Polis, CSU Pathways conference to focus on shifting values in wildlife management

Contact for reporters:
Jayme DeLoss
jdeloss@colostate.edu 
(970) 491-8904

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will speak briefly June 1 at Colorado State University during the Pathways: Human Dimensions of Wildlife conference. Polis is expected to discuss the state’s inclusive agenda for managing wildlife, the appointment of new Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis, and plans to collaborate with CSU’s Animal-Human Policy Center. 

Center director Rebecca Niemiec, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, will introduce Polis at 2:15 p.m. Thursday in the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom. 

In recent decades, societal values toward wildlife have shifted in the United States toward more of a “mutualist” perspective, meaning people are more focused on wildlife protection and compassionate management, as opposed to managing wildlife solely for human benefit. Diverse and changing values have increased conflict over how wildlife should be managed and created challenges for wildlife agencies. 

CSU launched a new Animal-Human Policy Center on May 15 to serve as a resource for policymakers and government agencies to help them navigate society’s shifting values toward animals. The center will synthesize social science information, conduct studies on public perspectives, and facilitate discussions among policymakers, agency officials, and stakeholders.  

Niemiec recently stepped down from her position as manager of the Bureau of Animal Protection in the Colorado Department of Agriculture to lead the center. She hopes the center can help government agencies and policymakers bridge divides to reduce conflict among different groups of people and find creative solutions that benefit people and animals. 

Pathways conference

Hosted by CSU’s Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources in collaboration with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, the Pathways: Human Dimensions of Wildlife conference will be held May 31 through June 3 at CSU’s Lory Student Center and online. The theme of this year’s conference is “Managing Wildlife in an Era of Mutualism.”  

“The conference will address the challenges of management in this atmosphere of changing values,” said Michael Manfredo, head of the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. “With attendance from a broad spectrum of academics, practitioners, and NGO advocates, we expect a lively dialogue and an important exchange of knowledge.”   

Manfredo founded the conference 15 years ago to facilitate important conversations and increase collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners to promote sustainable human-wildlife coexistence. CSU hosts every other conference, with alternating conferences held internationally. 

Manfredo, Niemiec and others at CSU have pioneered social science studies into values toward animals. They have found that people’s values toward animals fall somewhere along a spectrum and have documented a shift in those values over the past 30 years. People are now more likely to view animals as part of their social community and are more focused on animal rights.  

Hear from the experts

Pathways 2023 will explore wildlife viewing and interactions, building meaningful relationships with underserved communities, and human-wildlife conflict through the lens of mutualism. 

The conference will feature 49 research sessions, plenary talks each day, field trips, and training for wildlife professionals. The plenaries will feature government officials, practitioners, and research professionals, including:   

  • Mark Sturm, Katmai National Park   
  • Sara Parker Pauley, Missouri Department of Conservation   
  • Tony Wasley, Wildlife Management Institute   
  • Alexandra Zimmermann, University of Oxford   
  • Karen Bailey, CU Boulder   
  • Alix Pedraza, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources 
  • Amy Coffman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
  • Duan Biggs, Northern Arizona University   
  • Ashley Dayer, Virginia Tech   

Partners in planning 

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) represents U.S. State and Territorial Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the provinces and territories of Canada. In addition to individual researchers, the following AFWA groups have contributed to planning the conference:    

  • Waterfowl Working Group  
  • Wildlife Viewing and Nature Tourism Group   
  • Human Dimensions and Social Science Subcommittee   
  • Wildlife Diversity Conservation and Funding Committee   
  • Human/Wildlife Conflict Working Group   
  • Bird Conservation Committee   
  • Education, Outreach, and Diversity Committee   

Attend the conference

The Pathways: Human Dimensions of Wildlife conference is open to the public, but registration is required. In-person (student, full, or one-day) rates are available at the registration desk outside of the LSC Grand Ballroom during the conference. 

The Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources is part of CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources.