Reporting from Yellowstone.

I spent a magnificent couple of days watching wolves and listening to people who do and do not like wolves.  I have been attending a week's course by the Yellowstone Institute on the Park and Public Policy.  We have focused on three general issues: snowmobiles in Yellowstone; the Re-introduction Restoration of Wolves to Yellowstone; and Buffalo Bison in and out of the Park.  Word choice turns out to be important. 

The first issue has in fact reached a point where a settlement is possible, but probably won't be realized.  In the 1970's Yellowstone was literally overrun with snowmobiles every winter.  The air quality was so bad, they had to issue gas masks to the rangers at the entrances.  Today the park is open only to a limited number of snowmobiles with four stroke engines, which are as clean as car engines and much quieter.  Most of the snowmobiles must travel in parties, with a guide.  I think this is a very reasonable compromise between the pure wilderness and the tear up the back country tribes.  Yellowstone is a unique park, and tourism is a big part of its history.  A lot of people have their lives and their family history invested in the snowmobile tourism.  There is no good evidence that the limited traffic, which is confined to roads, is bad for the park ecology.

But the extremists at both ends will sue to block any settlement that doesn't give them their hearts desire.  And  both sides can cherry pick sympathetic courts.  I don't think much will change, but a settlement will not be easy.

The wolf question is, I think, largely settled.  Wolves are back in Yellowstone to stay.  This presents a real problem for ranchers on the border of the park.  We spoke to two such stakeholders today.  One of them has lost several calves to wolves.  As it is now, wolves that prey on livestock are hunted and killed by rangers.  Soon the wolf will be de-listed, and ranchers will have more license to shoot wolves who threaten or prey on their animals. Though they won't say so, I think the ranchers will settle on this.

The hardest issue involves bison and the threat to cattle from the brucellosis that the former carry.  I think, from what I have heard, that bison are not really a threat.  The main route of infection is from elk.  But the ranchers don't see it that way.  They want bison numbers reduced.  The animal people want the range of the bison to be extended.  This one is going to be hard to settle.