8095

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8095
• Author: National Research Council.
• Title: Impacts of Emerging Agricultural Trends on Fish and Wildlife Habitat.
• USFW Year: 1982.
• USFW - Doc Type: Washington, D.C.
• Copyright Material: NO

PREFACE

At the request of the Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. Department of
the Interior) and the Soil Conservation Service (U.S. Department of
Agriculture), the Board on Agriculture and Renewable Resources of the
Commission on Natural Resources agreed to undertake a
multidisciplinary study of the impact of emerging agricultural trends
(including those in forestry and aquaculture) on fish and wildlife
habitat. In addition to requesting assistance in developing policies
and strategies that will minimize the negative impacts on fish and
wildlife habitat and make the most of the positive ones, the
sponsoring agencies also expressed concern about the environmental
impacts of various agricultural practices. Hence the Environmental
Studies Board of the Commission on Natural Resources participated in
the early deliberations on this study.
The Committee on Impacts of Emerging Agricultural Trends on Fish
and Wildlife Habitat was established by the Board on Agriculture and
Renewable Resources. The Committee addressed the following tasks:

1. to review various existing projections of future agricultural
trends over the next 10 to 50 years by land type (e.g., cropland,
pastureland, rangeland, forests), practices (e.g., cultivation,
irrigation, pest management), and geographic region;
2. to identify the types of impacts and habitat changes that are
associated with the changing patterns of land and water use and
changing agricultural practices, and to project the future impacts and
changes that can be anticipated;
3. to define physical measures, policies, and strategies that
might be used to offset or compensate for these impacts, and wherever
possible, to specify federal policies that could be adopted,
particularly those that could be implemented within existing federal
programs; and
4. to identify information and research needs.

To accomplish these objectives, the Committee divided into two
teams and conducted the study in two phases. Phase I focused on
identifying the agricultural trends likely to have significant impacts
on fish and wildlife habitat. During Phase II of the study, the
Committee analyzed the impacts, both positive and negative, on fish

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