BY KAREN BOSSICK
Jeff Martin is a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography at the University of California-Berkeley.
But when it came time to do his dissertation, he headed to Sun Valley to study...wolves.
Martin will present some of his findings gathered since 2015 during a free lecture at 6 tonight—Thursday, Aug. 24—at Ketchum’s Community Library.
The program, “Conflict and Coexistence: Wolves, Sheep and Land Use Politics in Central Idaho,” is the culmination of oral histories he studied at Community Library’s Regional History Department, conversations with government officials and the leaders of environmental organizations and historical maps.
He used qualitative methods—ethnographic and historic—to speak to broader political and economic concerns around public lands governance, urban-rural divides and risk and adaptation.
“The wolf question in the West is a bit complicated. There’s a lot of polarization. It’s a thing no one can get a handle on,” said Martin.
Martin started off by looking at the Wolf Project, which reintroduced wolves into Yellowstone National Park and Idaho. A lot has been done on the wolves in Yellowstone, he said. Little has been done on wolves in Idaho.
Martin learned more about the use of public lands than he ever expected to learn, as well as a lot about livestock.
“While polarizing, there is potential for co-existence between the Old West and the New West, between those who care for livestock, those who deal with wildlife and others,” he said.
Martin was especially taken with the writings of Miriam Breckenridge, who had the Breckinridge Sheep ranch north of Ketchum.
“She was passionate about the history of this area,” said Martin. “Also helpful was Diane Josephy Peavey, and other wives of sheep operators. They’ve documented things, making sure we don’t forget.”