WDFW -- From the Director: Remarks at the 8th Mountain Lion Workshop

8th Mountain Lion Workshop
Leavenworth, Washington
May 17-19, 2005
introductory remarks by WDFW Director Jeff Koenings

I would like to join Donny in welcoming you all to the State of Washington for this the 8th Mountain Lion Workshop.

I started my career as a research scientist - at the University level and then working in Alaska. Some where along the line, I crossed over to the "dark side" and became a "policy maker." I have not as yet "reformed" myself and returned to science, but I have retained a full appreciation of how science makes my decisions and, consequently, the fish and wildlife in this state better off.

In my opinion cougar management is very difficult - scientifically because their population size is so difficult to assess, as one example - but more importantly because people - our neighbors - like to see them and know they are out there. Yet some don't feel safe for themselves, their children, pets, livestock, etc.

You and I have to balance those competing expectations - a healthy cougar population balanced with public safety. More and more, the public expects that natural resource decisions be frame worked by "best available science" and that is why we are here today - to help develop the most up to date science that we, as managers, can use to inform policy decisions on cougar management.

Through Best Available Science (BAS) we make better resource decisions because science helps to remove the uncertainly or risk around making a decision - it doesn't make a decision for us, but BAS reduces the risk of policy makers, like myself, of making a bad decision. And, that as Donny can tell you (as he often reminds me by the way), is important!

Here in Washington cougar management seems to effect everyone! So everyone has an opinion. A strong opinion!

From a biologists' viewpoint, cougars are secretive, difficult to count, and exist in relatively low densities. Cougars also have the potential to impact prey populations and completely understanding the complex role of cougars in our ecosystems is nearly impossible.

From the public viewpoint, there is a keen interest in how we manage cougars. Not only do cougars carry the "charismatic mega-fauna" distinction, but they also can impact our personal safety and property.

From the policy makers viewpoint, cougar management isn't just about managing the animals anymore. More and more, cougar management is about managing a plethora of constituents and issues; public perceptions, public involvement, legislative process, threatened and endangered species, public safety, protection of pets and livestock, and the list goes on. All of this balanced with a long-term viable cougar population - which I believe reflects the cougar's viewpoint.

How do we balance those competing viewpoints?

I believe we start with BAS so one of our most important challenges is to define the science for the decisions we make. To maintain credibility, science must be the basis for our decisions. We all know that sometimes there just isn't any scientific information available, yet we have to make a decision, so we make our best professional guess. And that's OK! But our challenge is to evolve that science to avoid situations where decisions have a weak biological basis.
In the recent past, we've seen an increase in wildlife management related measures, ballot initiative, and other legislative bills; many aimed at how we manage cougar. It's clear, we need to make a stronger effort of involving the public in our decision making process.
In the past, most state management agencies have routinely and successful involved their obvious constituents - hunters and fishers. We have less experience reaching out to the general public and other interest groups to get an understanding of their concerns and, yes, responding to their values.

The term "science" is fairly unique in our lexicon because it is both a noun and a verb!

As a noun we can, and often do, refer to a body of knowledge and can point to it - there's the science!
I like it better when it is used as a verb because science is a process, it evolves, it changes, it morphs - it gets better over time.

And that evolution of knowledge is why focused workshops like this are so important.

This audience will help shape how we manage cougars in the next decade.
Seize the opportunity presented by this workshop to interact with peers and exchange information. This is your opportunity to hear from and talk with individuals involved with the latest cougar research, management programs and legislation.
Participants at this meeting come from all across the country, representing state and federal agencies, Native American tribes, universities, and not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations. This diversity of attendees brings with it a healthy diversity of opinions regarding cougars and cougar management. I believe that this will be highlighted during Wednesday's panel discussion focusing on different perspectives associated with cougar-human conflicts.

Conclusion and a Recipe for Co-existence

Cougars clearly present a unique challenge in today's world. They have proven to be resilient, adaptive, and more prolific than once believed. I guess more and more they are beginning to resemble us humans. As humans continue to "sprawl" across the landscape, our ability to coexist with cougars today is a template for our ability to coexist with many other wildlife species into the future. During this workshop you will be hearing about the western region cougar guidelines. I believe that guidelines such as these will provide the basis for living with cougars in the future. I encourage you to learn more about these guidelines and invite you to participate in their refinement.
Ultimately, if we are to succeed on behalf of cougars, we must learn how to balance the needs of all wildlife with the desires of a changing public. We are being watched with a pessimistic eye….cougars represent a difficult test case, but your participation at this workshop can improve our chances of success. Enjoy the meeting!

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