The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1949-05-18

EAGadbEtit "a tltS e8A~PsAAt~NtsSsAss -
artificial reproduction very de
problem"
In this connection he cites
connecticut's expenditure over.
teni;yeafs of more than million
dollars on pheasants, and the
states yearly need to spend more
and more to give the gunners an
average of less than one third
per gun.
THAT is put-and-take with the
taker on the losing end" he says.
Montgomery says he thinks
the taker will continue to be
the loser" in states like Connecti-
cut until someone comes up
with an educational program
designed to dispei popular mis-
conceptions as to rights and
privileges, duties and RESPONSE
bilities."
1T is pretty generally agreed
that d estroyed environment.
more than hunting pressure, IS
responsible for the plight Of our
wildlife." he says. 1T has been
pretty thoroughly demonstrated
that, given suitable conditions.
the valuable wildlife species will
reproduce themselves. The better
the conditions, the more album
dant the reproduction.
1T also has been demonstrated
that artificial propagated game
cannot be liberated in unsuitable
environment except at q loss,
Montgomery continued. That is
one reason connecticnt's unsuc-
cessful pheasant program has
been so costly.
What game restOrationiStS
are up against in states like this
is "slum" clearance problem"
he, went on. Slums have been
created everywhere by pollution
of our waters, the lack of flood
control, soil erosion and our fail
ure to replace the trees we've cut
away.
The problem will be solved
when agreement has been reach
ed as to whose duty it is to clear
these slums. Realization by the
sportsmen that no wildlife agen-
cy, or combination of them, is
going to be able to do it, will be
an important forward step to-
ward developing an optimum
game population.
This will take education, and
it will require more education
to place the responsibility where
it belongs, and to convince those
who should assume it that it is
theirs.
RESTORATION of conditi ons
WHICH can produce better hunt
ing and angling is the response;
bility Of every individual and
every public and private agency
in this state" Montgomery as
serted. Startling as it is, it is so.
.And that is because the con-
ditions which have depleted our
game population affect every
man, woman and child, either
economically or from a health
standpoint" he went on.
For instance, the pollution OF
our streams and other waters is
a demonstrable health hazard,
endangering everyone, and thus
a problem for all.
Erosion, which destroys the
soils fertility, also destroys its
tax value, and may spread to
damage the property of others.
Hating it is the problem ofthe
owner of the land on which it
occurs, of all his neighbors, and
of the taxing authority of the.
land on which it occurs, of all his
neighbors, and of the taxing
authority of the community.
and so is the problem OF our
destroyed woodlands, which
must be restored for their eco
nomic value, as well as to halt
erosion and preserve and in
crease our ground water.
1.-The chore for the sportsmen
then is to initiate the necessary
program which would de-empha-
size their interests, and empha-
size the general public good
which can and will result in
slum clearance. The alternative
is to spend more for less game
aoch, wear"