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Wildlife Management in the National Parks
Historical
In the Congressional Act of 1916 which created the National Park
Service, preservation of native animal life was clearly specified as one
of the purposes of the parks. A frequently quoted passage of the Act
states "...which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and
historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the
enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave
them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."
In implementing this Act, the newly formed Park Service developed a
philosophy of wildlife protection, which in that era was indeed
the most obvious and immediate need in wildlife conservation. Thus the
parks were established as refuges, the animal populations were protected
from hunting and their habitats were protected from wildfire. For a time
predators were controlled to protect the "good" animals from the "bad"
ones, but this endeavor mercifully ceased in the 1930's. On the whole,
there was little major change in the Park Service practice of wildlife
management during the first 40 years of its existence.
During the same era, the concept of wildlife management evolved
rapidly among other agencies and groups concerned with the production of
wildlife for recreational hunting. It is now an accepted truism that
maintenance of suitable habitat is the key to sustaining animal
populations, and that protection, though it is important, is not of
itself a substitute for habitat. Moreover, habitat is not a fixed or
stable entity that can be set aside and preserved behind a fence, like a
cliff dwelling or a petrified tree. Biotic communities change through
natural stages of succession. They can be changed deliberately through
manipulation of plant and animal populations. In recent years the
National Park Service has broadened its concept of wildlife conservation
to provide for purposeful management of plant and animal communities as
an essential step in preserving wildlife resources "...unimpaired for
the enjoyment of future generations." In a few parks active manipulation
of habitat is being tested, as for example in the Everglades where
controlled burning is now used experimentally to maintain the open
glades and piney woods with their interesting animal and plant life.
Excess populations of grazing ungulates are being controlled in a number
of parks to preserve the forage plants on which the animals depend. The
question already has been posed -- how far should the National Park
Service go in utilizing the tools of management to maintain wildlife
populations?
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