After famed Yellowstone wolf biologist retires regional experts reflect on his impact

Although Doug Smith, the recently retired wolf biologist for Yellowstone National Park, never worked in Washington State, his influence is felt here according to regional wolf experts.

“What we know about wolf reintroduction and translocation, it came from Yellowstone,” said Julia Smith, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wolf policy lead.

Smith never worked with Smith but called Smith’s work with wolves “seminal foundational” research.

Not to mention the introduction of wolves in Yellowstone contributed to wolves naturally returning to Washington. 

Of course there are differences, Smith said. 

“The wolf folks who work in National Parks, it’s not like they are entirely insulated (from politics),” she said. “They certainly deal with politics. But it is far different than a job like mine.”

That mirrors the difference in environment. Washington is a “working” human dominated landscape. Yellowstone is not. That means that the human aspect has to be considered more. 

That difference also impacts the science meaning that lessons learned in Yellowstone aren’t always applicable to Washington.

“That’s why we always say you can’t take what happens in Yellowstone and apply it blindly,” she said. “Ecosystems are different depending on who the players are.”

Which doesn’t mean Smith didn’t provide a valuable foundation for regional wolf work, said David Ausband, a wolf researcher at the University of Idaho who has worked with Smith.

“Yeah it’s different, from say Idaho, a quite human dominated system,” he said. “But it’s not the moon. It still gives us a baseline of this is what wolves do to elk (for example).”