Dr. Mark Elbroch

They will cross these highways, even with heavy traffic loads.

And that's what ensures the genetic health of all mountain lions scattered across an area with highways in it.

Because they'll go across the highway and carry with them genetic material into those mountain lions that live on the other side.

And so a landscape like New England, no problem at all.

And you need very few crossings to really maintain genetic health.

I mean, that's one of the revelations in the last 10 years in terms of mountain lions is that a single animal that crosses a highway into a new population is enough to really bolster the genetic health of that population.

Well, for this species, it's all about public outreach, education, and political will.

And the team that I work with, which we loosely call ourselves the Cougar Research Collaborative, has already done public surveys at the state level.

What's been very clear is that across the east that we've sampled, people are supportive of the reintroduction of mountain lions.

People are supportive regardless of their political affiliation or how they identify as a hunter or whether they call themselves a conservative.

I mean, all of these things, even across age groups.

So we feel like that part has been quite well addressed.

Now, could we broaden the net?

Could we reach out to every different group that might be called a special interest group?

to check in with them if they would support such an initiative?

Yes.

And that actually is generally what happens during a feasibility assessment.

And that's what Vermont proposed to do.

So that's one part.

Political will is the other thing you brought up.