National Wolf Conversation
Discussing the values driving the debate over wolves
You may have heard about the National Wolf Conversation (NWC), more formally titled the “National Conversation about Thriving Communities, Tribes, Conservationists, Working Landscapes & Wolves.”
This is a US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) funded yet independent national ‘stakeholder’ dialogue about the future of wolves and US policy towards them. It is being convened and facilitated by Francine Madden and her colleague, Kim Wolfenden, of Constructive Conflict — a consulting firm using international peacemaking practices to address conservation conflicts.
The conversation started in 2024 with a set of ongoing virtual meetings undertaken by Madden and Wolfenden. In 2025, two dozen stakeholders from across the nation will gather for multiple 4 day meetings held across the US. Along with interviews and podcasts, the stakeholder’s dialogue will be recorded and turned into a video. The process will end in 2026, when a film about the NWC by People People Media Foundation will be distributed to catalyze further conversations amongst policy decision-makers and the public.
Sometime in 2026, the Service is slated to release it’s national wolf recovery plan. While this step has been ordered by the courts, when interpreted in light of the NWD, the Service may be trying to break a moral and political log-jam over wolves that has been ongoing for several decades.
PAN Works has been part of the preliminary discussions framing the NWC, and we are pleased to do so. The conversation will not “solve” the dispute over wolves in the US. Nonetheless, it is an important step forward in creating a more productive dialogue. Unlike the myopic attention given to “science” in traditional policy making, the NWD gives pride of place to the value differences that drive the conflict over wolves.
Key to whether the moral-political quagmire over wolves can be ameliorated or resolved is the status of wolves themselves. They are beings of intrinsic moral value whose families embody many of the virtues like care and courage we strive for in ourselves. Wolves will need a voice at the table in the NWD as explicit stakeholders whose wellbeing matters.
If you want to keep updated and attend some of the video meetings being held by Madden and Wolfenden, you can sign up for those on the NWC website. In addition, an explainer video about the NWC is available to view here.
William Lynn is the founder of PAN Works.
Please visit PAN Works for more about our work on ethics and animal wellbeing.
