Wildlife Conservation in the United States 1 Running Head: WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Wildlife Conservation in the United States: Narrative, Perspective, and Solutions Alyssa Coyle University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Fall 2013

Wildlife Conservation in the United States 2 Introduction: Why I Bother In this assignment I had to use more critical thinking skills to decide on nature conservation in the United States. After observing the daily bustle of campgrounds situated on a nature preserve, I was surprised at the amount of emphasis that was put into keeping people from interacting with the wildlife hands-on after a young boy was asked to put down green tree leaves he had found on a nature trail and the amount of squirrels that came up to me hoping for food. I came to think that the figured world of camping on government ground is a minor setting to a larger figured world of government owned nature conservation areas. In this larger figured world, the wildlife and the habitats they occupy are prominent actors that play different roles. During my thought process, I realized that there are many multi-faceted concerns around nature conservation in the United States and why it needs such strict guidelines to be protected in the first place. Just the delicate balance of how flora and fauna interact with the animals that rely on them, beautiful landscapes, and fragile food chain between the animals is something awe inspiring to observe The way I see things is that in the times of the great expansion of the United States across a third of the North American continent, there was little consideration for the wildlife that was being disrupted. The majority of the buffalo population was wiped out due to hunting for their hides, wild horses and livestock were isolated due to the construction of the railroads and fences across the open plains, and various trees and shrubs were wiped out to make room for homes and towns. Only after years of this expansion, it became apparent that there was less breathtaking and untouched land to behold. However, the barriers of these lands were being constricted more and more and eventually, the fences were made to keep the interruption of humans out and to contain the protected wildlife within. It is here in the nature preserves,

Wildlife Conservation in the United States 3 national parks, public parks, and wildlife rescue centers the United States protects wildlife and the habitats they live in so later generations to come can enjoy it as well. I dont understand why when we destroy things made by man we call it vandalism, but when we destroy something created by nature it is called progress. Ed Begley Jr. I feel that statement has a direct impact to me. I have always loved the abundance of wildlife and consider myself to be a conservationist. Ive always felt it wrong that people can run any animal out of their home because where they lived was an inconvenience to them and they feel that the animal could just adapt, or find a new home. In my opinion that is comparable to coming home from work and find an eviction notice on the door and a condemned notice just beneath it. I wont hunt animals for sport, I dont tear down trees or uproot wildflowers, and I am not senseless enough to try and touch a wild animal. I feel strongly that humans can enjoy nature at a distance, but not have a need to interfere with the wildlife either. Its a concept I adopted that my parents have lovingly categorized as hippie-dippy because I feel that all life has value. Research: What of the Matter? Damage Comes Full Circle: During my observations at the McDowell Nature Preserve campgrounds I noticed a number of actions that concerned me with the habitat around the campground. While sitting next to the entrance to the nature trail through the woods, I saw a park manager asking a young boy to put back green tree leaves he had found while on the trail. Because the leaves were small and light green I was given the impression that they were pulled off of the tree or shrub. As a young child, the boy wouldnt think that plucking the few leaves as souvenirs hurt anybody. Given the delicate nature of plants stripping leaves, branches, or picking flowers can possibly cause permanent and irreversible damage that could possibly kill them. These plants and trees provide
Comment [A2]: Its great that you used subtitles. Try to separate the ideas in the next two paragraphs between the damage that can be done and how to prevent/fix it.

Comment [A1]: Great example to support your position!

Wildlife Conservation in the United States 4 food and shelter for animals and the loss of just one oak tree can take away all of the benefits it provides for no less than 100 species of animals and other plants (McCartey, J.F.) Direct interaction with the wildlife can also affect humans too. It is of concern what external or internal parasites an animal can harbor and the potential for it to be spread to humans by direct contact. Illnesses such as bird flu, rabies, and other pathogens can be potentially fatal to humans. Attempting to touch or handle wild animals is ill advised due to this risk of contracting any illnesses. It goes to show that these restrictions are put in place not only to protect the welfare of the wildlife, but of the welfare of the curious human as well. It is also known that some animals-- particularly predators and large mammals are territorial and are more likely to attack if you approach them. Moose are incredibly strong territorial mammals that are responsible for at least 50 animal attacks each year that most likely could have been avoided if humans werent in such close proximity. I conducted an interview with a campsite manager at the McDowell Nature Preserve about this issue. She said that animals that have been handled or fed by humans can become aggressive once they are no longer fed. She also said this is most common with raccoons on the campsite because they can destroy a lot of property in their search of food. (Coyle, A. personal interview) What Can Be Done To Prevent This Damage: I am an avid animal lover and there are very few animals that I dont care for their welfare. While at the campsite, I saw at least four very social squirrels that I am sure were hoping to get food from me. Now this concerned me that the animals at the preserve were relying on humans for food. I understand that to many people hand feeding animals would be fun in order to get an up-close view of them. However these actions severely disrupt the animals daily life (Fishlake

Wildlife Conservation in the United States 5 National Forrest). As far as the squirrels go, they may depend on campers to give them food by hand and come winter they will not store enough food to sustain themselves. These squirrels will most likely starve from not storing food as is in their nature. This interaction is discouraged in areas like nature preserves to avoid these unfortunate outcomes; some places actually fine people who try to feed or touch any wild animals (Local Park Support). Whilst I was conducting my observations, I was happy to see that a group of deer eyed me suspiciously and their instinct to freeze and then take flight away from a potential threat was still uncompromised. It made it apparent that the deer were not assimilated to being in close proximity with humans. I was still able to watch them amble along from approximately 50 yards away before they ran off. This brief moment I was able to watch them is a great example of being able to be in the midst of the wildlife, and not impede on the natural behaviors of the animals. It was surprising to me that in the midst of my research, there are very few conservation efforts that are strictly in the United States or North America. A lot of preserve efforts are international; saving African mammals in the savannah or the protection of the rainforests and rare species of frogs and birds in South America (Milgrim, M. The Birding Effect). The reason I wanted to focus more on the efforts in the United States is that it is vital that others understand that all efforts go to keeping our countrys natural beauty and that combined efforts locally and nationally make a big impact with this maintenance. Just this past year in Charlotte, NC volunteers cleaned out 58,000 pounds of trash out of the local waterways (NC Government Services and Information). This is an incredible accomplishment made possible by everyday people that reduced the amount of harmful waste in the water and local wildlife can continue to thrive. Opinion: Where Do We Draw a Line?

Wildlife Conservation in the United States 6 The strict guidelines upheld on government-run land are basically absolute. The laws prohibit hunting of any kind; restrict campfires to avoid uncontrollable infernos, and not to intentionally displace anything from its natural habitat. A few scientists believe that laws being overly protective of these resources can be as detrimental to humans as if we used them all up. So where do these laws not apply? Some researchers feel that not hunting certain animals at least one season of the year will result in an overbalance of a species. Protected species including large predators such as mountain lions, bears, alligators, and large snakes can increase their population and deplete the amount of prey in the areas they inhabit. This overbalance can influence the natural food chain so certain areas will allow hunting seasons to keep animal populations at a decent level (Gambourg). I think this is a valid reason to hunt these animals, but its important that others are aware of the guidelines for this particular type of hunting put in place by the state. Local Fish and Game departments are good places to learn more about hunting seasons and to have a registered hunting or fishing license. Some believe that not taking advantage of natural resources located in these natural parks or government-run reserves is detrimental to humans. Nearly a decade ago, the United States was locked in a battle of morals of fracking; whether or not to drill for fossil fuels in an Alaskan Nature Reserve. I was definitely unhappy with this prospect because I believe that it was a selfish act that would wipe out a beautiful protected land and would kill a lot of animals and trees, all so that we could fill up our gas tanks for a few more years. This damage could be irreversible or take hundreds of years to turn over its natural resources (Nelson, P., Defenders of Wildlife). In my opinion, the absolute limit for reasonable interference with wildlife is to intentionally wipe out entire demographics just for the convenience of humans.
Comment [A4]: Very controversial subject. Comment [A3]: Explain this happening more. Where did this ever happen. Give an example and say what the impact was.

Wildlife Conservation in the United States 7 Building and construction of new homes, neighborhoods, businesses and metropolitan areas on a constant basis further pushes back the amount of space for wild animals to live. But I think it makes it so much worse when people find a reason to complain about the amount of animals in the area and contribute it to a pest problem. No, they were merely run out of their homes to make new ones and they have no place else to go. This kind of oversight is what I think contributes peoples dim-sightedness about what happens in the world around them. I know expansion is an inevitable factor to increasing human population, but I cannot bring myself to believe otherwise. Whats the Best We Can Do? Conserving our nations wildlife is a task that no one group of individuals can achieve alone. The greatest advice would be to get informed, conduct your own research, consider an action plan, and to act. I have talked about my opinions and others opinions on why we should or should not continue strictly conserving wildlife in the United States. It is a daunting idea what would happen to the protected land if there was nobody to support it. Would the trees be cut for timber? Would the animals become as rare and endangered as animals we see in zoos? Would rare bushes and shrubs become extinct in the area? Would the streams, lakes, and rivers be polluted by improperly disposed waste? These are not questions that can easily be answered. However, it is possible to make better decisions as to how to help prevent this bleak outcome. All small efforts to conserve our nations natural beauty will contribute. Making donations to our national parks, volunteering in a clean-up crew, planting trees, and doing your part to not directly interfere with the wildlife are great places to begin. For it is through these small contributions that national parks, public parks,
Comment [A5]: Good questions to keep readers thinking

Wildlife Conservation in the United States 8 and nature preserves can continue performing their duty to educate, motivate, and supplicate wildlife conservation.
Comment [A6]: Great conclusion! Good emphasis on the big effects on small actions.

Wildlife Conservation in the United States 9 Works Cited

(Coyle, A., Interview personal communication, September 9th, 2013) Fishlake National Forest Recreation (n.d.). US Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people.. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/fishlake/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5121850&width=full Gamborg, ., Palmer, C., & Sandoe, P. (n.d.). Ethics of Wildlife Management and Conservation: What Should We Try to Protect? | Learn Science at Scitable. Nature Publishing Group : science journals, jobs, and information. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/ethics-of-wildlife-management-andconservation-what-80060473 Local Park Support | National Park Foundation. (n.d.). National Park Foundation: Official Charity of America's National Parks. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/programs/local-park-support McCarty, J. F. (2013, October 2). Bath Nature Preserve is the place for a bounty of bluebirds, beautiful meadows: Aerial View | cleveland.com. Cleveland OH Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - cleveland.com. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://www.cleveland.com/neobirding/index.ssf/2013/10/bath_nature_preserve_is_the_pl. html Milgrom, Melissa, (2013, May) The Birding Effect Retrieved from http://magazine.nature.org/features/the-birding-effect.xml NC Government Services and Information. (2013, October 2). Big Sweep Removes 58,000 Pounds of Trash from Local Waterways. City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Official Government Website. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/MediaRoom/PR/Pages/Big-Sweep-Removes58,000-Pounds-of-Trash-from-Local-Waterways.aspx Nelson, P., Defenders of Wildlife (2013, September) Defenders In Action: National Forests and Other Lands Retrieved from http://www.defenders.org/habitat-conservation/nationalforests U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program (2002, February) Habitat Conservation Plans Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act Retrieved from http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/endangered.fws.gov/hcp/HCP_Incidental_Take .pdf