8150

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8150
• Author: Wydoski, R. S.
• Title: Realistic Management of Endangered Species--An Overview.
• USFW Year: 1977.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

the art of biopolitics involves motivating the general public so that it
will demand changes for the benefit of wildlife resources. He is supported
by Gilbert (1971), who emphasized that the manager must use effective pub-
lic relations to help influence politicians and political action in the
proper direction to conserve natural resources. The thoughts just presented
on critical habitat provide practical or realistic approaches to maintaining
such habitat for threatened and endangered species as well as for preserving
habitat required by game or commercial species.
Propagation. Propagation has been considered a viable option in most
recovery plans that have been drafted. Most of the research for development
of the methodology for propagation has been on birds and mammals (U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 1976). Although some success has been achieved in
rearing the Colorado squawfish and humpback sucker (Toney, 1974), much work
remains to bd,done on space requirements, nutritional requirements, and
behavior if management of these species by propagation is to be successful.
Once a propagation program is successful and surplus animals are avail-
able, stocking can be made in suitable natural habitats. However, careful
evaluation of such releases must be made so that past mistakes in releasing
game birds, fish, and mammals are not repeated. Natural areas within state
or federal refuges, monuments, or parks that provide suitable habitat for
threatened and endangered species should be used when possible, since these
habitats can be protected and are already under state or federal management
(Duffey, 1974).
Perhaps the most important practical consideration for propagation
should be the gene pool of the captive stock. As plant and animal popula-
tions decline until the species is rare, the genetic diversity of the species
may be decreased. This genetic diversity or heterozygosity allows the org-
anism to adapt to various environmental conditions, and its decrease may
accelerate the extinction of the species. Smith et al. (1976) reviewed the
importance of population genetics in the management of all fish and wildlife
populations, and their concern is especially applicable to threatened and
endangered species.
Funding of Endangered Species Programs and the Systems Approach for
Establishing Priorities. Adequate funding for research and management of
endangered species is not now available. Pister (1976) concluded that it
should be a function of legislative bodies to provide the finances for such
programs. This will not be accomplished easily, because federal and state
conservation agencies are already underfunded and understaffed.
As 1 mentioned earlier, public support and pressure will be required
to obtain the funds necessary for endangered species programs. Since
several states have experimented without much success to obtain funds in
various ways, the most practical solution to fund an endangered species
program would be to obtain state general funds that could be used as match-
ing for federal assistance under the 1973 Act. Such funding should be
acceptable to the public and should not cause a conflict with sportsmen by
using revenue from their license fees.
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