Wildlife Management in the National Parks
Summary
The goal of managing the national parks and monuments should be to
preserve, or where necessary to recreate, the ecologic scene as viewed
by the first European visitors. As part of this scene, native species of
wild animals should be present in maximum variety and reasonable
abundance. Protection alone, which has been the core of Park Service
wildlife policy, is not adequate to achieve this goal. Habitat
manipulation is helpful and often essential to restore or maintain
animal numbers. Likewise, populations of the animals themselves must
sometimes be regulated to prevent habitat damage; this is especially
true of ungulates.
Active management aimed at restoration of natural communities of
plants and animals demands skills and knowledge not now in existence. A
greatly expanded research program, oriented to management needs, must be
developed within the National Park Service itself Both research and the
application of management methods should be in the hands of skilled park
personnel.
Insofar as possible, animal populations should be regulated by
predation and other natural means. However, predation cannot be relied
upon to control the populations of larger ungulates, which sometimes
must be reduced artificially.
Most ungulate populations within the parks migrate seasonally
outside the park boundaries where excess numbers can be removed by
public hunting. In such circumstances the National Park Service should
work closely with state fish and game departments and other interested
agencies in conducting the research required for management and in
devising cooperative management programs.
Excess game that does not leave a park must be removed. Trapping and
transplanting has not proven to be a practical method of control, though
it is an appropriate source of breeding stock as needed elsewhere.
Direct removal by killing is the most economical and effective way
of regulating ungulates within a park. Game removal by shooting should
be conducted under the complete jurisdiction of qualified park personnel
and solely for the purpose of reducing animals to preserve park values.
Recreational hunting is an inappropriate and non-conforming use of the
national parks and monuments.
Most game reduction programs can best be accomplished by regular
park employees. But as removal programs increase in size and scope, as
well may happen under better wildlife management, the National Park
Service may find it advantageous to employ or otherwise engage
additional shooters from the general public. No objection to this
procedure is foreseen so long as the selection, training, and
supervision of shooting crews is under rigid control of the Service and
the culling operation is made to conform to primary park goals.
Recreational hunting is a valid and potentially important use of
national recreation areas, which are also under jurisdiction of the
National Park Service. Full development of hunting opportunities on
these areas should be provided by the Service.
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