Index details wildlife values across the U.S.

Why do voters in Colorado back reintroducing the gray wolf while Montana and Idaho legislators are seeking to reduce wolf populations? It’s not a surprise to researchers at Colorado State University and The Ohio State University led by Michael Manfredo, head of CSU’s Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. They have created an index depicting the social values of people across the United States. They found a supportive context for gray wolf (Canis lupus) reintroduction in Colorado, and they say the data they’ve collected can be useful for wildlife policy in other states. The study builds on the researchers earlier 50-state study on America’s Wildlife Values.

Read the study in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment here.