Episode 142: Nadia Steinzor On Northeast Carnivore Recovery and Coexistence Through State Wildlife Agency Plans
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Rewilding Institute’s Northeast Carnivore Advocate
Nadia Steinzor is an environmental consultant with 25 years of experience in policy analysis, research, writing, and communications. She has developed and managed projects to investigate the oil and gas industry’s impact on the climate and communities, secure governmental protections for air, water, land, and wildlife, and engage the public in advocacy efforts. Nadia works with the Rewilding Institute to ensure that wolves and other carnivores thrive and roam in the Northeast and beyond. Nadia holds an M.S. in environmental policy from the Bard College Center for Environmental Policy.
Today’s episode reveals the work of often unsung heroes of wildlife conservation across the US: people like Nadia working to ensure state agencies prioritize coexistence with predators. To learn how you can support work like Nadia’s in your state – be sure to listen until the end for action items you could start on today.
Show Notes
Strategic Planning for Carnivore Conservation in the Northeast
Nadia and Jack discuss the crucial work being carried out in preparation for the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs). These critical plans, revised every decade, set conservation priorities necessary for states to receive federal funding. Nadia highlights the importance of public engagement in the SWAP revision process to ensure essential species, particularly carnivores like cougars and wolves, are protected and restored. She also addresses challenges such as regulatory gaps, funding deficits, and political influences on wildlife management. Emphasizing the need for cooperation among various organizations, Nadia advocates for concerted efforts to enhance biodiversity and ecological resilience, especially in the Northeast. The episode concludes with practical steps listeners can take to support wildlife conservation efforts.
00:00 Introduction and Overview
00:16 State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs)
02:01 Challenges and Accountability in SWAPs
05:02 Public Engagement and Carnivore Protection
14:43 Coordination and Advocacy Efforts
18:46 Carnivore Recovery in the Northeast
27:07 Public Opinion and Support
29:43 Wildlife Crossings and Connectivity
31:41 How to Get Involved
34:47 Dreaming of a Wilder Future
Extra Credit
- Check out Nadia’s latest article here at Rewilding.org: Mixing and Matching: The Complex Picture of Wild Canid Evolution
Director of Digital Outreach (D.O.D.O.) for The Rewilding Institute
Host and Producer of the Rewilding Earth Podcast
Jack started Rewilding work as Executive Director of Sky Island Alliance in the mid-1990’s, organizing the Sky Island Wildlands Network design, ripping up illegal roads on forest service lands, installing wolf acclimatization pens on Ted Turner’s Ladder Ranch & conducting howling surveys to help make way for the final stage of the Lobo reintroduction program in the Southwest.
Through the years, Jack has worked with Dave Foreman and the Rewilding Gang to further Rewilding initiatives and education.
