History of NA Fish and Wildlife Policy

What was the tragedy of the commons?

Overuse of the common place where animals were brought to graze

Exploitation of natural resources

Public Policy

sets of laws, rules, mandates, regulations, and funding priorities established by the government through the political process

Where are the roots of conservation laws?

Ancient Mongol and Roman Law

What happened in the 700-1400’s

English Qualification Statues

Status determined the rights

What is he Magna Carta and when was it enacted

1215

Wildlife belonged to the landowners in held in trust by the king

Removed the thought of everything belonged to the king

Early US Colonies

mix of free-taking and Qualification Statutes

1630

carnivore bounties began

originally on wolves

early 1700s

closed seasons began

mostly during breeding season

1842

development of the public trust doctrine

started over disputes on oyster harvesting

1852

First game wardens in Maine

protected moose from poaching

1864

Yosemite Grant Act

protection because pretty and from overuse

1868

Pribilof Islands

rules over fur seal industry: when fur seals could be taken to protect populations

1871

Fish and wildlife agencies began in USDA

1872

Yellowstone Park

protect landscape features

1891

Forest reserve act - forests and fish on Afognak Island

Protected overharvesting of forest to limit river erosion

protected salmon populations

1903

Pelican Island Florida

first refuge for non-marketable wildlife

limits overexploitation of feather

1916/1918

Migratory Bird Treaty Act

Protects migratory birds traveling over country boundaries

1934

Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (Duck Stamp Act)

Action to produce income from hunting to go towards conservation efforts

1940

BBS and Fisheries become USFWD in the Department of the Interior

1966

NWRS Administration Act

Gave rules to refuges

1973

Endangered Species Act

Gave teeth to protective rules on protected species

Controversies of Laws

other resources people want to exploit

having to have more land

what are the rules of how we can use this land

became too private, people cannot use the land

1864

Mand and Nature of George Perkins Marsh

Ambasador for US to Italy

Saw that running out of natural resources quickly in Europe

1881

Forest Service

Policy and laws over foresting

People to oversee foresting efforts

1911

Weeks Act authorized federal purchase of private land

Federal government saw they didn’t have resources, bought back land for market value

1970

NOAA and NMFS (national marine fisheries service)

1976

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act

most marine fisheries are protected by states up to 3 miles off shore and some areas of federal protection to 12 miles

Boundaries settled where breeding grounds are

1976

MSA established 200-mile buffer protected from international harvest

North American Model Rule 1

Public trust

resources belong to all the people

North American Model Rule 2

Markets Established

large markets for wildlife products

North American Model Rule 3

Allocation by Law

all rules need to be made into laws

North American Model Rule 4

Legitimate Purpose

people must have a legitimate purpose for the use of wildlife resources

North American Model Rule 5

International resource

migration of things through different countries

North American Model Rule 6

Scientific Policy

base all policies off science, not just opinion

North American Model Rule 7

Democracy of Hunting

everyone should have access to these resources

Criticisms about North American Model

too focused on game

not enough focus on non-game conservation

How is it all funded?