Meet The Participants

Explore the National Wolf Conversation through the voices of its 25 participants – in a 30-minute proof-of-concept documentary, a series of short interviews, and the Common Ground Statement they co-authored.

Docuseries Proof of Concept: The Beginning of a Bigger Story

We captured 175 hours of footage from the National Wolf Conversation gathering in January 2025. This short film is a proof of concept for a larger documentary series currently in production. This film features one story from the field, but with future funding, we can feature a variety of these participants’ home environments.

We deeply appreciate that tens of millions of Americans care about the conflict over wolves. Since a meaningful conversation can’t include millions, we spent over a year engaging with more than 7,400 individuals to select 25 people who reflect the different voices across the country. (See the criteria page here!) Each of these 25 participants was interviewed at the start and end of the three-day conversation to share their reflections.

                                      25 People. 3 Days. One Powerful Statement.

In just three days, these 25 very different people did something truly rare: they built trust, and committed to keep working together toward lasting solutions for people, communities, cultures, and the animals they care about.

Common Ground Statement

Co-written and Approved by all 22 of the non-federal government participants of the National Wolf Conversation

We all care about animals, conservation, and healthy ecosystems, and are doing our part to care for the environments where we live and work.

While we have many different experiences with and perspectives on wolves, we recognize that entrenched conflicts among humans over wolves benefit neither humans nor wolves.

Rather than dehumanizing our opponents and pursuing one-sided wins, we choose to work toward common ground as a basis for creative, lasting solutions that will benefit our communities and the ecosystems that support us all. Ultimately, we hope to serve as an example of effective and efficient progress to others struggling with similarly entrenched conflicts in all aspects of society.

To these ends, we resolve to see each other as people first; listen to and learn from one another; practice humility and empathy; and stay engaged in our process even when it becomes difficult.

We unanimously believe that the National Wolf Conversation and its conflict transformation process are critical to achieving these goals. We are committed to advocating for the funding and other resources needed to continue the work we have begun.

Signed:

Bryan Bird, Southwest Director, Defenders of Wildlife, New Mexico
Jeff Davis, State Director, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Marvin DeFoe, Tribal Elder, Red Cliff Anishinaabe, Wisconsin
Callie Hanson, Agricultural Journalist, Freelance, Wyoming / Oklahoma
Sisto Hernandez, Livestock Producer, Western Landowners Alliance, Arizona
Jess Johnson, Hunter, Wyoming Wildlife Federation
Eric KashKash, Tribal Leader/Program Director, Nez Perce Tribe Wildlife Division, Idaho
Kim Kerns, Livestock Producer, Oregon
Joe Kipp, Tribal Elder, Blackfeet Nation, Montana
Rusty Kramer, Trapper, Idaho
Kent Laudon, Wolf Biologist 5 Western Wolf States ID, MT, AZ, NM, & CA
Molly Linville, Livestock Producer and Wildlife Commissioner, Washington
Bill Lynn, Wolf Trustee, Massachusetts
Ashea Mills, Wolf EcoTourism, Walking Shadow Ecology Tours, Montana
Josh Morse, Communications, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
Michelle Nijhuis, Conservation Journalist, Freelance, Washington
Dean Peterson, Livestock Producer, Montana
Taylor Rabe, Wolf Researcher, Conservation Nation, Montana
Sarajane Snowden, Livestock Producer, Colorado
Amy Trotter, Hunter, Michigan United Conservation Clubs
Amanda Wight, Senior Program Manager, Wildlife Protection, Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States), North Carolina
Adrian Wydeven, Wolf Biologist, Retired, Wisconsin