105,167 research outputs found
National fish, wildlife and plants climate adaptation strategy
No full textThe purpose of the National Fish, Wildlife and
Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is to inspire
and enable natural resource administrators,
elected officials, and other decision makers
to take action to adapt to a changing climate.
Adaptation actions are vital to sustaining the
nation’s ecosystems and natural resources—
as well as the human uses and values that
the natural world provides.http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/pdf/NFWPCAS-Final.pdfNational Fish, Wildlife and Plants
Climate Adaptation Strategy
Recommended citationNational Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Partnership.
2012.
National Fish, Wildlife and Plants
Climate Adaptation Strategy.Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies,
Council on Environmental Quality, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Washington, DC.
Cover credits: Children in woods, Steve
Hillebrand. Horse-eye jacks, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. Painted Hills,
Jane Pellicciotto. Pelican, George Andrejko/
Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Design and layout: Jane Pellicciotto/
Allegro DesignThis publication is printed on FSC-certified
paper in the United States.
ISBN: 978-1-938956-00-3
DOI : 10.3996/082012-FWSReport-1
wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov
about this report
This report was produced by an inter-
governmental working group of federal, state,
and tribal agency representatives at the
request of the U.S. Government. Therefore,
the report is in the public domain. Some
materials used in the report are copyrighted
and permission was granted to the U.S.
Government for their publication in this
report. For subsequent uses that include
such copyrighted materials, permission
for reproduction must be sought from the
copyright holder. In all cases, credit must be
given for copyrighted materials.
For more information, contact:Mark Shaff er
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
[email protected]
703-358-2603
Roger Griff is
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[email protected]
301-427-8134
ARPITA ITA CHOUDHURY
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
[email protected]
202-624-5853
DI SCLAIME R
This Strategy is not a final agency action
subject to judicial review, nor is it considered a
rule. Nothing in this report is meant to affect
the substantive or legal rights of third parties
or bind government agencies.
Photo cr editscover: Children in woods , Steve Hill ebr and.
Horse-eye jac ks, National Oc eanic and Atmosph eric
Administration. Painted Hills, Jane Pell icc iotto.
Pelican , Georg e Andrejko/Ar izona Game and
Fish Department
acknowl edgement
This Strategy was produced by an
intergovernmental working group of federal,
state and tribal agency professionals whose
expertise, knowledge and dedication brought
the report to completion (see Appendix E). The
Strategy would not have been possible without
the research, monitoring and assessment
activities of the nation’s scientific community
on natural resource conservation in a changing
climate. The Strategy also benefited greatly
from input from a variety of non-governmental
organizations and the public.National Fish, Wildlife and Plants
Climate Adaptation Strategy
authors
National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate
Adaptation Partnershipii | National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Inside
Preface 1
Executive Summary 2
CH.1 About the 7
Strategy
1.1 A Broad National Effort 7
1.2 Origins and Development 8
1.3 The Case for Action 9
1.3.1 The Climate is Changing 9
1.3.2 Impacts to Fish, Wildlife, 11
and Plants
1.3.3 Ecosystem Services 12
1.3.4 Adaptation to Climate Change 14
1.4 Purpose, Vision, and 17
Guiding Principles
1.5 Risk and Uncertainty 18
CH.2 Impacts of 19
Climate Change &
Ocean Acidification
2.1 GHG-induced Changes 19
to the Climate and Ocean
2.2 Existing Stressors on Fish, 21
Wildlife, and Plants
2.3 Climate Change Impacts 25
on Fish, Wildlife, and Plants
2.3.1 Forest Ecosystems 31
2.3.2 Shrubland Ecosystems 33
2.3.3 Grassland Ecosystems 33
2.3.4 Desert Ecosystems 34
2.3.5 Arctic Tundra Ecosystems 36
2.3.6 Inland Water Ecosystems 39
2.3.7 Coastal Ecosystems 42
2.3.8 Marine Ecosystems 47
2.4 Impacts on Ecosystem 51
ServicesThe purpose of the National Fish, Wildlife and
Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is to inspire
and enable natural resource administrators, elected officials, and other decision makers
to take action to adapt to a changing climate.
Adaptation actions are vital to sustaining the nation’s ecosystems and natural resources —
as well as the human uses and values that
the natural world provides.g
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Resources 93
Literature Cited 93
Appendix A: 103
Supporting MaterialsEcosystem-Specific Background Papers 103
Related Resources, Reports, and 103
Materials
Appendix B: Glossary 105
Appendix C: Acronyms 108
Appendix D: Scientific Names 109
Appendix E: Team Members 110
CH.3 Climate 53
Adaptation Goals,
Strategies & Actions
GOAL 1: Conserve habitat to support 55
healthy fish, wildlife, and plant
populations and ecosystem functions
in a changing climate.
GOAL 2: Manage species and habitats 60
to protect ecosystem functions and
provide sustainable cultural, subsistence,
recreational, and commercial use in
a changing climate.
GOAL 3: Enhance capacity for effective 63
management in a changing climate.
GOAL 4: Support adaptive 67
management in a changing climate
through integrated observation and
monitoring and use of decision
support tools.
GOAL 5: Increase knowledge and 71
information on impacts and responses
of fish, wildlife, and plants to a changing
climate.
GOAL 6: Increase awareness and 74
motivate action to safeguard fish,
wildlife, and plants in a changing climate.
GOAL 7: Reduce non-climate stressors 76
to help fish, wildlife, plants, and
ecosystems adapt to a changing climate.
CH.4 Opportunities 79
for Multiple Sectors
4.1 Agriculture 81
4.2 Energy 83
4.3 Housing and Urbanization 84
4.4 Transportation and 86
Infrastructure
4.5 Water Resources 86
CH.5 Integration & 88
Implementation
5.1 Strategy Integration 88
5.2 Strategy Implementation 90
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vation6 | National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Our climate is changing, and these changes
are already impacting the nation’svaluable
natural resources and the people, communities,
and economies that depend on them.
PrefacePreface | 1
that can be taken, or at least initiated,
over the next !ve to ten years in the
context of the changes to our climate that
are already occurring, and those that are
projected by the end of the century. It is
designed to be a key part of the nation’s
larger response to a changing climate,
and to guide responsible actions by
natural resource managers, conservation
partners, and other decision makers at
all levels. "e Strategy was produced by
federal, state, and tribal representatives
and has been coordinated with a variety
of other climate change adaptation e#orts
at national, state, and tribal levels.
The overarching goal of the
Strategy is a simple one:
to inspire, enable, and increase
meaningful action that helps
safeguard the nation’s natural
resources in a changing climate.
"e overarching goal of the Strategy
is a simple one: to inspire, enable, and
increase meaningful action that helps
safeguard the nation’s natural resources
in a changing climate. Admittedly, the
task ahead is a daunting one, especially if
the world fails to make serious e#orts to
reduce emissions of GHGs. But we can
make a di#erence. To do that, we must
begin now to prepare for a future unlike
the recent past.
The observed changes in climate have
been attributed to the increasing
levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmo-sphere, which have set in motion a series
of changes in the planet’s climate system.
Far greater changes are inevitable not
only because emissions will continue, but
also because CO2 stays in the atmosphere
for a long time. Even if further GHG
emissions were halted today, alterations
already underway in the Earth’s climate
will last for hundreds or thousands of
years. If GHG emissions continue, as is
currently more likely, the planet’s average
temperature is projected to rise by 2.0
to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of
the century, with accompanying major
changes in extreme weather events,
variable and/or inconsistent weather
patterns, sea level rise, and changing
ocean conditions including increased
acidi!cation.
Safeguarding our valuable living
resources in a changing climate for
current and future generations is a
serious and urgent problem. Addressing
the problem requires action now to
understand current impacts, assess future
risks, and prepare for and adapt to a
changing climate. "is National Fish,
Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation
Strategy (herea$er Strategy) is a call to
action–a framework for e#ective steps
These impacts are expected to increase with continued changes in the
planet’s climate system, putting many of the nation’s valuable natural resources
at risk. Action is needed now to reduce these impacts (including reducing the
drivers of climate change) and help sustain the natural resources and services
the nation depends on.
Because the development of this adapta-tion
Strategy will only be worthwhile if it
leads to meaningful action, it is directly
aimed at several key groups: natural
resource management agency leaders and
sta# (federal, state, and tribal); elected
o%cials in both executive and legisla-tive government branches (federal, state,
local, and tribal); leaders in industries
that depend on and can impact natural
resources, such as agriculture, forestry,
and recreation; and private landowners,
whose role is crucial because they own
more than 70 percent of the land in the
United States.
"e Strategy should also be useful for
decision makers in sectors that a#ect
natural resources (such as agriculture,
energy, urban development, transporta-tion, and water resource management),
for conservation partners, for educators,
and for the interested public, whose input
and decisions will have major impacts on
safeguarding the nation’s living resources
in the face of climate change. "e Strategy
also should be useful to those in other
countries dealing with these same issues
and those dealing with the international
dimensions of climate adaptation.
USFWS
2 | National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
Executive Summary
Fish, wildlife, and plants provide jobs, food, clean
water, storm protection, health benefits and many other important ecosystem services that support people, communities and economies across the nation every day. The observed changes in the climate are already impacting these valuable resources and systems. These impacts are expected to increase with continued changes in the planet’s climate system.
Action is needed now to help safeguard these natural resources and the communities and economies that depend on them.
Measurements unequivocally show
that average surface air tempera-tures in the United States have risen two
degrees Fahrenheit (°F) over the last
50 years. The science strongly supports
the finding that the underlying cause
of these changes is the accumulation of
heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) and
other greenhouse gases (GHG) in the
atmosphere. If GHG emissions continue
unabated, the planet’s average tempera-ture is projected to rise by an additional
2.0 to 11.5 °F by the end of the century,
with accompanying increases in extreme
weather events, variable and/or incon-sistent weather patterns, sea levels and
other factors with significant impacts
on natural environments and the vital
services they provide.
Faced with a future climate that will
be unlike that of the recent past, the
nation has the opportunity to act now
to reduce the impacts of climate change
on its valuable natural resources and
resource-dependent communities and
businesses. Preparing for and addressing
these changes in the near term can help
increase the efficiency and effectiveness
of actions to reduce negative impacts
and take advantage of potential benefits
from a changing climate (climate adap-tation). In 2009, Congress recognized
the need for a national government-
“...develop a national,
government-wide strategy to
address climate impacts on fish,
wildlife, plants, and associated
ecological processes.”
—Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Ag encies Appr opr iations Ac t, 2010g
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Executive Summary | 3
and other decision makers to take
effective steps towards climate change
adaptation over the next five to ten years.
Federal, state, and tribal governments
and conservation partners are encour-aged to read the Strategy in its entirety
to identify intersections between the
document and their mission areas and
activities.
The Strategy is guided by nine principles.
These principles include collaborating
across all levels of government, working
with non-government entities such as
private landowners and other sectors like
agriculture and energy, and engaging the
public. It is also important to use the best
available science—and to identify where
science and management capabilities
must be improved or enhanced. When
adaptation steps are taken, it is crucial
to carefully monitor actual outcomes in
order to adjust future actions to make
them more effective, an iterative process
called adaptive management. We must
also link efforts within the U.S. with
wide climate adaptation strategy for fish,
wildlife, plants, and ecosystems, asking
the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) and the U.S. Department of the
Interior (DOI) to develop such a strategy.
CEQ and DOI responded by assembling
an unprecedented partnership of federal,
state, and tribal fish and wildlife conser-vation agencies to draft the document.
More than 90 diverse technical, scientific,
and management experts from across the
country participated in drafting the
technical content of the document.
The result is The National Fish, Wildlife
and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
(hereafter Strategy). The Strategy is the
first joint effort of three levels of govern-ment (federal, state, and tribal) that have
primary authority and responsibility for
the living resources of the United States
to identify what must be done to help
these resources become more resilient,
adapt to, and survive a warming climate.
It is designed to inspire and enable
natural resource managers, legislators,
efforts internationally to build resil-ience and adaptation for species that
migrate and depend on areas beyond
U.S. borders. Finally, given the size and
urgency of the challenge, we must begin
acting now.
Climate Change
Impacts on Natural
Systems
The Strategy details the current and
expected future impacts of climate
change on the eight major ecosystem
types in the United States (Chapter 2).
For example, warmer temperatures
and changing precipitation patterns are
expected to cause more fires and more
pest outbreaks, such as the mountain
pine beetle epidemic in western forests,
while some types of forests will displace
what is now tundra. Grasslands and
shrublands are likely to be invaded by
non-native species and suffer wetland
losses from drier conditions, which
would decrease nesting habitat for water-fowl. Deserts are expected to get hotter
and drier, accelerating existing declines
in species like the Saguaro cactus.
Climate change is expected to be
especially dramatic in the Arctic.
Temperature increases in northern
Alaska would change tussock tundra
into shrublands, leading to increased fire
risk. In addition, the thawing of frozen
organic material in soils would release
huge amounts of GHGs, contributing to
climate change. In coastal and marine
areas, the loss of sea ice and changing
ocean conditions are threatening key
species such as walrus, ice seals and polar
bears as well as the lifestyles and subsis-tence economics of indigenous peoples.
Global annual
average
temperature from
1901–2000,
indicating a
clear long-term
global warming
trend. Orange
bars indicate
temperatures
above and blue
bars indicate
temperatures
below the average.
The black line
shows atmospheric
carbon dioxide
(CO2) concentration
in parts per
million (ppm).
58.5°F
280
300
320
340
360
380
400
260
58.0°F
57.5°F
57.0°F
56.5°F
CO2 CONCENTRATION (PPM)
1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
Global Temperature and Carbon Dioxidesource: us gcrp 2009. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.
4 | National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
areas (including refugia and corridors
of habitat that allow species to migrate),
and areas where habitat restoration can
promote resiliency and adaptation of
species and ecosystem functions.
In addition to traditional habitat restora-tion and protection efforts, this Strategy
envisions innovative opportunities for
creating additional habitat. For example,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) works with farmers and ranchers
to cost-share conservation practices that
benefit at-risk, threatened, or endan-gered species, such as the lesser prairie
chicken. These efforts may be useful in
responding to climate change as well as
other existing conservation challenges.
Similarly, adjusting rice farming practices
in Louisiana could provide valuable new
resources for a variety of waterfowl and
shorebirds whose habitat is now disap-pearing because of wetland loss and sea
level rise.
It is also possible to use applied manage-ment to make habitats and species
more resistant to climate change so
they continue to provide sustainable
cultural, subsistence, recreational, and
commercial uses. For example, managing
stream corridors to preserve functional
processes and reconnect channels with
well-vegetated floodplains may help
to ensure a steady supply of ground-water recharge that maintains coldwater
species even when air temperatures rise.
Floodplains serve as vital hydrologic
capacitors, and may become even more
important in many parts of the country
as more precipitation falls as rain instead
of snow. Protecting and restoring stream
habitats to maintain more narrow and
deep stream beds and riparian shade
cover can also help keep water tempera-tures cool in a warming climate.
Climate Change
Adaptation Strategies
and Actions
The Strategy describes steps that can
be taken to address these impacts and
help conserve ecosystems and make them
more resilient (Chapter 3). Proposed
strategies and actions along with check-lists to monitor progress are organized
under seven major goals in the Strategy:
1 |
Conserve and connect habitat
2 |
Manage species and habitats
3 |
Enhance management capacity
4 |
Support adaptive management
5 |
Increase knowledge and information
6 |
Increase awareness and motivate action
7 |
Reduce non-climate stressors
Many proposed actions describe types of
conservation activities that management
agencies have traditionally undertaken
but that will continue to be useful in a
period of climate change. Other actions
are designed specifically to respond to
the new challenges posed by climate
change.
An extremely important approach for
helping fish, wildlife, and plants adapt
to climate change is conserving enough
suitable habitat to sustain diverse and
healthy populations. Many wildlife
refuges and habitats could lose some of
their original values, as the plants and
animals they safeguard are forced to
move into more hospitable climes. As a
result, there is an urgent need to identify
the best candidates for new conservation
Rivers, streams, and lakes face higher
temperatures that harm coldwater
species like salmon and trout, while sea
level rise threatens coastal marshes and
beaches, which are crucial habitats for
many species, such as the diamondback
terrapin and the piping plover.
Since water can absorb CO2 from the air,
the rising levels of the gas in the atmo-sphere and accompanying absorption
into the oceans have caused ocean waters
to become 30 percent more acidic since
1750. Acidification is already affecting
the reproduction of organisms such as
oysters. As the pH of seawater continues
to drop, major impacts on aquatic ecosys-tems and species are expected.
Executive Summary
Loss of arctic ice means loss of valuable
habitat for many marine species.
USFWS/Joel
G
arlich-
M
iller
Executive Summary | 5
of ecosystem services provided by well-
functioning ecosystems also are needed.
For example, there may be fewer salmon
for commercial and recreational harvest,
as well as for traditional ceremonial and
cultural practices of indigenous peoples.
Adaptation efforts will be most successful
if they have broad support and if key
groups are motivated to take action
themselves. Efforts to increase aware-ness and motivate action should be
targeted toward elected officials, public
and private decision makers, groups that
are interested in learning more about
climate change, private landowners, and
natural resource user groups. Engaging
these stakeholders early and repeatedly to
increase awareness of climate change, to
develop integrated adaptation responses,
and to motivate their participation is key
to making this Strategy work.
Reducing existing stressors on fish, wild-life, and plants may be one of the most
effective, and doable, ways to increase
resilience to climate change. Many
existing non-climate stressors may be
exacerbated by climate change. In partic-ular, avoiding, reducing and addressing
the ongoing habitat degradation (e.g.,
pollution, loss of open space) associ-ated with human development is critical
and requires collaboration with land-use
planners and private land owners. Taking
steps to reduce stressors not related to
climate, such as fig
Celebrating the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program: 75 years of conservation and partnership success
No full textSeventy-five years of successful
wildlife management is the
remarkable legacy of the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife
Restoration Act, and the cause
of our 75th celebration. Along
with the Dingell-Johnson Sport
Fish Restoration Act, it is the
foundation of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s (USFWS)
Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Program (WSFR)
and a cornerstone of the North
American model of fish and
wildlife management – a model
venerated for its principles,
celebrated for its performance,
and embraced for its promise
for the future. The two Acts
mark the triumph of American
conservation, founded on public
ownership of wildlife, reliance on
partnerships, and commitment
to preserve our natural heritage.U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
75 years of Conservation and Partnership Success
Celebrating the Wildlife and
Sport Fish Restoration Program
ii Celebrating the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program
Foreword
In the middle of the Great
Depression in 1937, America faced
an unprecedented environmental
crisis. The Dust Bowl afflicted
much of the nation’s heartland.
Unwise development ravaged
millions of acres of wetlands and
other vital wildlife habitat, and
many species were near extinction.
In response to this crisis, the
nation’s sportsmen successfully
lobbied Congress to pass what
is arguably the most effective
conservation law in history -- the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife
Restoration Act.
In effect, sportsmen selflessly
convinced Congress to tax them
to fund conservation. The Act
established an excise tax on
firearms, ammunition and archery
equipment that is apportioned to
states to support the conservation
mission of their fish and wildlife
agencies. Along with the Dingell-
Johnson Sport Fish Restoration
Act passed in 1950 to establish a
similar tax on fishing and boating
equipment, the law ensures a
permanent, dedicated source of
conservation funding. It is widely
recognized as having provided the
foundation for professional wildlife
management at both the state and
federal level.
As we celebrate the 75th
anniversary of this landmark
law, President Obama and his
administration are building on
this great foundation through
the America’s Great Outdoors
initiative. In partnership with
communities across the country,
we are seeking to establish a
conservation ethic for the 21st
century and to reconnect people,
especially young people, to the
natural world.
For three generations, Pittman-
Robertson has served as a model
of conservation partnership.
Let us celebrate its success.
Let us also seek to build new
partnerships that will ensure
the health of our land, our
water and our wildlife and
provide opportunities for future
generations to enjoy them.
Foreword iii
Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar
Credit: DOI/Tami A. Heilman
iv Celebrating the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program
equipment manufacturers who pay
an excise tax on the equipment
they produce as well as the millions
of sportsmen and -women who
effectively pay that tax through the
purchase of equipment to hunt,
fish, shoot and boat, or otherwise
enjoy the great American outdoors
and our wildlife heritage.
The funds collected provide
the very foundation of wildlife
management in this country. They
are dispersed to the various state
wildlife agencies, through the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
and complement the funding
from the sale of hunting and
fishing licenses. They also provide
critical funding for vital habitat
enhancement projects proposed
by the states. This approach,
born of the Dust Bowl days and
echoing that first gathering of
conservation visionaries, has
resulted in what has become
known worldwide as the North
American Conservation Model --
which recognizes we all do our best
work for wildlife when we work
together. For their dream to indeed
become a reality, there would be a
continuing need to establish strong
conservation partnerships at that
time and in the future to face the
serious challenges in wildlife and
environmental conservation.
In 1987, as part of its
commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of the Federal Aid
in Wildlife Restoration Act,
commonly referred to as the
Pittman-Robertson Act in honor
of its Congressional sponsors,
the Service produced a book
entitled Restoring America’s
Wildlife, a retrospective volume
In 1936, President Franklin
Roosevelt convened the first
ever North American Wildlife
Conference bringing together
representatives of the various state
wildlife agencies, conservation
organizations, and other wildlife
interests. He opened the meeting
charging those in attendance to
work together, and said he hoped
that “from it will come constructive
proposals for concrete actions…
and that through those proposals
state and federal agencies and
conservation groups can work
together for the common good.”
Thus was forged a partnership
among wildlife conservation
interests that in the following year
was to be formalized by enactment
of the Federal Aid in Wildlife
Restoration Act.
This year we pay tribute to
75 years of successful fish and
wildlife management and habitat
enhancement based on the
revenues resulting from the Act and
accompanying legislation enacted
since 1937. We also salute the
sporting arms, archery, and fishing
documenting the outstanding
wildlife conservation stories
resulting from that landmark
legislation. The intent of this
report is to present the same for
the past 25 years, and include
the many successes realized in
fishery conservation resulting
from passage of the Dingell-
Johnson Sport Fish Restoration
Act in 1950. Later, the Wallop-
Breaux Amendments effectively
combined these programs and
resulted in the conservation
model we follow today.
That book concluded that the
“Pittman-Robertson program is
the single most productive wildlife
undertaking on record…and that
it has meant more for wildlife in
more ways than any other effort.”
I believe this current volume
heartily reaffirms that conclusion,
and I hope you agree.
Finally, I would like to offer
a big thanks to the numerous
wildlife professionals, writers,
photographers, artists and
others who have graciously
contributed their time and effort
in order to make this outstanding
publication possible. I certainly
hope you find it a worthy salute
to three-quarters of a century of
outstanding American wildlife
conservation.
Fish and Wildlife Service Director,
Dan Ashe
(Foreword, contined)
Credit: USFWS/Lavonda Walton
Message from the Director
Seventy-five years of successful
wildlife management is the
remarkable legacy of the
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife
Restoration Act, and the cause
of our 75th celebration. Along
with the Dingell-Johnson Sport
Fish Restoration Act, it is the
foundation of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s (USFWS)
Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Program (WSFR)
and a cornerstone of the North
American model of fish and
wildlife management – a model
venerated for its principles,
celebrated for its performance,
and embraced for its promise
for the future. The two Acts
mark the triumph of American
conservation, founded on public
ownership of wildlife, reliance on
partnerships, and commitment
to preserve our natural heritage.
America’s history of wildlife
management began in the chaos
of the “commons”—the vast wild
lands jointly held and used by
all U.S. citizens as a collective
asset. A seemingly unlimited
resource was relentlessly
hunted and fished by a growing
population with an insatiable
appetite for the food, clothing,
trophies, and commercial
products wildlife provided. In
the jargon of economics, the
marginal benefit of hunting one
more animal accrued exclusively
to the individual hunter, while
the cumulative costs of unlimited
hunting fell crushingly on
the shoulders of society. The
discrepancy in benefit and cost
led to uncontrolled harvest and
the rapid decline of wildlife
nationwide.
State wildlife agencies stepped
into the picture in the early
20th Century with the goal of
affirming public ownership
of wildlife – the Public Trust
Doctrine – and regulating its
harvest with licenses. Yet, apart
from the revenue from license
sales, the wildlife agencies
operated on a financial shoe
string. Pittman-Robertson and,
later, Dingell Johnson came to
their fiscal rescue. The excise
taxes raised by those Acts –
excise taxes paid for by hunters
and anglers – along with license
fees established the principle
of user pays/public benefits,
the fiscal foundation of game
management in America.
The funding enabled by these
Acts, however, is only part of
the success story. The glue
that secures the framework of
modern wildlife management is
partnership. Our celebration of
WSFR’s 75th Anniversary is
really a celebration of the power
of partnership, of the hunters
and anglers who pay the cost
of conservation with fees and
taxes, the outdoor sporting
industries that make the system
of excise taxes possible, the
State fish and wildlife agencies
that provide the scientific
know-how to manage game,
the many citizen groups and
nongovernmental organizations
that expand the States’ capacity
to manage wildlife, and the
USFWS that works hand-in-
hand with the States to
administer the WSFR Program.
We should take pride in the
legacy of the WSFR Program
over the past 75 years. It
has helped empower our
State agencies and citizen
conservationists to achieve
as a nation what no other
nation in the world has
achieved: unparalleled wildlife
Foreword v
management success. Sadly,
the full story of that success is
still largely untold; but it will be
told. The new Wildlife TRACS
performance reporting system
for the WSFR Program will
make that story known and
available to everyone who cares
about wildlife conservation.
Finally, to quote the great
English bard, what’s past is
prologue. Just as the North
American model calmed the
tempest of the wildlife commons,
that same model points the
way to conserving the diversity
and richness of all wildlife in
America. It won’t be easy, but
through the synergy of federal,
state, and private partnerships,
the work that began 75 years
ago in 1937 with the passage of
Pittman Robertson will carry
us to the next 75 years, into a
future where our success will
extend to all species.
Credit: DOI/Tami A. Heilman
Hannibal Bolton
Message from the Assistant Director
for Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Program
vvii C Setleabtruasti nRge tvhiee wW ialdnlidfe C anodn sSeprovrta Ftiiosnh RReesctoormatmione nPdroagtrioamns for the Gull-billed Tern
Table of Contents vii
Table of Contents
Foreword ...............................................................................................................................................................iii
Message from the Director ...................................................................................................................................iv
Message from the Assistant Director for Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration .....................................................v
The Beginning 75 Years Ago..................................................................................................................................1
A History of Major Events in State and Federal Wildlife Conservation .................................................................. 5
National Outlook
Congressional Viewpoints ........................................................................................................................... 8
The Lifeblood of State Fish & Wildlife Agencies .................................................................................... 9
Industry Pride in its Conservation Efforts ............................................................................................ 13
Boating-Related Revenues Pack a Powerful Funding Punch for Aquatic
Conservation and Boating Infrastructure Programs ........................................................................... 17
Valuing the Benefits of Wildlife............................................................................................................................ 21
Quick Facts from the 2011 National Survey................................................................................................ 22
National Survey Trends Graph .............................................................................................................. 27
State Outlook
Reliable Funding Source Benefits America’s Sport Fisheries ............................................................. 29
Fishing and Hunting License Trends ...................................................................................................... 31
Preserving Virginia’s Wild Heritage ....................................................................................................... 33
Education Realm
Hunter Education ..................................................................................................................................... 37
Aquatic Resource Education .................................................................................................................... 41
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman................................................................................................................. 43
“Trophies” - WSFR’s 75th Anniversary Painting .................................................................................................. 44
Conservation Success Stories
Pacific Region: The Elements of Success: How WSFR Funds Helped Create
Summer Lake Wildlife Management Area ..............................................................................................45
Conservation on Sarigan Island, Northern Mariana Islands................................................................46
Southwest Region: Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration in New Mexico .............................................47
Midwest Region: Renovation of Wisconsin’s Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery ...................................49
Southeast Region: Elk Restoration and Management in Eastern Kentucky .....................................50
Alabama Children Get Their Feet Wet in the Creek Kids Program.....................................................51
Northeast Region: Virginia’s Quail Recovery .........................................................................................52
Restoration of Arctic Char and Eastern Brook Trout at Big Reed Pond, Maine ...............................52
Mountain Prairie Region: Smith Family “Legacy” Becomes New Addition to
Utah’s Tabby Mountain Wildlife Management Area ............................................................................54
viii C eSlteabtruatsi nRg ethveie Wwi ladnlifde Canodn Sspeorrvta Ftiisohn R Resetcoormatimone Pnrdoagtriaomns for the Gull-billed Tern
Whirling Disease Research in Colorado-Resitant Rainbow Trout Studies .........................................56
Alaska Region: Kenai Moose Research Center - A World Leader in Moose Science ........................57
Pacific Southwest: Lake Mohave Habitat Enhancement ......................................................................59
Wildlife Reflections
Hunting and Fishing: A Modern Answer to Environmental Concerns ...............................................61
A Noiseless Effort that Has Changed the World ....................................................................................63
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................................65
Appendix - Program Data ................................................................................................................................66-76
Name of Section 1
The Beginning 75 Years Ago
Mark Madison, Historian
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Creating a New
Conservation Constituency:
The Pittman-Robertson Act
of 1937 and the Dingell-
Johnson Act of 1950
The America of colonial times
teemed with wildlife and fish.
However, the country’s rapid
westward expansion in the 19th
century took an enormous toll on
wildlife habitat which disappeared
at an alarming rate. Moreover, by
the 20th century, decades of poor
enforcement of existing hunting laws,
the unregulated growth of market
hunting, and hunters who took
more than their share (commonly
referred to as “game hogs”) added
to the decline of once-abundant
wildlife populations with many game
species teetering on the brink of
extinction. Although today it may
be hard to believe, in 1937 there
were relatively few white-tailed
deer remaining in the country. In
Indiana, for example, the last known
specimen had been killed in 1893, and
spotting one anywhere on the East
Coast would have been a rare event.
Out West, pronghorn antelope,
elk, and bighorn sheep populations
were fast declining. Beavers were
practically nonexistent south of
the Canadian border, and wild
turkeys faced imminent extinction
across the country. Many dedicated
conservationists and sportsmen
alike watched this trend with
growing alarm and worked to get the
country’s first wildlife laws enacted
to protect America’s wildlife and the
habitat upon which it depended.
In the 1930s, a combined economic
depression and ecological disaster
led the federal government to
seek innovative ways to help
impoverished Americans and
conserve our nation’s lands and
wildlife. The Great Depression
and the Great Plains Dust Bowl
destroyed families and decimated
wildlife habitat, leading President
Franklin Roosevelt, wildlife
conservation organizations,
sportsmen, and several concerned
Congressmen to work together
to pass a series of laws that,
today, are still the foundation of
this country’s natural resource
conservation programs.
The creation of the Civilian
Conservation Corps (1933-
1942) introduced 2.5 million
young men to outdoor work
on national forests, parks, and
wildlife refuges. In 1934 the
Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp
Act (popularly known as the Duck
Stamp Act) raised money for
wetland acquisition through the
sale of special revenue stamps
required for legal hunting of
waterfowl. President Roosevelt,
in 1936, convened the First North
American Wildlife Conference,
which brought together a variety
of agencies and organizations
to discuss the future of wildlife
conservation in America.
The Beginning 75 Years Ago 1
Market hunters also known as
“game hogs”. Credit: USFWS
Senator Key Pittman of Nevada
Credit: USFWS
Representative A. Willis Robertson of
Virginia. Credit: USFWS
Drought and wind took a toll on
habitat. (Dallas, South Dakota
1936) Credit: U.S. Department of
Agriculture
Status Review and Conservation Recommendations for the Gull-billed Tern
sponsor the bill in the Senate and
the Senator quickly concurred
with the bill’s original language.
Shoemaker then asked Virginia
Congressman A. Willis Robertson
to co-sponsor the bill in the House.
Robertson, a former chairman
of the Virginia Department of
Game and Inland Fisheries from
1926-1932, closely examined its
language. As chairman, Robertson
had seen game funds repeatedly
raided for other state projects.
Based on his own experience, he
said he would support the bill
if Shoemaker would insert the
following sentence: “…and which
shall include a prohibition
against the diversion of
license fees paid by hunters
for any other purpose than the
administration of said State
fish and game department…”
Shoemaker agreed, stating that the
29 words were the most important
additions made by anyone. With this
amendment, Congress passed the
bill, shepherded by a constituency
of Congressional sportsmen and
-women.
Pittman-Robertson represented
a milestone in North American
conservation history. All hunters
(not just waterfowl hunters) were
actively investing in the future of
wildlife and its habitat. The North
American Model of Conservation
was solidified; not only did the
2 Celebrating the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program
The 1937 Federal Aid in Wildlife
Restoration Act (popularly known
as the Pittman-Robertson Act after
its Congressional sponsors) was
the next step in a quickly-evolving
American conservation movement.
It provided a much-needed, stable
source of funding for wildlife
conservation programs across the
country and today is considered
the single most productive wildlife
undertaking on record.
Interestingly enough, the
legislation’s most vocal supporters
were sportsmen and hunters – the
very group that would be most
affected by the tax. Many hunters
made it clear they willingly would
accept a permanent tax if it meant
the government would use the
funds to work with the states
to ensure the sustainability of
popular game animals.
Although these partners
recognized the urgency of securing
a permanent dedicated funding
source, it still took a great deal
of work to actually pass the Act.
The idea behind Federal Aid
goes back at least to 1935 when
a proposal was first made to use
an existing excise tax on sporting
arms and ammunition for game
restoration and habitat acquisition
to be managed by the Biological
Survey. Normally, this proposal
would have garnered support
from sportsmen; however in the
midst of an economic depression
it was a tough sell to transfer any
excise tax revenue out of general
government funds needed for the
country’s recovery.
During the 1930s, a group of
gifted conservationists and
new organizations kept the
issue alive for the next several
years. The recently-hired head
of the Biological Survey, Jay
N. “Ding” Darling was a noted
prize-winning political cartoonist,
conservationist, sportsman, and
influential friend of President
Franklin Roosevelt. A visionary,
Darling lobbied ceaselessly for
the funds to support wildlife
restoration. Upon retiring from
the Bilogical Survey in 1935 he
went on to found the National
Wildlife Federation (NWF)
in 1936 which made wildlife
restoration its mission. Darling,
himself, relentlessly pressed all
Ponds, pond fish, and pond fish culture Kansas Fish and Game Bulletin, No. 01 Part 1.
No full text"November, 1910."Kansas Forestry Fish and Game Bulletin, No. 1 Part 1Part I. On ponds.--Part II. On pond fish.--Part III. On pond fish culture
Ponds, pond fish, and pond fish culture Kansas Fish and Game Bulletin No. 01 Part 2
No full text"July, 1911."Kansas Forestry Fish and Game Bulletin, No. 01 Part 2Part I. On ponds.--Part II. On pond fish.--Part III. On pond fish culture
Quantitative estimates of fish abundance from boat electrofishing
No full textMultiple removals by boat electro-fishing were used to estimate fish populations in non-wadeable habitats in New Zealand lakes and rivers. Mean capture probability was 0.47±h0.10 (± 95% CI) from 35 population estimates made with 2-7 successive removals. The relationship between the population estimate from the Zippin method (Y)and the number of fish caught in the first removal (X) was significant (adjusted r2=0.84, P<0.001; Figure 2). The least-squares regression was Y = 1.55X 1.23. Mean density ± 95% confidence interval for 13 fishing occasions was 30±27 fish 100 m-
2. Mean biomass of fish for sites was 78±39 g m-2 (range 29 to 245 g m-2). Koi carp comprised the largest proportion of the fish biomass wherever they were present. The high biomasses of koi carp estimated in these results (mean 56±33 g m-2) suggest that they can reach problematic abundances in New Zealand. Bioniass of spawning koi carp can exceed 400 g m-2
fish and fishery products microbiology bacteria causing fish spoilage
No full textThis material describe bacteria which causing spoilage in fish and seafood products
Identification and distribution of fish and shellfish in Tillamook Bay, Oregon: annual report, February 1, 1974 to June 30, 1974
No full textBrent O. Forsberg, Fish Commission of Oregon, in cooperation with Bureau of Sportfisheries and Wildlife, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Interior.This archived document is maintained by the State Library of Oregon as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes.Electronic reproduction. Salem, Or. : State Library of Oregon, 2021 Electronic reproduction from print version OrMode of access: Internet from the Oregon Government Publications Collection.Text in English
Distinct migratory and non-migratory ecotypes of an endemic New Zealand eleotrid (Gobiomorphus cotidianus) – implications for incipient speciation in island freshwater fish species
No full textBackground: Many postglacial lakes contain fish species with distinct ecomorphs. Similar evolutionary scenarios might be acting on evolutionarily young fish communities in lakes of remote islands. One process that drives diversification in island freshwater fish species is the colonization of depauperate freshwater environments by diadromous (migratory) taxa, which secondarily lose their migratory behaviour. The loss of migration limits dispersal and gene flow between distant populations, and, therefore, is expected to facilitate local morphological and genetic differentiation. To date, most studies have focused on interspecific relationships among migratory species and their non-migratory sister taxa. We hypothesize that the loss of migration facilitates intraspecific morphological, behavioural, and genetic differentiation between migratory and non-migratory populations of facultatively diadromous taxa, and, hence, incipient speciation of island freshwater fish species.
Results: Microchemical analyses of otolith isotopes (Sr-88, Ba-137 and Ca-43) differentiated migratory and non-migratory stocks of the New Zealand endemic Gobiomorphus cotidianus McDowall (Eleotridae). Samples were taken from two rivers, one lake and two geographically-separated outgroup locations. Meristic analyses of oculoscapular lateral line canals documented a gradual reduction of these structures in the non-migratory populations. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints revealed considerable genetic isolation between migratory and non-migratory populations. Temporal differences in reproductive timing (migratory = winter spawners, non-migratory = summer spawners; as inferred from gonadosomatic indices) provide a prezygotic reproductive isolation mechanism between the two ecotypes.
Conclusion: This study provides a holistic look at the role of diadromy in incipient speciation of island freshwater fish species. All four analytical approaches (otolith microchemistry, morphology, spawning timing, population genetics) yield congruent results, and provide clear and independent evidence for the existence of distinct migratory and non-migratory ecotypes within a river in a geographically confined range. The morphological changes within the non-migratory populations parallel interspecific patterns observed in all non-migratory New Zealand endemic Gobiomorphus species and other derived gobiid taxa, a pattern suggesting parallel evolution. This study indicates, for the first time, that distinct ecotypes of island freshwater fish species may be formed as a consequence of loss of migration and subsequent diversification. Therefore, if reproductive isolation persists, these processes may provide a mechanism to facilitate speciation
Texas Game and Fish, Volume 22i
No full textIndex to the Texas Game and Fish magazine listing articles by title, subject, and author
Texas Game and Fish, Volume 20i
No full textIndex to the Texas Game and Fish magazine listing articles by title, subject, and author
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