Can "human exclusion zones" in national parks for preserving Wolves and Grizzlies be a good idea?

Question

There are National Preserves in the National Parks where some human activities are permitted. But can it make sense to create "exclusion zones" so no human would be permitted in a certain area, not even scientists or researchers just so Grizzlies and Wolves can have a whole world to themselves ? I know we won't be able to find out how those species are doing, but would there be any benefit ? Has any country ever tried that ?

Answer 1

Creating an exclusion zone void of human influence would be a very difficult, yet possible task to accomplish. There are many methods that could be used to monitor these zones without actually having human access to them. Technology enables us to visually monitor off-site using motion cameras, recording devices and other scientific measures that WILL provide feedback to the state of the population. Other research opportunities could include aerial images or infrared cameras to track population size, grouping and range extension.

I am not currently aware of any countries that have strict exclusion zones, but a quick web search could provide information related to this.

One other thing that comes to mind is the preservation of an exclusion zone in the future. When it comes to environmental policy, it is unfortunately strongly influenced by politics. An administration or party affiliation can give or take protection to or from an area as long as it is not specifically protected under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act or other nationally acclaimed regulation. For this reason, monitoring of an exclusion zone in one way or another is extremely important to provide measurable benefits to ecosystems and continue to support continued protection of these disappearing and rare environments.