The author conveys her viewpoint that the scientist, John Hechtel, is concerned about bear conservation by relaying how John says that more information is needed about bears and their behavior to protect them and their habitats.
The author depicts Hechtel's life work as an important part of the effort to protect North American black bears. After describing the potentially controversial aspects of his job (how he tracks and tranquilizes the bears), Quinlan chose to write down a lengthy quote by the scientist himself to explain why he is doing this data-collecting work. This indicates that she shares or supports his concerns about bear preservation, because she conveyed it using Hechtel's own words.
