WHIT
WHIT IN
WHIT IN STUDIO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR HERE IN WASHINGTON TO
FIND SOMEONE WITH A
STRONG OPINION ON
WOLVES.
BUT YESTERDAY, WE HEARD
STRAIGHT FROM TWO PEOPLE
WHO
ARE LIVING THE REALITY
OF HAVING WOLVES HERE IN
THE EASTERN PART
OF THE STATE.
SO I STARTED OUT ON A
QUEST TO UNDERSTAND
SIDES -- AND MAYBE,
JUST MAYBE, FIND A PLACE
IN THE MIDDLE.
AND WITH THIS PARTICULAR
ISSUE, IT STARTS OUT ON
THE ROAD.
QUICK CUTS TO TIME LAPSE
WHIT IN CAR - ALRIGHT
WE'RE HEADED UP TO
COLVILLE RIGHT
NOW. TO TALK WITH BOTH
SIDES OF THIS PARTICULAR
WOLF ISSUE.
SO THE BIG QUESTION OF
COURSE HAS ALWAYS BEEN:
HOW
DO WE PROTECT WASHINGTON
WOLVES, WHICH IS WHAT
CONSERVATIONISTS WANT TO
DO. BUT HOW DO WE ALSO
STILL BETTER
PROTECT WASHINGTON
CATTLE RANCHERS? SO, I'M
BRINGING
BOTH SIDES TOGETHER.
THEY HAVE NEVER MET
FACE-TO-FACE
BEFORE. BUT THEY AGREED
TO SIT DOWN AND TALK
WITH
WITH US
WITH US TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO UP AND SEE IF WE CAN'T FIND SOM
KIND OF SOLUTION.
GOING TO GO UP AND SEE IF WE CAN'T FIND SOM . ND OF SOLUTION.
GOING TO GO UP AND SEE IF WE CAN'T FIND SOM . D OF SOLUTION.
GOING TO GO UP AND SEE IF WE CAN'T FIND SOM . AA F SOLUTION.
GOING TO GO UP AND SEE IF WE CAN'T FIND SOM . AA TERNMETION.
A LIVING. WE DON'T
W M O
NATS
RON ESLICK IS A LIFELONG
CATTLE RANCHER FROM
FERRY COUNTY.
22.22 THERE'S ALL THIS
FIGHTING WITH THE
ENVIRONMENTALIST
ENVIRONMENTALIST
S
S ABOUT
S ABOUT GETTING RID OF THESE WOLVES. THE PR WOLF. CUTE LITTLE
THINGS.... THAT KILLS MY
CUTE LITTLE CALF.
HE BELIEVES WOLVES DON'T
BELONG HERE IN NORTHEAST
WASHINGTON. AND HE'S
TIRED OF SO- L
ENVIRONMENTALIST
S FIGIR
TIRED OF SO- L ENVIRONMENTALIST LS,H IR
TIRED OF SO- L ENVIRONMENTALIST LS,H S
SMALL-TIME CATTLE
OPERATIO ESE
GOING EXTINCT.
19.25 THEY DON'T KNOW
THE SITUATION. TH
DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
SO I WENT TO FIND ONE OF
THOSE ENVIRONMENTALISTS
THOSE ENVIRONMENTALISTS
--
-- AND
-- AND MET CHRIS BACHMAN, WILDLIFE PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT THE
LANDS COUNCIL.
13.27 IF WHAT THEY WERE
DOING THERE WAS WORKING,
WE WOULDN'T
CONTINUALLY HAVE THE
SAME PROBLEM YEAR AFTER
YEAR.
HE PREFERS CALLING
HIMSELF A
CONSERVATIONIST. AND
ABSOLUTELY
BELIEVES WASHINGTON
WOLVES NEED TO BE
PROTECTED...
EVEN IF THEY ARE CAUSING
CONFLICT WITH RANCHERS.
6:33 DO I AGREE THAT IF
YOU ARE GRAZING IN AN
AREA WHERE WE
KNOWINGLY HAVE WOLVES,
SHOULD YOU BE ASSUMING
RISK? YES.
IS THERE ACTUALLY ROOM
TO COLLABORATE AND
COMPROMISE? YES. THAT SEARCH FOR COMPROMISE IS WHY CHRIS AGREED
WITH RON.
BUT TO BE HONEST, THEY
WERE BOTH A LITTLE
HESITANT WHEN WE FINALLY
CAME FACE-TO-FACE.
RON WELL, LET'S START
OFF FROM THE BEGINNING.
WHAT WAS THE
OBJECTIVE OF BRINGING
WOLVES INTO THIS AREA?
WAS IT TO GET ALL
THE RANCHERS OFF THE
RANGE?
CHRIS WELL I'D START BY
SAYING WE'RE NOT OPPOSED
TO THE
CATTLEMEN.OUR GOAL IS
THAT YOU'RE NOT LOSING
LIVESTOCK AS
WELL. BUT I THINK
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF
A MISUNDERSTANDIN
G. FISH AND WILDLIFE
DIDN'T BRING WOLVES BACK
IN. IT WAS A
NATURAL RE-COLONIZATION
FROM IDAHO AND FROM
BRITISH
COLUMBIA.
BRITISH COLUMBIA. RON DON'T BELIEVE
EVERYTHING YOU HEAR AND
HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE.
THERE ARE MORE THAN 120
CONFIRMED WOLVES LIVING
IN
WASHINGTON TODAY -- AND
BY FAR, THE MOST ARE
LIVING IN AND
AROUND FERRY COUNTY.
BUT THIS MAP FROM
WASHINGTON'S DEPART OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE
SHOWS THAT SAME AREA AS
HAVING THE LEAST
ACCEPTANCE OF
WOLVES IN THE ENTIRE
STATE.
JUST ONE MORE REASON WHY
THE TWO SIDES HAVE NOT
GOTTEN ALONG
FOR DECADES.
WHIT WHEN WE WERE HERE,
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE
BENEFITS OF A
PLACE LIKE THIS, A
HISTORIC MEADOW THAT HAS
BEEN USED AS A GRAZING
ALLOTMENT FOR MANY
YEARS. EXPLAIN HOW
SOMETHING LIKE
THIS COULD WORK, AND
COULD BENEFIT SOMEONE
LIKE YOU, RON.
CHRIS SO, IT'S OPEN. WE
USE THE WORD DEFENB
A LOT. YOU SEE
THEM HERDED, BUNCHED
TOGETHER, IN A NATURAL
DEFENSIVE BEHAVIOR. IT
DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE
FIXING ALL
THE PROBLEMS. FOR AT
LEAST 48 HOURS, THEY HAD
WOLVES IN THE
TREELINE
TREELINE THAT WERE HARASSING CATTLE. IN THE END, IT ACTUALLY WAS
DEFENSIBLE SPACE. THERE
WEREN'T CATTLE LOST, AND
THERE WEREN'T
THERE WEREN'T
WOLVES
WOLVES LOST. WHITNEY TO RON - WOULD YOU BT
IDEA?
RON - IT WOULD NOT BE
POSSIBLU
OVER IN THE
KETTLE CREST. THERE
AREN'T ANY OPENINGS LIKE
THIS.
WHITNEY WHAT IF THEY
MADE ONE?
RON OH, BOY. NATURE MADE
THIS ONE. IT WOULD BE SO
MUCH WORK
AND COST. IT WOULD BE
OUTRAGEOUS. WHIT TO
CHRIS W YYO
THAT?
CHRIS COULD YOU DO THIS
OVER ON THE WESTERN PART
OF THE FOREST,
NO. BUT COULD YOU CREATE
A MEADOW THAT WAS ON THE
HILLSIDE, YES.
RON YOU CAN TRY THIS
STUFFUON
CATTLEMEN, IF
THEY DON'T GET ENOUGH
CALVES IN A YEAR, TWO
YEARS, THEY'RE
BROKE.
WHIT TO RON WOULD YOU BE
OPEN TO TRYING
SOMETHING?
RON, OH, YEAH, WELL NOT
ME, BECAUSE I'M GETTING
TOO OLD
FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF
ANYMORE. BUT THE YOUNGER
CATTLEMEN
SHOULD BE.
WHIT TO CHRIS HAVING
HEARD HIS FRUSTRATIONS,
WHY ARE WE
FIGHTING SO HARD T
PRCHW E
IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT
THEY DON'T WAN
PRCHW E IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT RHEY DON'T WAN
CHRIS GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S WORTH THE FIGHT FOR
ME BECAUSE
HOLISTICALLY, I
RECOGNIZE THE BENEFIT OF
HAVING APEX PREDATORS
IN THE ECOSYSTEM.
CHRIS I THINK IT CAN BE
DONE.
WHIT DO YOU THINK IT CAN
BE DONE?
RON IT'S GONNA TAKE A
WHILE.
CHRIS YEAH, IT'S NOT
GOING TO BE EASY.
NOTHING WORTHWHILE IS,
RIGHT?
RON SO BY THE TIME THEY
GET IT ALL TAKEN CARE
OF, YOU MIGHT LOSE A
LOT OF CATTLEMEN.
CHRIS IN WHAT WAY?
RON WELL, THEY CAN'T
AFFORD TO GO OUT AND
FEED THESE WOLVES.
WHIT TO RON WOULD YOU
SAY IT'S WORTH A TRY?
RON WELL, ANYTHING'
WORTH A TRY.
WHIT TO BOTH MEN WHEN WE
FIRST GOT HERE, I THINK
I SENSED A LITTLE BIT
OF APPREHENSION,
WONDERING HOW THIS WOULD
PLAY OUT... TALKING TO
EACH OTHER, DO YOU THINK
WONDERING HOW THIS WOULD PLAY OUT... TALKING TO E'OL,OTHER, DO YOU THINK
SOMEWHERE IN THE
MIDDLE, THAOU
E'OL,OTHER, DO YOU THINK SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, THAOUC?
RON, YES THE
YK OU
THESE CATTLEMEN,
THEY'RE ALL
ENVIRONMENTALIST S. THEY
TAKE BETTER CARE OF
THE FOREST THAN WHAT
PEOPLE THINK THEY DO.
CHRIS WE'RE GOING TO
NEED TO FIGU
DEVELOP A TRUST THW
WANT THS N E
NEED TO FIGU DEVELOP A TRUST THW NUCEAYHS N E
ALIVE.
ALIVE.
GO
GO BACK
GO BACK TO THE EARLY 1990S WHEN IT WAS PUBLIC LANDS, CATTLE
LANDS, CATTLE
FREE
FREE BY
FREE BY '93. REMEMBER THAT ONE? RON OH YEA. CATTLE FREE
BY 93.
CHRIS WELL IT DIDN'T
WORK RIGHT?
RON NO.
CHRIS SO HERE WE ARE IN
2018. WE DON'T WANO
REMOVE YOU FROM
THE LAND.
RON 2018 AND SOME
SMARTASS DECIDED TO
BRING WOLVES IN AND
THAT MIGHT DO IT.
WHITNEY THAT'S HOW IT
FEELS, HUH? CHRIS DO YOU
REALLY THINK SOMEON
BROUGHT WOLVES
IN HERE?
RON YES
CHRIS TO WASHINGTON?
RON YES
CHRIS WE CAN PROBABLY GO
BACK AND FORTH ON THAT
ONE.
RON OH YEAH, WE CAN.
WHIT DO YOU BOTH FEEL
THOUGH THAT MAYBE YOU'VE
INCHED A LITTLE BIT
CLOSER?
CHRIS WE'RE ACTUALLY
STANDING CLOSER.
WHIT I SEE THAT!
RON I'M GETTING COLD.
WHIT IT'S A GOOD START.
BODY WARMTH, RIGHT? HAHA
CHRIS I KNOW
ESTABLISHING TSI
MEAN, THAT'S THE
FOUNDATION OF EVERY
LH T
DOESN'T
COME EASY BETWEEN OUR
TWO COMMUNITIES.THERE'S
INHERENTLY
DISTRUST.
INHERENTLY DISTRUST. RON OH, YEAH! THERE IS!
CHRIS SO HOW DO
W CT?'
GOING TO TAKE A FEW
SPECIAL PEOPLE TO
ACTUALLY JUST SAY, 'YOU
KNOW WHAT, LET'SR
THIS.'
RON YEAH, BUT I HATE TO
BE A PUNCHING BAG.
CHRIS I HEAR YOU. AND IF
YOU'RE FEELING THAT WAY,
HOW DO WE FIX
THAT?
RON QUIT PUNCHING ME!
HAHAH CHRIS TRULY, WE
DON'T WANT HIM TO FEEL
LIKE A PUNCHING BAG,
AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T
WANT HIM TO PERCEIVE
THAT WE'RE THROWING
THE PUNCHES.
SO THAT'S HOW IT ALL
ENDED. I THINK WE ALL
WALKED AWAY FEELING A
LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN
WHEN WE WALKED IN.
OF COURSE, THERE IS A
LONG WAY TO GO TOWARD
SOLVING THIS
PROBLEM. BUT BOTH SIDES
AGREE, WE'LL GET THE
EVENTUALLY.
YOU CAN HEAR MORE OF
THEIR INTERVIEWS, PLS
TAKE A LOOK AT
OUR SLIDESHOW. JUST GO
TO KREM.COM.
IN THE STUDIO TONIGHT,
WHITNEY WARD, KREM 2
NEWS.
NEWS.
A
A LOCAL
A LOCAL FIREFIGHTER IS JOINING THE BATTLE AGAINST WILDFIRES
AGAINST WILDFIRES