Making Sense of the Policy Process for Carnivore Conservation

Grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis ), mountain lions ( Puma concolor ), wolverines ( Gulo gulo ), wolves ( Canis lupus ), and lynx ( Felis lynx ) are all top-level carnivores in the Rocky Mountains of the northern U.S. and southern Canada. Because of their body size and high trophic position, these species require abundant prey species and large habitat areas—requirements that make their conservation a controversial public policy problem. Because the challenge of conserving these species extends beyond biological issues, it is necessary to involve other relevant disciplines and perspectives in understanding and solving the problem. Our examination of the context, content, and process of large carnivore conservation policies suggests more effective and active roles for scientists in designing solutions to the problem of landscape-level carnivore conservation. Scientists must develop an understanding of the range of participants in the policy process and the ways in which these participants receive and utilize information. This knowledge of the policy process could help scientists to better understand their roles in framing and clarifying policy questions, projecting the consequences of various alternatives, and presenting policy information in appropriate fora.