The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-01-30
Name Board
To Manage
Wild Life
Forest Service Creates New
Division to Handle Highly
Important Work.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
OF GAME MATTERS

MISSOULA.-In recognition of the
growing importance of the preservation
development and management of the
wild life resources of the national for
ests of the United States, and the In
creased public interest in those re-
sources, the secretary Of agriculture
has created in the forest service divi-
sion of Wild Life Management. The sec
rotary acted upon the recommendation
of Chief Forester Silcox, and the new
division will be coordinated with the
forest management. range manage
ment and other major divisions of the
forest service.
The first chief of the new division is
DR.. Homer Leroy Shantz, for eight
years president of the University Of
Arizona, whose appointment is just
announced. His headquarters are at
Washington, D. G. DR.. Shantz has had
long experience In the scientific aspects
OF wild life management, and his Sc
lection brings to the forest service an
outstanding exponent of that phase of
conservation of replaceable resources.
vi uTCdl import dHCe.
Creation of the division Of Wild Life
Management is of great Importance to
Region One of the national forests
Regional Forester Evan w Kelley said
in announcing the secretary's action.
He stressed the point that wild life
springs from the land. 1t is crop Of
the national forests in the same sense
as trees and grass are products Of the
land. Since the forest service is en-
gagged in land management on the ma
tional forests, it is logical that the serv-
ice should manage all the crops and
uses of that land, and that all use Of
land and resources should be coordi-
mated and integrated into well-knit
plan for the whole.
This region. tAgether with other sec
tons of the northern and central Rocky
Mountains harbors the principal re-
manning big game and fur bearing
animal resources of the United Sizes.
For many years, regional officers have
striven for scientific management Of
this resource to prevent its defamation,
to effect its control in proper relation
to its life habits and its position with
respect to competitive demands upon
its environment. To this end, the forest
service is carrying on an extensive big
game study by force Of 204 men to
determine the number of game animals
in the region, their distribution, feed
ing habits, available winter forage and
the herd depletion factors, such as dis
ease, kill by predators, accidents, ex-
terror parasites, and man The inforlna-
ton thus obtained will furnish the basis
for scientific approach to the manage
ment of big game, whereby the re-
source may be used on a sustained
yield basis in cooperation with all state
fish and game interests and officers to
the ultimate benefit Of both sportsmen
and the big game herds. A study of the
regions fur-bearing animal resources
is the next big job in wild life manage
ment to be undertaken.
Miles of Fishing Streams.
Within the National Forests of Re-
gion One, there are II 800 miles of fish
ing streams and hundreds of lakes. The
proper stocking of these waters repre-
sents big undertaking, the surface OF
which has barely been scratched AS
funds become available, it is planned TO
continue water surveys to determine
available fish food supplies, improve
the streams for more hospitable en-
vironment for fish life and to extend
operations in stocking of streams as
the supply of young fish becomes
available.
wild life work has been under di-
rection of Assistant Regional Forester
Glen A. Smith of the division of Range
and Game Management. His leadership
has long been felt in Montana and
Idaho He has consistently pushed
scientific investigation and has cooper
ated with state fish and game authori-
ties in Region One, always with scienti-
fic and stabilized wild life manage
ment as his major objective.
The creation of the new division, y
Major Kelley continued, lis significant
nationally because it represents the
crystallized public sentiment that wild
life management has developed to the
extent that its true social, economic anc
spiritual Importance clearly points tc
the division of Range Management, tc
be manned and handled as 4 scientific
and administrative division in its owr
right Cooperation with state fish anc
game authorities and associations, o.
course, will continue as major activi-
ty of the new division"
In line with the above, Major Kelley
concluded, the Division of Wild Lift,
Management for Region One will be Sc
up in the regional office at Missoula
as early as reorganization can b,
worked out
Enteftains '06 Club.