Letter from the Editor

This issue of Human–Wildlife Interactions features a special section highlighting the urban coyote (Canis latrans). The special section is entitled “Cosmopolitan Coyotes,” not because coyotes are present in practically every metropolitan center, city, and town across North America, but more so because I just like using alliteration. In reality, coyotes are on the move, and more and more urban areas are providing them with suitable refugia. Many urban residents are in denial as to the cause, while still trying to get used to their new neighbors and their predatory habits

Special Topic: 50th Anniversary of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971

Human-Wildlife Interactions is interested in publishing papers that synthesize the management, policy, human dimensions, and biological science that have contributed or can contribute to achieving sustainable wild horse and burro (WHB) management in the United States and globally. In particular, we are interested in case studies of local community involvement in WHB management and policy, synthesis of the applications of fertility control in managing WHB populations, public knowledge and perceptions of WHBs and their management, and research evaluating the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of management options to achieve sustainable WHB management. We also encourage letters to the editor that share and describe local experiences in WHB management. The submission deadline for contributing a research article, case study, opinion, commentary, or other manuscript for this special issue is July 1, 2021

\u3cem\u3eCommentary\u3c/em\u3e Human-Wildlife Conflicts: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities

Wildlife management has been defined as the art and science of applying scientific knowledge and ecological principles to manage wildlife populations for human objectives. Historically, wildlife managers have sought to maintain or increase desirable wildlife species (e.g., game fi sh, birds, and mammals) to meet human food and recreational needs by directly manipulating their habitats or the populations themselves. However, many contemporary rural and urban environments are inhabited by much larger populations of wildlife than were present a century ago. As local wildlife populations increase, so can the damage caused by them. Additionally, because many rare species inhabit private lands, the potential exists for increased land-use regulatory conflicts. Thus, public concerns regarding negative experiences associated with overabundant and nuisance species of wildlife are increasing. If wildlife management is to grow as a profession, managers may need to change their traditional emphasis from that of managing to sustain or increase populations to one of mitigating conflicts. Increased agency emphasis on managing human–wildlife conflicts may afford wildlife management professionals a new forum to engage the widest range of stakeholders in conservation. To make this transition, wildlife managers will need better information about how and why human–wildlife conflicts occur, the magnitude and type of damage occurring, the techniques to manage challenges posed by locally overabundant or rare wildlife populations, and the communication strategies that can be implemented to more effectively involve the capacity of local governance in seeking viable solutions

Berryman Institute Awards and Scholarships

Applications are being accepted for professional awards and undergraduate student scholarships provided by the Berryman Institute

Prophet

This is the letter from the editor-in-chief

Call for Papers

The vast majority of wildlife species provide a net benefit to society; thus, the problems that wildlife often create for humans are overshadowed by the many benefits they provide. However, the rapid expansion of global urban and rural development is increasing opportunities for wildlife to forage and become dependent on anthropogenic resources. This co-existence and subsequent dependency has contributed to increased human–wildlife conflicts, which can involve larger charismatic mega-fauna such as bears (Ursus spp.) to smaller microscopic species. Human–bear conflicts probably have occurred since humans first inhabited the planet. Although bears have substantial ecological, aesthetic, and economic value, bears using urban areas and the urban–rural interface are often perceived as being urban or not, with some individuals removed in the belief that dependency on anthropogenic resources is irreversible and can lead to increased human– wildlife conflict. For many bear populations, little is known about the degree of bear urbanization and its ecological mechanisms to guide the management of human–bear conflicts

Rebuttals, Retractions, and the Peer-Review Process: Clarifying HWI Policies

In this Back Page article, Human-Wildlife Interactions Editor-in-Chief Terry Messmer addresses the journal\u27s peer-review process as well as an ethical approach to rebuttals, commentaries, and retractions of published work. This level of transparency is essential to ensure scientific rigor in scholarly publishing

The Back Page: Management or Emotions - What Do the People Think?

Over the last several months, I have participated on a national steering committee that organized and conducted the National Wild Horse and Burro (WHB) Summit. The Summit was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 22–24, 2017. My role was to put together a program that reviewed the role of science in WHB policies and management. The program was designed to inform and educate an audience that expressed an interest in WHB management and a concern that status quo management wasn’t working. Attendees represented a wide and diverse audience of \u3e100 groups, organizations, and agencies, including representatives of horse advocacy groups

For the Want of a Horse the Rider Was Lost

This is the editors commentar

New Associate Editors

New associate editors for special topic submissions include Aaron B. Shiels, Shane R. Siers, and Marco Restani