Big Enough for the Both of Us? Balancing Recreation and Wildlife Habitat

With winter recreation and mountain town populations booming, more people are recreating in sensitive wildlife habitat. That raises a tricky question: when land managers decide to close a trail or restrict access, and what evidence do they use to make that call? Often, those decisions rely on research from studies done somewhere else, in different places with different conditions. And that can make it difficult for land managers and wildlife advocates to explain those decisions to the public. It also leads to some bigger questions. Is there such a thing as enough wildlife habitat? Is there such a thing as enough trails and outdoor access? What about “enough” trails or outdoor recreation access? And, how do we balance these sometimes-competing uses of public lands?SPEAKERS: Cal Waichler, Project Coordinator, ⁠Cascades Wolverine Project⁠Joel Sisolak, Lands Planning and Recreation Manager, ⁠Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife⁠Trevor Kostanich, AMGA-certified ⁠ski guide⁠ and authorModerator: Kurt Hellman, Wildlife-Recreation Coexistence Senior Coordinator, ⁠Conservation Northwest⁠RESOURCES:⁠Cascades Wolverine Project⁠⁠⁠⁠Community Observations Map⁠⁠WolverineWatch.org⁠Conservation Northwest⁠⁠"Your Stoke Won't Save Us"Wintering Wildlife Conservation Initiative ⁠Subscribe to Winter Wildlands Alliance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Winter Wildlands Alliance Stash Blog⁠⁠⁠Winter Wildlands Alliance Action CenterSUPPORTED BY: Outdoor Alliance, REI Co-op, The Mountaineers, Duct Tape Then Beer/Dirt Bag Diaries, High Country News, Phreem Family Brewers, and University of Washington’s Pack Forest.CREDITS:Produced and co-hosted by Anneka Williams and Emily ScottEdited by Adam Titmuss Theme music by Rattlesnake Preachers feat. Kerry McClayAdditional Music by Blue Dot Sessions