2023 Annual Report
Dear Friends,
The chatter of squirrels, interspersed by ravens squawking. The percussive thrum of woodpeckers, underlying the distinctive song of busy chickadees. And then the long, clear note of a wolf howl pierces the air, echoed by a distant reply. This is the soundscape that greets visitors in our new Living with Wolves Museum: voices from Wolf Camp, immortalized in
Jamie’s sound recordings. Through film and their vocalizations, the Sawtooth Pack continues to inspire people to take an interest in wolves.
Accomplishing our long-term goal of opening the museum has made for a busy year. A dedicated public presence allows us to engage with visitors on a daily basis. Entering into direct and meaningful dialogue with guests affords us the opportunity to personalize the conversation to their particular interests. We are able to answer questions and delve much deeper into topics that are often complex. Time and again, visitors have expressed their appreciation for the museum as a way to inspire wonder and hope in light of the cruelty wolves endure.
The wolves of the Northern Rockies are still under tremendous pressure from state policies intent on radically reducing their recovering populations. In a diametrically opposed scenario, officials in Colorado are working to reintroduce wolves by December, but several Rocky Mountain states are refusing to provide wolves for Colorado’s reintroduction effort. Their obstinance speaks volumes. Decision makers in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana would rather see their wolves dead than relocated.
Meanwhile, federal officials have repeatedly delayed a decision on the status review of the wolf in this region, allowing the persecution to continue. Elsewhere in the nation, wolves are still protected, but federal lawmakers are proposing bills to permanently remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species List, with the intent to bar any possibility of future judicial review, which has been one of the few ways in which wolves have been granted periods of respite from relentless hunting and trapping.
We stand firm in our commitment to usher in a world where wolves are allowed to flourish, unmolested. It is our sincere wish that everyone be allowed the opportunity to hear wolves howling in the wild. That is why we continue to work on behalf of wolves everywhere.
Thank you for your continued support.
