White Goats, White Lies · the Abuse of Science in Olympic National Park

Although mountain goats are native to the Cascade range, they do not appear to have been present in Washington states's Olympic Mountains during historic times. Wildlife managers introduced goats in small numbers in what soon became Olympic National Park in 1925 and sporadically thereafter for the next twenty years. According to a 1981 statement by the National Park Service, the mountain goats in Olympic National Park "appear to be significantly altering the alpine ecosystem the park was designed to protect and preserve. As a result, park managers have argued that the goats must be eradicated." An eradication program has been in place for several years now. White Goats, White Lies does not argue for or against eradication of "exotics" in Olympic and other national parks. Rather it examines the science used to justify the current park position and questions the extent to which science is an afterthought in national park decisions.