Thoughts from CSCW President Bob Taylor
Thoughts From CSCW President, Bob Taylor:
Wildlife sustainable management principles are very similar to management principles for agricultural crops, forests and livestock management. Nutrition, habitat protection, and protection from disease and predators must be scientifically managed for a healthy, sustainable balance.
Just as crops need to be harvested when mature or ripe, trees need to be logged so new growth can prosper to provide food and shelter for our wildlife. These practices are a must to prevent disease and fire danger, and to insure a healthy environment for the sustainability of our state’s wildlife.
In California, much of our population lives in cities; as far away from the basic principles involved in the management of our wildlife and forests as they are from growing and producing our food supply. Just as with food production, in habitat management we need to let professional management prevail. For example, weeds, nutrition, disease and invasive species must be controlled and managed. We do have excellent professionals in our forest industry and the California Department of Fish and Game. They must be allowed to use scientific principles—not well meaning but uninformed and emotional public reaction—to manage these wildlife resources.
Many of our wildlife species are in grave danger of extinction due to the lack of management of our three main predators. The mountain lion, coyote, and black bear have dramatically reduced their own primary food supply. California’s deer population has decreased from 2,000,000 deer in 1990 to approximately 425,000 currently. With the reduction of the deer herd, these predators have resorted to other smaller wildlife, livestock and family pets, and are rapidly turning this situation into a major wildlife crisis.
To remedy this critical situation, current laws must be modified to control the population of these predators. Proposition 117, which completely bans the hunting of mountain lions except for attacks on livestock and danger to humans, leaves our vast wilderness completely unmanaged.
A court case is now pending in Lassen County to modify the state’s ban on traps and poisons for coyotes. In Proposition 4, according to our professional trappers, the humane tools used to manage the coyote population, have been banned. Black bear numbers are up from a population of about 10,000 to more than 30,000, causing bears to look for food in populated areas, where they do much damage and then have to be killed. As with other professionally managed wildlife populations, the black bear numbers need to be brought into balance with their natural food supply through a controlled hunting season.
The time is long past due to urgently spread the word to all interested in the survival of our wildlife and forests. Make sure everyone you know is informed through our website and blog. We urge you to become a member of CSCW and contribute financially, to get the message out to individuals and lawmakers to amend the legislation so our wildlife can survive. Your financial help is appreciated and definitely needed.
Bob Taylor
Wildlife sustainable management principles are very similar to management principles for agricultural crops, forests and livestock management. Nutrition, habitat protection, and protection from disease and predators must be scientifically managed for a healthy, sustainable balance.
Just as crops need to be harvested when mature or ripe, trees need to be logged so new growth can prosper to provide food and shelter for our wildlife. These practices are a must to prevent disease and fire danger, and to insure a healthy environment for the sustainability of our state’s wildlife.
In California, much of our population lives in cities; as far away from the basic principles involved in the management of our wildlife and forests as they are from growing and producing our food supply. Just as with food production, in habitat management we need to let professional management prevail. For example, weeds, nutrition, disease and invasive species must be controlled and managed. We do have excellent professionals in our forest industry and the California Department of Fish and Game. They must be allowed to use scientific principles—not well meaning but uninformed and emotional public reaction—to manage these wildlife resources.
Many of our wildlife species are in grave danger of extinction due to the lack of management of our three main predators. The mountain lion, coyote, and black bear have dramatically reduced their own primary food supply. California’s deer population has decreased from 2,000,000 deer in 1990 to approximately 425,000 currently. With the reduction of the deer herd, these predators have resorted to other smaller wildlife, livestock and family pets, and are rapidly turning this situation into a major wildlife crisis.
To remedy this critical situation, current laws must be modified to control the population of these predators. Proposition 117, which completely bans the hunting of mountain lions except for attacks on livestock and danger to humans, leaves our vast wilderness completely unmanaged.
A court case is now pending in Lassen County to modify the state’s ban on traps and poisons for coyotes. In Proposition 4, according to our professional trappers, the humane tools used to manage the coyote population, have been banned. Black bear numbers are up from a population of about 10,000 to more than 30,000, causing bears to look for food in populated areas, where they do much damage and then have to be killed. As with other professionally managed wildlife populations, the black bear numbers need to be brought into balance with their natural food supply through a controlled hunting season.
The time is long past due to urgently spread the word to all interested in the survival of our wildlife and forests. Make sure everyone you know is informed through our website and blog. We urge you to become a member of CSCW and contribute financially, to get the message out to individuals and lawmakers to amend the legislation so our wildlife can survive. Your financial help is appreciated and definitely needed.
Bob Taylor
Comments