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Agency Policy and Practices: Wildlife and Fisheries Management in the USDA Forest Service
Author(s) -
Brouha Paul
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(1987)012<0008:apapwa>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - wildlife , north american model of wildlife conservation , business , forest management , endangered species , environmental resource management , threatened species , service (business) , wildlife conservation , environmental planning , fishery , habitat , ecology , forestry , geography , environmental science , biology , marketing
Forest Service policy for management of wildlife and fisheries resources has evolved in response to legislation dating back to the 1897 Organic Act. That legislative history reflects enduring public concern that national forests be managed for multiple use. Present policy embodies concerns for plant and animal diversity, maintenance of viable populations, recovery of threatened and endangered species, and management of species in high public demand. Program emphasis and budget increased dramatically in response to the wildlife and fisheries goals stated in the 1975 Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) Program. Despite further planned increases in the 1980 RPA Program, since 1980 wildlife and fisheries funding has remained constant while commodity production has been emphasized. Because of this emphasis wildlife and fisheries activities have shifted away from habitat improvement to coordination and mitigation of resource development activities. Public concern about Forest Service programs, especially logging and road building, has increased with the resulting loss of a constituency that would ordinarily support Forest Service fish and wildlife programs. The strength of wildlife and fisheries management in the Forest Service lies in developing closer ties to the user groups interested in these programs.