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Fauna Series No. 2
Part II
Fauna of the National Parks
of the United States
PART II
REPORT CONCERNING PROPOSED GUADALUPE EXTENSION
OF THE CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK
Submitted to the Director of the National Park Service April 19, 1934
NOTE.—An encouraging progress has been made by the National Park Service in pursuing the extension of Carlsbad Caverns National Park with the ultimate goal to include a portion of the Guadalupe Mountains. Wildlife possibilities for the proposed Guadalupe extension were discussed in the previous volume of Fauna.1 It is to be remembered that American Wapiti (Cervus canadensis canadensis) have been introduced into the Guadalupes within recent years to replace the extinct Arizona Wapiti (Cervus merriami). This project was investigated by the Wildlife Division in March 1934. The following report is given to indicate the unfortunate results of this type of exotic transplant.
April 1 to 4, inclusive I spent at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Two trips were made in company with Ranger Perry Convis into the Guadalupe Mountains. On April 2 we drove and hiked over the Queen's Mesa, which lies mainly northwest of the caverns. On April 3 we went into McKittrick Canyon in the Guadalupes south of the caverns.
Inasmuch as a report has been sent from this office under date of October 30, 1931, outlining characteristic wildlife of the region and its possibilities as a national park, no detailed report of fauna and flora is submitted herewith. In general, however, my recommendations are these:
(1) It still seems desirable to add to Carlsbad Caverns National Park the eastern portion of the Guadalupe Mountains, extending rom the caverns and Rattlesnake Canyon south to and including El Capitan, the southernmost peak of the range in Texas. Perhaps Dark Canyon drainage could form the western extension of the proposed addition.
The territory lying northwest of the area just bounded is utilized extensively for grazing purposes and is hardly suitable for national-park purposes. The eastern boundary should follow close to the foot of the mountains, in order to escape competition with local grazing which extends practically to the east foot of the escarpment.
(2) McKittrick Canyon, in Texas, is the most scenic of the canyons, cutting into the eastern face of the Guadalupes. Its vegetation cover, ranging from the Agave types of the Lower Sonoran zone to the Douglas fir and yellow pine of the Transition zone, presents a splendid variety of habitat for native wildlife. Most of these canyons, but notably McKittrick, contain ample water for wildlife. McKittrick has a running stream of clear, cold, mountain water well stocked with rainbow trout. It is thought that the hiking and camping features which could be developed in these canyons would be a great inducement to visitors to the Carlsbad region. Moreover, the mountains present possibilities for an unusual wildlife preserve.
(3) A few years ago Canadian elk were introduced into McKittrick Canyon; they now number approximately 60. It was thought at the time that their introduction would be desirable to fill the place left vacant by the extermination of the Merriam elk. It becomes evident, however, that this more northern species of elk is as truly exotic as any transplant might well be. It tends to inhabit the slopes of the canyon nearest the stream bed to the destruction of the native and extremely picturesque vegetation. Because of this maladjustment and the destruction of the choicest section of the canyon—which seems inevitable with further increase of elk—it is recommended that the elk be either greatly reduced or extirpated entirely, if this area becomes a national park.
1 Fauna of the National Parks of the United States, by George M. Wright, Joseph S. Dixon, and Ben H. Thompson. contribution of Wildlife Survey, Fauna Series No. 1, Government Printing Office, 1932, pp. 87-91.
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