Tourism+Company

=Stakeholder: Tourism Company= Natalie G.  11/17/08 Position Many people like to see and experience wolves and others do not. As a tourism company owner, I would definitely prefer wolves. This is because I can get money from tourists who would like to see wolves. For a long time I have been defending the idea a killing wolves; however now I want this astonishing creature to be left alone with nature. My clients come just to see wolves and there are so many reasons why they are looking forward to seeing a wolf pack. Wolves have been a problem for a long time in the world and we wonder whether we should keep them on the endangered species list or take them off? Rationale and Evidence Wolves are very popular animals to go and see in the United States. In 2005, almost 100,000 people came to see wolves in Yellowstone National Park. While in Yellowstone National Park, you can see a wolf and a bear at the same time. Many people like to go there to see bear and wolf because in most of the United States you cannot see that. Yellowstone is also famous for their wolves, and the sighting of the wolves are responsible for ⅓ of the budget. Some people like to see wolves because they are such strong and amazing animals; a wolf also lives for itself which many people like to see. Lots of people just come to Yellowstone for the wolves, which prove wolves are wild and superb animals. Many people like to learn about these animals in the wild. Wolves are awfully interesting and fun animals to see. According to a website called wolf trust, http://www.wolftrust.org.uk/wolfecotourism.html “Ecotourism is one of the largest industries in the world.” According to the same website before going on tour, a tourist is likely to learn about the ecology of a wolf, the spirituality, their behavior, the customs, family life, their prey, and about the environment the wolf lives in. Because of this, the clients are glad to see and learn about all these interesting facts. Every year there is a larger percent of people who prefer to participate in a wolf related recreational activity. Now, 39 percent of American adults like to participate in some type of wildlife recreation. They sighting of the red wolf raised the tourism company by nearly 19 percent. 61 percent of Americans and American families think of wolves with a positive attitude. Most people are not scared of wolves in any way because you have a better chance of getting hit by a meteorite than getting killed by a wolf. Ideal Mediation The mediation overall was very interesting and fun. I think that it went very well and that the tourism company owner took a large say. They also had a good opinion on the matter. Result Americans are recently deciding that wolves are so interesting that they are willing to travel long distances to see wolves. An average American is also eager to pay money just to see wolves! This is pretty interesting because there are so many animals alike the wolf that you can see near you. Many people only want wolves and will not tolerate a hybrid (a mix of a dog and a wolf). Allies A defender of wildlife prefers wolves in Colorado because if they come they are here to stay with nature. An animal rights atavist would also like wolves to stay with nature in Colorado because all animals have rights. Usually a residence (in this case an Estes Park residence) wouldn’t much care about this idea. The hunting guide also would not really care and they are an undecided person in this matter. Compromise There are some boundaries to where wolves can be on public and private land. If wolves kill a rancher’s sheep they have the right to shoot the wolf. If the sheep is hurt, there can be a warning put on the wolf to scare it away a wolf shouldn’t be harmed to much considering how low the population is. Wolves are also familiar with killing other animals in the wild. It is not all their fault if the wolf is killed. Conclusion/Ideal Mediation There are so many reasons why I want wolves in Colorado and why these animals shall come. People would love to see wolves which is another motivation why wolves should come to Colorado.

Tourism Company Stakeholder Analysis Chandler H. 11/3/08

I am the owner of Wolf Busters Tourism. We offer 2, 3, and 5 hour wolf photo tours. I think that with a healthy wolf population, anything is possible. A healthy wolf population is good for business and good for the ecosystem. Wolves currently generate a lot of revenue for the park through wolf tours and merchandise including books, T-shirts, stuffed wolves, etc. The money is currently being used to pay for researching how the wolf population is affected by humans, climate, development and other non-natural factors. The money generated through wolves could be used to keep the park clean, and the money not used for that can go towards plant and animal conservation in the park. Wolves also keep the elk and moose populations in balance, so they don’t starve or become diseased. This is important because people don’t want to see animals that look like they are about to die. That is not good for business.
 * //Position/Rationale//**

Wolves were first seen in Colorado in the 1830’s. The first confirmed wolf in Colorado since then was in 2004 when a wolf was hit by a car on I-70. In 2003, populations of wolves in the western and eastern designated population sectors (DPS) that were classified as endangered were reclassified as threatened. This means that the wolf population is increasing. They deserve to live in their natural habitat, where they have been for centuries. The ideal number of wolves in Estes Park should be about 300.
 * //Evidence//**

//**Allies**// Our main allies are probably the Estes Park residents, because they want the parks to stay clean, and they too, want to see healthy, thriving animals and plants. The ranchers however, think the exact opposite, they think there should be no wolves because the wolves are killing their livestock.

For the ranchers in Estes Park, I think that there should be government funding for tall fences around their properties. But if wolves still get in and kill their cattle, the government should pay them $1,100 for every bull, and $800 for every cow. This gives them enough to live on until the next auction. And for hunters, if they kill a wolf, they should be fined $700. For the hunter guides, if they shoot a wolf or tell the hunter that they are guiding to shoot a wolf, they will be fined $500 and lose their job, because they knew that shooting wolves was illegal.
 * //Compromise//**

Ranchers – funding for tall fences Estes Park residents – property insurance Animal Rights Activists – wolves in E.P. Hunters – hunting season for wolves
 * //Ideal Mediation Outcome//**

Natasha 11/17/08 Tourist Guide __Position, Rational and Evidence__ Being a tourist guide at Yellowstone National Park, my position is for wolves. Killing wolves is wrong; if wolves were released into Colorado they would really help the eco system and the tourism. We make a lot of money off of wolves because it’s such a grand tourist attraction. The wolves are a 1/3 of our income. We distribute the money to our employees and to make the park more environmentally friendly. The wolves are on the endangered species list and people want to appreciate wolves while we have them. Over 150,000 people come to see primarily wolves each year. If we got rid of the wolves completely, we would lose virtually 12 billion dollars a year. It would hurt the environment and there is a high possibility that the elk would overpopulate and create an imbalance in the species. That is why it’s a good idea to let wolves in Colorado, so they do not go extinct. I realize that wolves are killing off peoples livestock’s and they’re losing money, but the wolves were here before anyone. Formerly this was their territory and the humans are the ones encroaching on their territory. If the wolves trespass it’s because they don’t know better. The ranchers have no right to kill the wolves. If you put up a sign, the wolves wouldn’t understand. Nevertheless, there are other and more sustainable ways to stop the wolves from coming onto their property. Wolves trespassing onto people’s property is a biggest reason why a lot of people do not want wolves in Colorado, but since there are ways to prevent that there is no reason why wolves shouldn’t be aloud in Colorado. __Allies__ The man in the video said that the wolves are great economic benefit; many people like to see wolves and bears together because you can’t see that in a lot of places. In the defenders of wild life article they did a survey of people in North Carolina and 70% of their tourists primarily come to see the wolves and without the wolves presence they would not go to that particular park because they are not nearly as impressed by the other animals as they are with the wolves. __Compromise Idea, Mediation, Resent__ I realize that the wolves are killing people’s livestocks and impacting the ranchers and the farmer’s and that it is not all about the tourists and money. There is no easy answer to this problem but if all the stakeholders were to come together I would propose to let the wolves come into Colorado and if a wolf were to go onto a rancher’s property and cause a problem with one of their animals the rancher cannot shoot the wolf but may tranquilize it and that would warn the wolf and the wolf would not come back on to the property. Eventually all the wolves would have been tranquilized and none of them would return to the rancher’s property.

Tourist Company Worker Lucile November 16, 2008 __ Position __ Working at a tourist company, I have researched many of different opinions and facts about the benefits of bringing the wolves in to Colorado. After that I had decided that we need wolves in our environment. Wolves in Colorado will help our ecosystem and economy. They will bring more visitors and help nature. __ Evidence and Rational __ Wolves are one of the top predators. They help regulate the ecosystem. Research shows that in the 1920s, the reduction of the wolf population resulted in an overpopulation of elk and deer. The elk and deer ate all the plants, trees, and vegetation. Since, Yellowstone reintroduced wolves to the park; wildlife in the park has shown improvements. Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing topics in tourism. More families are spending their vacations outdoors. Wolves bring 35 million dollars into Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho a year. In addition to a larger income for the communities, jobs are also available. For example, in Minnesota, the International Wolf Center makes over a million dollars a year in public education of wolf tourism. To further prove my point, there was a four to five percent annual increase of visitors in Yellowstone National Park. If the wolves were to come to Colorado, it will increase the volume of visitors. __ Allies __ There are many people that support the wolves. The recreationalists enjoy them for there beauty. The environmentalists support there importance for nature. The animal right activists defend them to be free. __ Compromise __ The Chances of livestock being attacked by wolves are very high, but this is not a reason for humans to kill the wolves. A plan for the ranchers to insure their livestock is a better option. The ranchers could buy insurance for there cattle that covers the loss by wolves. The ranchers must have strong proof supporting their claims. __ Arguments __ One of the main arguments against wolves coming to Colorado is the threat to their livestock and humans. The truth is less than 0.2 percent of cattle and calf losses and less than 2.5 percent of sheep and lamb losses result in areas where wolves live. Most causes of death to cattle are from weather, digestive and respiratory problems, and other natural events. Human and wolf interactions are very rare. A study published in 2002 found that there were only eighty cases of reported wolf-human encounters over one hundred years. Most of the encounters resulted from wolves acting in self-defense, rabies, used to being fed by humans, and fighting with domestic dogs while their owners tried to stop the fight. __ Ideal Mediation Result __ Overall, the return of wolves will help the tourism, locals, and environment of Colorado. Please feel free to contact my tourist company if you have any questions or comments. I hope you will see wolves in our state in the future! **__ Stakeholder Analysis __** **__By: Kameelah __**  **Position ** I am an ecotourism guide at Rocky Mountain National Park, and I want the wolves involved in our career. An ecotourism guide is the person giving the tour and that usually involves travling to places where people are big about wolves. **Rationale **  My rationale is if we didn’t have wolves our paying customers would not show up because they came to see the wolves. Some people say that if the wolves weren’t there they wouldn’t come at all, and it’s the oldest park in the state! The elk would also over populate because there would be no wolves in the area to eat them. Then the animal population would not be balanced. Therefore we need wolves to have a sustainable lifestyle. **Evidence **  The reason my rationale is true is because our customers come to see wolves, not elk, so if there’s no wolves there is no customers and then we have no business. One of the reasons people like the wolves so much is because they are very beautiful and graceful animals. You also don’t see them that often so it’s nice to see them once in a while. Some people don’t want the wolves because they eat their livestock and ruin their property, but those people can live without wolves but ecotourism guides can’t. **Allies **  Some allies of mine are sometimes Estes Park residents, environmentalists, national park representatives, and some other stakeholders who want wolves involved in our career and their lives. We all need them because they are part of our jobs and they bring in a lot of our profit. Just because some other people don’t want them doesn’t mean they can just move them out on their own accord. **Compromise **  Some stakeholders that I will have to compromise with are ranchers, private hunters, possibly Estes Park residents and additional people who don’t want wolves around them or on their property. Ranchers are afraid that wolves are going to eat their livestock, and their livestock cost money that they have to pay for. It’s their fault that the wolves eat their livestock because they don’t take the time to put up a barrier. Anyway, of course the wolves are going to eat the animals because they have to eat something and that is the closest and easiest thing to bet but if they took the time to put up a barrier that wouldn’t happen. It’s not like the wolves specifically come to that piece of land to eat their specific livestock, they just come to the closest thing to them. The ranchers don’t want wolves because they pretty much think that “Sheep and cattle are McDonalds to wolves.” In order to compromise with them I would have to come up with a solution that all of us agree with. That solution would be to help those stakeholders financially by donating money to a certain cause that they all need. Like for ranchers a group of volunteers could donate money to them for a large fence to put up to keep out the wolves. For Estes Park residents they could either help them to live with the wolves or to put up a barrier that will keep wolves out of that certain place. For private hunters the stakeholders that want the wolves could let them have a hunting season if the wolf population gets too high. **Ideal Mediation Result ** <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'"> My ideal wolf management plan is that the wolves have a certain boundary line that cuts off the people from the animals. Tourists are allowed to tour and visit the area, but other people aren’t permitted to come and interfere with the wolves’ habitat and lives. The result of that would probably end up working out, though there might be a few bumps in the road that just gives us more room to expand our ideas.