the recovery of the Mexican gray wolf in the southwest.
You can see the poll results for Arizona and New Mexico on Research and Polling’s website, but in summary:
- In Arizona, 77 percent of voters support wolf recovery;
- In New Mexico, 69 percent of voters support wolf recovery
More generally,
- The majority of respondents Support stronger protections under the Endangered Species Act;
- Understand the wolf to be a benefit to the West; and
- Believe that the US Fish and Wildlife Service should manage wolves to ensure against extinction.
WWP hopes that this broad support helps the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service come back on board with recovering this important species, instead of watching the numbers decline precipitously towards the second extinction. See our webpage for more information.
June 16th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
[…] June 16, 2008 — Brian Ertz WWPblog links to a poll released today which demonstrates that Southwesterners Want Wolves - by a hefty margin no less […]
June 18th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Very encouraging, to say the least. But I can’t escape the thought that naysayers will try most any old tool to try and defeat the poll data.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Poll results in Idaho (even in IDAHO, of all places !!) a few years ago also showed a very large majority - I don’t remember the exact numbers - of the state’s residents favored wolf re-introduction and protection , but you’d never know it from what the “mainsteam” (conventional) media reports, or the attitudes of the state’s elected office-holders, who of course, almost all are in bed with the anti-wolf nut cases.
The “mainstream” media only pays attention to the most obnoxious, irrational, and rabid anti-wolf fools like Ron Gillett (see the article in High Country News, maybe 6 weeks or 2 months or so ago), and ignores sane, rational wolf proponents like Lynne Stone and Ralph Maughan, who present FACTS, not superstition, old wives tales and outright lies.
June 20th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
64% of those polled in New Mexico support the wolf program and view wolves as a benefit to the west. But then somewhere deep down in the dregs of the results 68% of those polled in NM, reported knowing little to nothing about the program. This poll is still considered credible?
That tells you all you need to know about how the poll was conducted.
You can always celiberately poll a bunch of ignorant unaffected people and get whatever result you want if you ask the right questions.
So usually the wolf advocates push science as their mantra science shows this science shows that. Why are they now pushing uneducated opinion based on their own strategy and a poll conducted with money from their own pockets? Desperate maybe?
Last word since when in this great nation does the will of the majority usurp the rights of the minority? Are we now leading by mob rule? If so, nobody will be very happy when those standards are applied accross the board.
June 20th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I’m afraid that those who haven’t, like many in agricultural wolflandia have, experienced their small community over-run with wolves for months at a time cannot speak out with knowledge about it.
Many wealthy organizations propagate very distorted views about the reality. To know and then to hear these people speak with scorn and derision of those who have been significantly victimized by this irresponsibly run program speaks of the unfortunate misinformation such as this “poll” provide.
Mr. Parsons is the one who on taking over the directorship of the program animal allowed, unanimously determined by the original recovery team to be hybrids and too genetically inbtred to be considered for a recovery program all of a sudden, with no science, “OK” for a recovery program to the shock and disapproval of many. It is widely accepted that large predator recovery requires a large empty area for the animals to multiply and recover in. Parsons’ decision to release wolves onto agricultural land with almost no territory for the animals to get away from towns communities, villages and their animals is recognized by wolf biologists outside the program as a hugh management faux pas among the many.
The constant putting of the blame on the victims of horrible decisions and management is part of the problem. When you live close enough to the center of the problem what really comes into focus is the fact that the so-called promoters of the wolves are doing everything possible to cause conflict and reduce all possibility of reasonable solutions. It is a well known biological fact that a human culture of favoring habituated animals that are allowed to continue endangering humans and killing pets and livestock breeds disaster and animals that will never be successful in the wild teaching others to become dependant on preying on the human situation.
You will never hear Mr. Parsons even mention the harmful dynamics he has introduced into the situation as he spews false information and champions ‘changes’ such as “no control’ based on the problems he himself originally created along with masses of human grief and animal abuse.
June 21st, 2008 at 10:03 am
Dave Smith: NOT public land “leased to ranchers” All wildlife (deer & elk) depend upon ranchers keeping the land healthy, not to mention man made water tanks, which save the wildlife in summer drought. The rancher PAYS for this water. ONLY because of “property rights on allotments” AND “deeded land adjacent” can the forest be healthy AND open to the public. The wolves are destroying elk & deer populations primarily by taking the new calves. However, wolves prefer cattle because they are easier to catch & kill. Wolves do not honor private & deeded land boundaries. “Welfare” ranchers & subsidies are unknown in this part of the country. Where are you getting your info?
Catbestland- Yes, ranchers do have a right to say what happens on their “deeded” land, as well as on their allotments, which are “paid for, including water rights.”
Jeff N. - The wolf shelters are not “public opinion swaying” & are built at the local high school by students, some of whom stand in them at the bus stops in the wilderness. As for psychological damage, that damage was already done when wolves stalked them at schools & bus stops, or on their ranches. These children are already under psychiatric counseling to handle their traumas. These children WANT the cages.
Roy - This ain’t Montana!
June 21st, 2008 at 10:13 am
Dear Jon Marvel,
I’ll bet you a hundred bucks if your poll was worded… “If you had to remove all your pets and provide room, board, medical attention, proper identification for wolves in your home and yard, would you want them? Are you prepared to assume all responsibilities and any liability that may happen as a result of killings by any of your strays? If yes, how many will you take today?”…your poll numbers would be in complete reverse.
I’m serious Jon. It’s easy for people to hit little buttons saying YES, to offers of things that would be commitment, cost, accountability, liability and care free to them.
Your poll is slanted to appeal to America’s 75% emotional illiterate. Was that an accident, or did you design it with deliberate intent to mislead?
Where’s the qualifier question: Are you a rancher, farmer or urban dweller?
Seriously Jon. Your poll has zero credibility. It as much as asked: “Would you like to have a Bentley? We’ll buy it for you, pay for the insurance, provide gas into perpetuity, build a garage for it where ever it’s convenient for you to have it stored…even if it’s on someone else’s property.”
Jon, something else I need to clarify with you, “Are you the same guy who’s been making claims that cows make hummocks? If you are, then how do you explain hummocks on the moon? When the cow was jumping over it, did it stumble and fall upon it?”
Jon. Time’s up for your lies and games. They serve no sweet, constructive purpose. They instead are designed to bring harm to America’s resource providers.
Either defend your product with verifiable facts and truth, or be quiet please.
June 21st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Western Watersheds Project co-sponsored a poll
The 2 memorials passed by the Idaho Legislature { where Western Watersheds is located up the East Fork of the Salmon near Clayton , Idaho} by SUPER MAJORITIES indicate that the citizens of Both Montana and Idaho not only hate wolves with passions , but seek restitution for damages and restoration of their game herds.
HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 5 - Wolf recovery efforts discontinued
http://www3.state.id.us/oasis/2001/HJM005.html
http://data.opi.state.mt.us/legbills/2005/BillHtml/HJ0029.htm
John Marvel taking popularity polls for wolves is like Liberace taking polls for gay marriage.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I’m amazed at how many people want to discredit Jon Marvel in an attempt to undermine the validity of the poll. Research and Polling are one of the most respected polling firms in the southwest- and WWP merely endorsed their effort.
The polls were not “popularity polls,” but rather were a complex series of questions to gage people’s support (or not).
Please, read the entire poll before you jump all over the credibility of the results.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:26 am
the poll says things that some (what we now know thanks to the poll - are a marginal minority) don’t want to hear - the public values wolves for many reasons. This is further indication of the need for intervention on behalf of the wolf and in accord with majority of the public - including those in the locality - that addresses the shortcomings of management now that has been inadequate at fulfilling the obligation of the law to provide Mexican wolves with the best chance at recovery.
The responses to the poll - trying to personalize the sound and objective collection of data - illustrate the nature of the interests opposed to the wolf - and the nature of the arguments that have been made on behalf of their indignant sense of entitlement all this time. These voices are just as irate at the findings of biology and ecology - sound science. How does one reason with that ?
Will we let the irrational fear and hate of a few overwhelm the majority public will ?
July 6th, 2008 at 1:00 am
[…] is released amid recent controversy including at least 2 lawsuits and a recent poll demonstrating southwesterners want wolves (77 percent of Arizonans and 69 percent of New Mexicans support wolf reintroduction on public […]
July 31st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
[…] the FWS currently faces 2 lawsuits and a poll showing a majority of AZ and NM residents support wolves. View the results for […]