High Tech Wolf Kill

EARTHKEEPING NEWS
A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY

Volume Two, Number Four
March/April 1993

HIGH TECH WOLF KILL RAISES QUESTIONS FOR ALASKA CHURCHES

(Excerpts from a letter by NACCE member Larry Johnson, received in February 1993)

As you may already know, after a threatened boycott by tourists, Alaska's Governor Hickel suspended the planned aerial wolf hunting and scheduled a "Wolf Summit," which brought together the two ends of the spectrum, from "greenies" who disavow any and all predator control, to hunters supporting any technological measure that might enhance population growth of prey. Although only a minimal consensus was reached, it probably was the first time that all elements of this debate listened to one another, and for that, Hickel is to be commended.

In January the policy group in charge of wolf control met and recommended that all aerial wolf control programs for the winter be cancelled and that the Board of Fish and Game rethink their policy, and make new recommendations for June 1993.

As far as I have been able to tell, no denominations, nor individual churches, have taken an official stand. This issue, like many hunting questions, is a highly charged topic. There is an undercurrent of natives versus whites, and rural bush Alaska versus urban Alaska, already inflamed by questions of subsistence hunting and fishing.

Even the native community is split, less by the question of local wolf control, but over the rightness and morality of high tech aerial wolf hunting.

As a biologist and a Christian, I am concerned by several questions. First, since studies have shown wolf populations to be amazingly resilient, I question whether a very costly aerial wolf hunting program is worth it, or cost effective over the long term.

Second, I am bothered by the way this question exemplifies the faulty assumptions we humans often make about God's creation. On the one hand, many environmental groups seem to consider humans as irrelevant to the ecosystems, and to be prone to "worshipping" nature as somehow perfect. They conclude we must never "control" any wild species. But with this viewpoint, it is easy to ignore indirect control via habitat destruction, fire control policy and lumbering.

On the other end of the spectrum we have what I call the "dominion" folks. Often using Genesis 1:26, they believe humans (usually read men ) dominate over all creation. Therefore, if we deem it profitable, for us, to hunt aerially a particular species, there is no ground for dissent.

I believe as Christians we need to speak out forcefully that both of these attitudes are morally bankrupt. The Church especially needs to speak for humans as part of creation, as intimately linked to caribou, to wolves, to habitat, to air and to water. Wondrous as creation is, it is not perfect. Wondrous as humans are, we are neither perfect nor meant to dominate other species. Wolves, caribou and moose each have their own unique, God given abilities which we are to revere. This position does not give any clear cut answer to the issue of wolf control, but it does demand that each of us adopt an attitude of humility both before God, and within creation. Then perhaps we can achieve consensus on responsibly living with creation, rather than above or outside of it.

I feel that, unfortunately, highly charged specific issues such as wolf control distract us from the larger issues of regional pollution, habitat destruction and our failure to connect our calls for personal salvation to salvation for creation. Yours in Christ,

Larry A. Johnson, Fairbanks, Alaska