A comparison of opinions of wildlife managers and the public on endangered species management

We conducted a census of wildlife managers for the Maine Department of inland Fisheries and Wildlife and a sample of Maine heads of households to determine whether wildlife managers' opinions on endangered species management differed from those of the public. Managers are not representative of the general public in demographic characteristics, in their pursuit of wildlife-related activities, or in their opinions on management of endangered species. Differences in knowledge of wildlife management arise in part from differences in formal education and as a result of access to wildlife management information. However, managers should not assume that educating the public will automatically bring public opinion into agreement with their own. Superior knowledge of wildlife management does not always override public opinion. Wildlife is an avocation, as well as a vocation, for many managers, and this suggests a fundamental difference between wildlife managers and the public. Moreover, managers demonstrate significant dissent among themselves when asked to select a preferred management goal for endangered species.