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Fauna Series No. 2
Part II
Fauna of the National Parks
of the United States
PART II
REPORT CONCERNING WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
IN GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Submitted to the Director of the National Park Service April 18, 1934
Before Grand Canyon became a national park there was extensive cattle grazing up to the south rim of the canyon. Both browse and grass were abundant. Water was present in sufficient amount to provide for game, but was insufficient to provide for domestic stock. Therefore, ponds, or earth tanks, were constructed at various localities over the range, mostly outside of what is now the park. The water impounded in these tanks was utilized by cattle, sheep, horses, burros, and wild game.
During this period of utilization, hunting and range depletion caused a reduction in the number of deer inhabiting the region. When the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park were drawn, they provided only a narrow strip of protected territory along the south rim of the canyon. Outside of this narrow protected strip, deer are still hunted, the range is still utilized by domestic stock, water is caught and retained in the tanks, and salt is provided for domestic stock.
It becomes evident that in order to provide for deer in the park, south of the canyon, compensating measures must be undertaken to restore the wildlife of this limited region to its former independence,
The steps undertaken are these:
1. A 5-wire fence has been constructed along a considerable portion of the south park boundary. The lowest wire averages about 24 inches from the ground—this to exclude unpermitted cattle from the park range and to allow the free passage of deer. It is contemplated that the protection here afforded the range will allow normal range recovery and forage production. It will soon provide better browse for deer within the park than can be found outside.
2. Water holes, or tanks, are being constructed within the park to catch and retain water for deer and other forms of wildlife. It is felt that this is necessary in order that game will not be forced out of the park in the search for water. Eight such tanks have been constructed during the winter of 1933-34 by Civil Works Administration labor, and it is hoped that about 8 more may be finished. The limestone formation of this region is porous; ruin-off is slight, and precipitation is erratic. It is improbable that these tanks will all contain water at the same time, but it is thought that if a sufficient number is constructed there will be certainty of available water for deer and other wildlife within the park. Moreover, these will become places where there is greater probability of park visitors seeing and becoming acquainted with the wildlife of the park.
3. No hunting is allowed within the park.
Such a program has been devised by the administration of Grand Canyon National Park to counteract the encroachment of civilization and to maintain wildlife of the area in its primitive independence.
Additional features of the Grand Canyon wildlife restoration plan are given in the following report.
NEXT> Suggested wildlife management plan for Grand Canyon National Park
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Last Modified: Tues, Feb 1 2000 07:08:48 pm PDT
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