Research
Project
Report prepared by
Battelle and Elway Research Inc.
 pdf
version
White
Paper: Should Wolves be Reintroduced into Olympic National Park
and Surrounding Lands?
pdf
version
ONRC
Projects
Big
Changes in Small Places:
Assessing Social and
Economic Trends
at the Local Level
in
Clallam
and Jefferson Counties
Elk
Populations
Forest Policy: Ready for Renaissance
Forest
Manager's Colloquium
GIS
Clearinghouse
Mill Creek
Water Quality
Olympic Region
Harmful Algal Blooms
Integrating
Biocontrol in the IPM for Spartina
in Willapa Bay
Public
Involvement in OlyPen Wolf Reintroduction
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ONRC
Projects
Public
Involvement in Decision Making About Controversial Natural
Resource Management Issues:
Reintroducing Wolves into Olympic National Park
The Electronic Town Meetings: Hoquiam, Shelton, and Forks
Project Description:
In
1998, Congress allocated $350,000 to study the biological and
ecological feasibility of wolf reintroduction and to conduct a
public involvement process to identify and describe public
issues and concerns about returning wolves to the Olympic
National Park. Of the total allocation, Congress appropriated
$50,000 to the Olympic Natural Resources Center (ONRC) at the
behest of Congressman Dicks and Senator Slade Gorton, to engage
those who would be affected by the reintroduction. The
appropriation required the public involvement process to
"…address thoroughly the potential impacts of wolves on
the people and communities that would be directly
affected…" ONRC entered into a contract with the Battelle
Seattle Research Center and Elway Research, Inc. of Seattle to
assist with involving the public in considering wolf
reintroduction.
ONRC,
Battelle, and Elway Research interviewed representatives about
wolf reintroduction from a range of points of view, including
tourism, logging, economic development, environmental
organizations, recreational clubs, agriculture and local
government. From
records of these interviews, ONRC, Battelle, and Elway Research
extracted specific comments that became the basis for statements
in the three electronic town meetings using the Electronic Group
Interaction System (EGIS). Town meetings were held in the
communities of Shelton, Hoquiam, and Forks, Washington, which
triangulate the Olympic National Park.
Budget constraints precluded other logical sites.
Status:
ONRC,
assisted by Battelle and Elway Research, Inc., conducted three
electronic town meetings on January 19, 20, and 21, 1999 in
Shelton, Hoquiam, and Forks, Washington. One hundred eleven
people attended the meeting in Shelton, 135 in Hoquiam, and
approximately 175 in Forks. Handheld polling devices were
available for 100-110 participants at each meeting.
The results of the interviews and meetings are presented
in a document prepared by Battelle, In. and available on-line.
In addition a white paper was prepared by ONRC that describes
the assessment process, the decision-making process, and the
roles of the various players in determining whether a proposal
will be made to reintroduce wolves to the Olympic National Park
and surrounding lands.
Electric
Town Meetings Proceedings:
Public
Involvement in Decision-Making about Controversial Natural
Resource Management Issues.
Reintroducing Gray Wolves into Olympic National Park.
The Electronic Town Meeting Findings: Shelton, Hoquiam,
and Forks.
March 24, 1999.
White
Paper:
Should Wolves be Reintroduced to Olympic National Park and
Surrounding Lands. A White Paper prepared by the Olympic Natural
Resources Center. Revised October 1998.
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