Transcript History of Wildlife Conservation

History of
Wildlife
Conservation
• First practiced in England
during the Middle Ages
• Ignored by European settlers
to the United States due to
the abundance of trees,
water and wildlife
• George Washington was first
to voice concern about
environment
Wasteful Exploitation
-making unwise use of resources
killing too much game and cutting too
many trees without using it
-Late 1800’s opinions began changing due
to the reduced animal populations
-1870 the first game refuge was created in
California
-1872 land was set aside to create
Yellowstone National Park
1916-National Park Service
established
1900-Congress passed the
Game Bird and Wild Bird
Preservation Act (Lacey Act)
which regulated the
shipment of illegally killed
animals; helpful to states in
enforcing laws
1934-Migratory Bird Hunting
Stamp Act passed that
obligated all waterfowl
hunters to buy a $1 hunting
stamp in addition to the cost
of the license; funds used to
promote the well-being of
migratory game birds
1937-Pittman-Robertson Act
passed that placed excise tax
on all hunting equipment
and ammunition; funds used
to support state wildlife
management programs
1966-Endangered Species Act
passed
-protected endangered and
threatened wildlife species
-money provided to identify
rare, threatened or
endangered species & to
manage populations to
increase numbers
1966-Wildlife Refuge System
organized as a part of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service
Selected Federal Actions to
Protect Wildlife
1903-1st wildlife refuge established in
Florida; Pelican Island Refuge
1913-Weeks-McClean Act; protected
migratory waterfowl and song birds from
being hunted during closed season
1918-Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act;
initiated federal involvement in wildlife
management 1940-Bald Eagle Act;
protected bald eagle
1940-Fish & Wildlife Service formed;
consolidated efforts in wildlife
conservation
1950-Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act;
tax added to fishing tackle to fund
research
1964-The Land & Water Conservation Act;
created fund to buy land & water having
scenic & recreational value to protect
endangered species
1964-Wildernss Act; set up wilderness
preservation system to keep some areas
untarnished
1971-Wild Free-roaming Horse & Burro Act;
protected burros and horses on publicly
owned land
1972-Marine Mammal Protection Act;
limited killing dolphins to 112,000/year
1973-Endangered Species Act; provided a
comprehensive plan to protect endangered
and threatened species
1985-Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
established; provided for areas of wildlife
habitat on farms near crops
Leaders in Wildlife
Conservation
James Audubon-studied and painted birds
of North America; American Audubon
Society formed in 1905 named for him
John Muir-founded the Sierra Club in 1892
to promote conservation
Theodore Roosevelt-U.S. President from
1901-1909; expanded the U.S. Forest
Service; set up 5 national parks, 18
national monuments & 51 bird
reservations; generally considered the
father of the conservation movement in
the United States
Gifford Pinchot-promoted the conservation
of forest lands; generally considered the
father of forestry in the United States
Aldo Leopold-a pioneer in applying ecology
to wildlife management; demonstrated the
role of hunting and its impact on wildlife
populations
Examples of Wildlife
Management
• Banding-placing bands around the legs of
birds to identify it for study; information
used to determine migratory routes, set
annual hunting regulations & ensure bird
populations are maintained at high levels
• Trapping & transplanting-used to
introduce species to lower population
areas (White tailed deer)
• Land Management-used to provide secure
habitat for species that require specially
protected areas
• Wildlife population survey-counting the
number of wildlife in an area; gives
information about the relative abundance
of a particular species
• Implementation of regulations-based on
information on wildlife numbers and
conditions; made by government agencies,
helps determine season bag limits
Wildlife Productivity
• The rate at which mature wildlife
organisms are produced
Game management uses strategies that
consider animal populations and
productivity impacted by natural causes,
hunting, introduced predators and habitat
modifications
Non-regulated hunting can have devastating
impacts on wildlife.