The “How Wolves Changed Rivers” story became environmental gospel. One problem: the science doesn’t actually support it. Colorado State researchers examined 20 YEARS of wolf recovery inYellowstone and the results are clear: wolves are not the magical cure all they are made out to be. The trophic cascade theory? Oversimplified at best, misleading at worst. Here’s what ACTUALLY matters: SCIENCE-BASED MANAGEMENT WITH HUMANS IN THE ECOSYSTEM While Yellowstone’s hands-off approach failed, Montana’s a