The History Of Wildlife Conservation and Management In North America. Chapter Objectives

Transcription

1 The History Of Wildlife Conservation and Management In North America Chapter 3 Chapter Objectives Introduction Native Americans And Wildlife Wildlife Rebound Then Decline Market Hunting Leads To Control Efforts A Conservation Movement Begins Preserving Lands For Public Use The Impact Of Clubs and The Media On Conservation 1

2 Chapter Objectives The Roosevelt Era Conservation Efforts Continue Wildlife Research Begins To Support Management FDR And A New Deal For Wildlife WWII And The 1950s Wildlife Becomes Part Of The Environment Chapter Objectives Nixon, The Reluctant Environmentalist The Reagan Era The 21 st Century Beckons Continuing Problems And New Opportunities Lessons Learned Summary 2

3 Introduction Wildlife management in USA is relative to European migration Initial attitudes were formed because of unlimited land, timber, and wildlife with few laws to restrict ambitions Attitude evolved from unrestricted abundance and harvest to regulated management and equitable access North American Model of Wildlife Conservation Native Americans And Wildlife Most Native Americans were hunter-gatherers Some societies had agricultural crops Population estimates vary between 500 K and 5 million Widely varying population densities Human populations moved and disappeared relative to the environment 3

4 Native Americans And Wildlife Native Americans may have had impact on wildlife species 35 genera of mammals and birds disappeared during the 15,000 years before European arrival Hunted wildlife for food Altered habitat for settlements, agriculture, religious structures Burned land to clear it, herd animals, improve visibility Native Americans And Wildlife Large game animals may have been reduced in localized areas Combined with winter die-offs, this could lead to starvation in winter for some societies However, in some areas wildlife was so abundant that waste was common bison jumps, selective eating Some Native Americans believed that bison were supernatural and reincarnated 4

5 Native Americans And Wildlife With arrival of Europeans, diseases reduced Native American populations Livestock were introduced with their diseases Native American populations reduced 74% within 50 years of European arrival This would later rise to 90% reduction Wildlife Rebound Then Decline As Native American populations declined, wildlife rebounded in some areas However, European settlers would soon change that Some laws were introduced to conserve wildlife, though rarely followed European settler populations grew rapidly from about 30K in 1638 to 1.3 million in 1700 and 23 million in

6 Wildlife Rebound Then Decline Impacts included clearing land, domestic livestock, agriculture Discovered that natural resources could be a cash export fish, furs, and feathers By 1650 most beaver gone from east coast; in 1748, South Carolina shipped 160K deer skins to Europe Settlers blamed wildlife decline on predators First closed deer season in 1646 in Rhode Island Wildlife Rebound Then Decline Westward migration reinforced the ideas of unlimited resources Concept of Manifest Destiny USA coast to coast In 1804, Lewis and Clark sent to explore the West Trading posts established to trade goods for hides and meat In 1830, Indian Removal act sends Native Americans to reservations in Oklahoma 6

7 Wildlife Rebound Then Decline Most beaver are gone from the continent About 25 million bison and 10 million pronghorn initially Bison was a superabundant resource for feeding pioneers and railroad workers, export of hides and meat Many killed for only the hide or the tongue By mid-1840s, decline in bison was starting to be noticed Market Hunting Leads To Control Efforts By 1871, 5 million bison killed/year Between 1868 and million bison killed In 1886, a complete census found only 540 bison Key turning point in wildlife conservation Extinction of passenger pigeon also was important In 1813 there were billions of passenger pigeons Last one died in Cincinnati Zoo in

8 Bison Killed ,000,000/13 years = 2,384,615/year 2,384,625/365 days = 6,533/day 6,533/24 hours = 272/hour 272/60 minutes = 4.5/minute All day, every day for 13 years! A Conservation Movement Begins Legal basis In 1842, Supreme Court in Martin v. Waddell oyster harvest case ruled that wildlife and fish belong to all people Initially concerned food supply, but formed legal basis for public ownership of wildlife Laid groundwork for the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation 8

9 A Conservation Movement Begins Public basis Early settlers had little time for recreation Publications by Waldo and Emerson had little impact at the time First recreationists were wealthy Easterners First sportsman s club in 1832 was Carroll s Island Club near Baltimore for waterfowl hunting A Conservation Movement Begins In 1844, New York Sportsmen s Club formed Drafted laws to regulate game and fish harvest Members enforced the laws through civil suits Through late 1800s, hundreds of other sportsmen s clubs are formed with goal of conserving wildlife Laws are difficult to enforce First game warden in 1852 in Maine 9

10 Preserving Lands For Public Use By the 1870s, public was becoming interested in saving wildlands In 1872, Yellowstone was created as first National Park in USA Had little effect on how people behaved US Army assigned to guard the park for 30 years Preserving Lands For Public Use Theodore Roosevelt, was most active president in history of North American conservation In 1887, he formed the Boone and Crocket Club to preserve big game In 1894, Yellowstone Protection Act creates first wildlife refuge in USA John Muir forms the Sierra Club and advocates Yosemite and other national parks 10

11 The Impact Of Clubs and The Media On Conservation Sportsmen s clubs had large influence on the conservation movement in USA Sporting magazines advocated hunting as a fair chase sport The American Academy for the Advancement of Science led the fight for the Forestry Division, later the USFS The AAAS also behind the National Forests The Impact Of Clubs and The Media On Conservation First head of the forest service was Gifford Pinchot Natural resources exist for the benefit of the many, not just the profit of the few Starting in the 1870s, many conservation groups were formed New York Zoological Society, Audubon Society, American Ornithologists Union Had much influence on passing of legislation 11

12 The Impact Of Clubs and The Media On Conservation The Lacy Act, Wild Birds Preservation and Disposition Act first federal wildlife laws Clubs also aided with wildlife restoration First ring-neck pheasants (28) released in Oregon in 1881 Deer restocking in Vermont First schools of forestry started in late-1800s The Roosevelt Era Most active president for natural resources Strong role of federal government Lacy Act passed Reclamation Act of 1902 federally-funded dams Pelican Island 1903 first National Wildlife Refuge National Antiquities Act National Monuments, 51 Refuges, 5 National Parks 12

13 Conservation Efforts Continue Weeks Act 1911 led to creation of National Forests in the East Migratory Bird Treaty first between countries First hunting permit 1913 in Pennsylvania Bounties on predators Kaibab deer herd Preservation vs conservation debate Scientific societies starting forming Wildlife Research Begins To Support Management 1937 Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act Federal excise tax on guns and ammunition Funds collected by the Federal government and distributed to states based on license sales 75% Federal funding 25% State match Funds used for restoration, research, and education 13

14 Wildlife Research Begins To Support Management Aldo Leopold emerges as a leader in wildlife management First professor of game management First textbook Game Management Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act Federal management of migratory species FDR And A New Deal For Wildlife Presidents who followed Roosevelt less supportive Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover Deals were cut to expand settlement of West Railroads, mines, timber, fisheries, and other industries supported Era of less concern with conservation Franklin D. Roosevelt elected in

15 FDR And A New Deal For Wildlife FDR made conservation a national jobs program Civilian Conservation Corps CCC 3 million workers, 800 parks, 193,000 km roads, 1,147 fire towers, reforested 189,000 ha, and more Cooperative Wildlife Research Units established at land grant universities North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conservation Conference FDR And A New Deal For Wildlife Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act federal agencies work together Soil Erosion Service later the Natural Resource Conservation Service Taylor Grazing Act increased grazing management and funding The Wildlife Society formed in

16 WWII And The 1950s Conservation efforts slowed during war years Large increase in outdoor activities following war Hunting revenues almost doubled Wildlife biology was new career A Sand County Almanac published National Parks become popular destinations Wildlife Becomes Part Of The Environment Pollution becomes rallying cry for new environmental awareness Rachel Carson s Silent Spring was published Environmental issues part of politics Sike s Act wildlife management on military lands Wilderness Act Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 16

17 Nixon, The Reluctant Environmentalist Concern over pollution led to issues with predator control Non-target species were killed Some species critically close to extinction Endangered Species Act 1973 Marine Mammal Protection Act National Environmental Policy Act Nixon, The Reluctant Environmentalist 22 April 1970 First Earth Day Formation of many environmental watchdog organizations Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund 1971 Man In The Biosphere program 17

18 The Reagan Era Attempts to dismantle much of the environmental progress from previous administrations Recommended selling National Parks, Monuments, and Forests to balance Federal budget Great public support for laws as they stood Pressure led to expansion of some refuges and programs The Reagan Era Conservation Reserve Program Wetlands Reserve Program Grasslands Reserve Program Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program Environmental Quality Incentive Program All managed by Natural Resources Conservation Service 18

19 The 21 st Century Beckons National Biological Survey created, later became Biological Resources Division of the US Geological Survey Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units Funding for non-game species still lagged State Wildlife Grants Program required comprehensive state management plan to qualify Continuing Problems And New Opportunities Limited land Growing population of humans Increased need for energy and resources Degradation of habitat Increasing human encroachment into wildlife habitat Global climate change 19

20 Continuing Problems And New Opportunities Continued support of wildlands and wildlife as important for quality of life Raised public awareness for adults and kids that a connection to nature is important New technologies being developed to support scientific research satellite tracking, GPS, DNA analysis Some species are increasing deer, turkeys Some T&E species recovering wolves, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, grizzly, American alligator Lessons Learned North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is not perfect, but has worked well Wildlife must remain in the public domain Cooperation at the international and interstate levels is essential Education about nature for the average person is lacking If nature is not understood, it will not be protected 20

21 Summary History of wildlife conservation in USA is based on human migration, changing values, and associated behaviors Wildlife populations were diminished by uncontrolled hunting in our past Laws and public support are needed to effect conservation The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is an evolving model 21