Washington State: From "World War III" to Wolf Policy Co-Creation
Conflict: In Washington State, the Wolf Advisory Group (WAG) had been locked in hostile gridlock for three years. Members described it as “World War. 3”. No progress was being made and the conflict between people on the WAG was fueling destructive conflict among people across the state.
Our Role: Engaged by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW), CPeace was tasked with transforming the WAG from a destructive and dysfunctional body into a bonded team capable of working through complex policy decisions where there had once been chronic impass
Result: After three years of no agreement on anything, in one year they were able to effectively analyze the conflict, build trust and understanding, and develop highly complex policy recommendations to WDFW unanimously. In year two, wanting to improve the policy, they adapted it to better meet the needs of wolf advocates, livestock producers, and state agency field staff. Over the years, as new members cycle in and old members leave, the process and the culture of leaning in perseveres.
From The People Involved:
Things changed drastically when the State hired Francine Madden and CPeace. For the first time we were all provided the tools and language of change- a roadmap towards peace and meeting the collective needs of stakeholders. Francine wasn’t guiding us through a simple arbitration, but serving as our shared mentor in growing our State’s capacity to see and appreciate the difference in each other. To collaborate. To meet each other’s needs. To trail-blaze a future in Washington where both wolves and people thrive. Our journey is far from over, and the road ahead remain fraught with peril, but I am so grateful for CPeace’s work- and know that we are so much closer to achieving a more humane society in Washington state and healing the Cascade Divide, because we are now collectively pursuing peace instead of prolonging an unwinnable war.
-Dan Paul, Washington State Director, The Humane Society of the United States
I never thought that I would have been able to sit in meetings with the environmental community and be able to work positively and productively toward a common goal. I worked for a resource agency in another state and was quite familiar with wildlife issues and the various sides to it. I am also a hunter. Most of my past dealings with the environmental community were negative and not very productive. Francine was able to work with WAG and get us to recognize that although we may all have different views, we should all be respected and work toward a common goal. Not an easy task! Thanks to Francine, I feel that I can work with any member of WAG and count several members of the environmental community as my friends. I believe we have the tools to maintain civility toward each other while working on the very difficult issue of wolf management now and into the future.
-Lisa Stone, Hunter
Our multi-stakeholder Wolf Advisory Group, including agency staff, had trouble even looking at each other in the eye or speaking honestly and directly with each other. Since this group has been working with CCT principles for the past three years with CPeace’s teaching and guidance, we have created a level of trust, mutual respect, commitment to problem-solving and humor that I have not experienced with any other collection of people working on wildlife or natural resources issues... given the relationships we have built and the formal and informal training in conservation conflict transformation that we have received, it no longer feels impossible or hopeless to envision coming to lasting but adaptable decisions on how we live with wolves that Washington residents can accept without bitterness or resentment.
-Paula Sweeden, Ph.D., Policy Director, Conservation Northwest
I’ve had the opportunity and honor to work with and learn from Francine Madden of the Center for Conservation Peacebuilding for the last several years as she has helped the people of Washington state constructively address and defuse social conflicts sparked by the return of gray wolves to a landscape where they had been eliminated almost 100 years ago. Francine’s tireless engagement has contributed immeasurably to improving relationships and collaboration between Washingtonians whose perspectives on wolf recovery could not have been more different. Today, wolf recovery remains an extremely challenging and, for many people, exhausting endeavor. But thanks to Francine and the people she has trained to help with conservation conflict transformation in Washington state, the relationships between key leaders and constituent groups are stronger than ever. Successful wolf recovery and constructive collaboration will require constant attention for many years, but Francine has helped Washington find a management model that shows great promise for wolves and for people.
-Bruce Botka, Public Affairs Director, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife