Wolves And The Wildlife Trust Doctrine

Who owns wildlife? It's a difficult question to answer--one that is affected by many aspects of culture, including philosophy, religion, politics, and judicial system. The ancient Romans had an opinion on the matter, and this influenced first English common law and, later, judicial practices in the U.S. In modern American law, the Roman philosophy is known as the "wildlife trust doctrine," the idea that wildlife has no owners at all, and therefore belongs to all citizens equally. As a result, states have a "sovereign trust obligation" to ensure that wildlife resources are protected and managed responsibly, not just for the benefit of current citizens, but also over the long term. read more

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