Wolves, ecosystem intertwine

Brian McInerney (March 10 letters) asked the question, “Why did our forefathers eradicate wolves in the first place?” Perhaps for the same reason they decimated the enormous herds of bison, destroyed the culture, families, and religions of the native people, dishonored the treaties with those same native people, nearly wiped out the vast redwood forests in California and Oregon, trapped out vast areas of fur-bearing animals, built a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite, routed the grizzly bear population when white people first came to this country.

I could go on but there are space limitations here. He asks why. Because of greed and the inability of too many Americans to handle competition from other predators or other cultures. Our forefathers also thought a lot of slavery and fought the right for women to vote.

I would hope that we have learned how species and ecosystems intertwine and benefit from each other since the wolves were eradicated. One more thing: Changing habitats, poaching and the carnage on our roads and highways have far more affect on wildlife than wolves.

Pat Thompson

Colville