OREGON
WILDLIFE
FEBRUARY
1975
r,',,
phi
OREGON
WILDLIFE
FEBRUARY
Volume
BUT WHO?
and
HOW MUCH?
1975
30, No. 2
RON E. SHAY, Editor
HAROLD C. SMITH, Staff Artist
Oregon Wildlife is published monthly by the Oregon
Wildlife Commission. Volumes i through 28 were entitled Oregon State Game Commission Bulletin.
OREGON WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEMBERS
ALLAN L. KELLY, Chairman ........... Portland
FRANK A. MOORE, Vice Chairman . Idleyld Park
MRS. ALLEN BATEMAN ......... Klamath Falls
DAN CALLAGHAN ....................... Salem
JAMES W. WHI'ITAKER ............. Pilot Rock
JOHN W. McKEAN, Director
All correspondence should be sent to:
OREGON WILDLIFE COMMISSION
P.O. Box 3503
1634 SW Alder Street
Portland, Oregon 97208
Permission to reprint is granted; credit would be appreciated.
Oregon Wildlife is circulated free of charge. Please
report change of address promptly giving both new
and old addresses and zip codes.
Second-class postage paid at Portland, Oregon.
The Cover
H. T. Bohiman and W. L. Finley with
flickers in treetop. From a glass plate negative,
1901.
HUNTER EDUCATION
PROGRAM
INSTRUCTORS APPROVED
Month of December ............... 12
Total to Date .................. 3,572
STUDENTS TRAINED
Month of December
Total to Date
.............. 455
................ 218,130
FIREARMS HUNTING CASUALTIES
REPORTED IN 1974
Fatal .............................. 6
Nonfatal .......................... 30
Page 2
SOMEONE CARES
Elsewhere in this issue we have the results of a recent survey conducted for the
Wildlife Commission to find out more about interest in the wildlife resource in
Oregon. The results indicated that 95 per cent ofthe adult population apparent'y has some interest in wildlife.
In some cases it is a rather passive interest, but it is enough to make them
turn on a television program concerning wildlife or buy a book about the subject.
Greater desire and interest concerning wildlife was indicated by quite a number
of people who put out a bit more effort. They may feed birds in the winter, go on
hikes to look at wildlife, or engage in other activities that demand more output.
The survey indicated that about half of those who indicated interest in wildlife
fell into this category of citizens who show some interest in this resource but who
do not contribute financially to its perpetuation by purchasing hunting or angling licenses.
It is difficult to determine just how strong this interest in perpetuating the
wildlife resource really is. One who blindly accepts everything said on television
about wildlife and its problems could well end up fighting against many of the
proven management practices that are being carried on in the United States.
However, the person who pursues the subject further to sort out the fact from
the fantasy presented on the "tube" can develop into a true fighter for wildlife.
The one-half of the citizens tallied in the survey who hunt or angle may not
be that much better informed but they are contributing to the perpetuation of
the resource when they pay their license fees. These are the fees that pay for the
operation of the Wildlife Commission.
Thus we arrive at a point we've discussed in the past. How is it possible to get
broad citizen participation in the financial support of wildlife management
programs designed to aid the nongame species?
The legislatures in most states have not taken kindly to the idea of appropriating a small amount of general funds to the wildlife agencies. A couple of
states have tried selling wildlife stamps and decals but there have been distressingly few citizens willing to buy them for support of nongame programs.
A recreation bond issue, with a percentage of the revenue earmarked for
wildlife, will be considered by the Legislature now in session. Maybe this is the
best approach.
Two states have managed to get specific taxes passed for their nongame
fund. One, a tax on soft drinks, passed the legislature but was stopped by legal
maneuvers by the bottling industry. The Washington State Legislature passed a
bill giving most of the money from the sale of "snob" license plates to the game
department for nongame. Though the bill was vetoed by the Governor, a vote of
the people reinstated it. It is too early to tell yet if this will be a meaningful
source of continuing revenue.
In some of the Canadian provinces the budgets of the wildlife management
agencies come wholly out of the general fund and may be almost double the
amount taken in from license revenues.
A start at obtaining nonhunter funds was made here in Oregon last year
when a charge was put on entry to a small area of the Sauvie Island Wildlife
Area. This charge does not apply to persons with a valid hunting or angling
license. Since the area was purchased with sportsmen's dollars, yet much of the
use was by general recreationists, the attempt was made to get the latter group
to participate financially. The operation was what might be called a qualified
success. The charge has resulted in considerably fewer users on the area but also
has cut down on the vandalism. The amount taken in is not great but the plan
has solved some problems. Obviously, though, it could not be considered a real
source of nongame funds.
It has been suggested that a tax be designed to get at the eliminators O'Th
wildlife.
Hunters and anglers pay for taking a portion of the annual crop but are not
Continued on Page 12
FEBRUARY 1975
A Man
Called Finley
by Paul Pintarich
Reprinted from
American Forests Magazine
Out of the dusty cattle town of
Burns, a place little changed since the
violent, gunfighting days ofthe 1880s,
the southeastern Oregon desert rolls
for hundreds of miles, lonely as a
moonscape.
Flat beneath an expansive sky and
the omnipresent landmark of Steens
Mountain there is a scattering of
ranches and an empire ofgrazing land
once the near monarchy of Peter
French, shot between the eyes by a
vindicative sodbuster on Burns' main
street in 1886.
For most men this land
the size
of Rhode Island
remains as one of
North America's great game refuges:
the marshlands surrounding Malheur and Harney lakes, the lakes
themselves, changed little since
pioneer naturalists William Lovell
Finley and Herman T. Bohlman explored the area during the summer of
-
1908.
It was a mission of both exploration and mercy. President Theodore
Roosevelt was busy inventorying the
nation's natural reserves, concerned,
as was Finley, with the slaughter of
wildfowl by plume hunters and homesteaders moving on the land.
Three years before, Finley and
Bohlman (a Portland, Oregon,
plumber who taught Finley to use a
camera) spent the summer of 1905, in
Finley's words, ".
cruising the vast
marshes of upper and lower Kiamath
Lakes and Tule Lake
camping,
tramping and paddling day after day,
.
.
.
In the past we've run a few photos taken by William Finley. We thought
perhaps readers might be interested in the story of this early Oregon
naturalist. In this 1905 photo, Bohlman and Finley are shown with young terns
in the Klamath area.
.
week by week
."
Traveling to Burns from Portland
in 1908, Finley and Bohlman jolted
some 300 miles in Bohlman's aircooled Franklin car
a notable feat
in itself
digging their way through
sandy wagon roads, navigating trackless sagebrush and, in June, getting
caught in a freak snow storm which
.
-.
.
.
-
saw the men shivering in light
summer clothes.
OREGON WILDLIFE
Page 3
"We carried our provisions with
us," Finley wrote years later, "and a
supply of drinking water, because we
found that we could not drink the
alkali water of the lake (Malheur).
For four weeks we cruised all parts of
the lake, often sleeping on muskrat
houses or floating tule islands, taking
our chances of getting up in the
morning before our beds had sunk to
water level."
Yet the hardships of tramping and
camping, wading or waiting in muddy
blinds were softened by the compensation of a unique discovery and the
excitement of quietly invading what
Finley described as "a wild nursery
most unique in the natural history of
North America.
"On all sides were the bird
myriads," he wrote. "I have seen
great bird colonies, but here are the
greatest of all. There is nothing like it
west of any place east; the whole
marsh was white with the nesting
multitudes."
Here too was found reinforcement
for the near unbelievable first adventure to Klamath and Tule Lakes and
subsequent excursions with Bohiman
along the Oregon Coast. Saving birds
from human predators
the
plumers, eggers and meat hunters of
the time coincided with the awareness and self confidence of neophyte
naturalists at work in the environment.
"I have never been able to answer
the question as to when and how my
interests started in birds and the out
of doors," Finley reflected. "It just
seemed to be there from the begin-
-
where he met his wife, Irene Barnhart, whom he married in 1906. They
would share a lifetime of travel,
writing and photography.
Less is known of Bohiman. He was
a quiet man, according to surviving
relatives, fond of a flowing handlebar
mustache and, in 1908, owned a
camera and an air-cooled Franklin
car. In later years he shared few of
Finley's honors, turning from photography to oil painting.
Bohiman's influence on Finley
began with their friendship during
Finley's summers away from college.
They met in Portland and Bohiman
had a camera. Both loved the out of
doors, wildlife and a little extra
money.
"We had the idea of turning vacations into money," Finley wrote.
"Bohiman and I had cruised and
camped through the mountains for
several summers and took cameras
and notebooks to record our experiences.
"One summer we climbed to the
top of a cottonwood tree 120 feet from
the ground to get pictures of a hawk's
nest. I used the episode for a college
theme and mailed a copy to 'Country
Life In America' and received a check
for $50."
Subsequent articles proved equally
lucrative and Finley purchased 10
acres of land on the Willamette River
south of Portland where he built his
home and began studies which he included in his first published book
"American Birds" (1907). He would
live there the rest of his life.
National recognition came in 1908,
the year President Roosevelt called a
conference of governors at the White
House to discuss conservation.
A result of this conference was the
-
fling."
Success came quickly. This early
work supported Oregon legislation,
the "Model Bird Law of 1903," which
ended the killing of song birds.
Finley was born in 1876 in Santa
Clara, California, later moving to
Portland with his family. After graduation from high school, he returned
south, completing studies at the
University of California in 1903,
W. L. Finley
Page 4
taking notes at an umbrella blind. Taken in 1905, Klamath area.
FEBRUARY 1975
appointment of a National Conservation Commission to prepare an
nventory, the first for any nation, of
all the natural resources within the
United States.
As part of the inventory, Finley's
work was invaluable and reference
was made to his and Bohiman's
photographs and writings when, on
August 18, 1908, the Klamath and
Malheur Lakes regions were proclaimed federal refuges.
The proclamation cited three main
reasons for conservation: 1) because
of settlement and drainage, as well as
plume hunting, birds were disappearing, 2) birds belong to the people as a whole
they cannot live
without their homes, and 3) "Malheur Lake is without question the
greatest wildfowl nursery in the
United States."
What the President saw was the vi-
-
sion seen through Finley's eyes and
the lens of Bohiman's camera.
Finley remembered: "I looked out
in one part of the lake and by actual
count saw over 1,500 Canadian geese
in small and large flocks.
"On all sides were the ducks,
mallards, redheads, pintails, gadwalls, cinnamon teal and ruddy ducks.
Mothers with their broods of ducklings kept ahead of the boat. We saw
colonies of California and ringbilled
gulls, night herons and great blue
herons, Foralone cormorants, white
pelicans and three species of grebes.
"In different places we saw the
bitterns and the rails, also avocets,
stilts, phalaropes, snipe, kildeers and
other wonders. Here about Malheur
Lake is the only place I know of in
Oregon where the American egret or
white heron and the glossy ibis, our
most beautifully plumaged birds, are
nesting. On all sides we listened to
the songs of the yellow-throated warblers, song sparrows, Tule wrens, and
others."
In 1909, remembering Finley's contribution and while preparing for a
scientific expedition to Africa for the
Smithsonian Institute, Roosevelt asked Finley to visit his son Kermit, a
student at Harvard who would accompany his father, to give him advice about cameras and photography.
Finley met with Roosevelt in New
York several years later, the President again wanting to know of the
wonders of the far west region they
had helped save.
Finley said, "It will be one of the
greatest memorials to your farsightedness when both you and I are
gone."
And Finley recalled: "He leaned
over in his characteristic way
'Bully.' he said. 'I had rather have it
than a hundred stone monuments'."
In 1911, by now fast though far distant friends, Finley met again with
Roosevelt during a visit to Portland.
Breaking a hard, fast rule of allowing
no visitors during his rest period,
Roosevelt asked that Finley meet
with him at the old Portland Hotel,
where they spent the afternoon looking at Finley's photographs and discussing wildlife.
In his library Finley cherished a
book autographed by the President:
"To William Lovell Finley, a practical field naturalist, with the admiration of his friend, Theodore
Roosevelt."
Through the remainder of his life
and aided by his wife, Finley gained
international recognition as a naturalist while he continued to serve his
State.
On the request of Oregon Governor
Oswald West, Finley toured the country in 1910 seeking a model for
Oregon's Game Commission established the following year.
That same year he was appointed
the state's first game commissioner
and game biologist. His achievements included protection of remnant
-
Finley and Peck at their auto in the Malheur County area. 1908.
OREGON WILDLIFE
Page 5
bands of Southeastern Oregon
antelope, now thriving on Hart
Mountain Refuge south of Malheu'
Lake; an aggressive program of trout
stocking in lakes and streams and,
prosaically, the recommendation that
deer hunters wear red hats.
He was one of the first men in the
United States to initiate an educational campaign to interest people in
wild game resources from a business
standpoint, and touring the country
in a time less critical than now, he
a
'':
Tule Lake, 1905. Finley and Bohiman among cormorants.
William Finley using reflex camera to photograph golden eagle. Taken in i 904
in central California.
urged people to come to Oregon while
maintaining that wildlife, properly
conserved, could be compatible with
increased population.
Returning from a lecture tour in the
East, he remarked of the interest in
Oregon as a vacation state. "I find
more of a demand today (1920) in the
East for outdoor material than ever
before," he wrote prophetically, and
called upon the state to "stock more
trout in the streams" in preparation
for the visitors.
Confused political infighting and
Finley's alleged "incompatibility"
with commission members as well as
his frequent absences to lecture or
write created an enigmatic conflict
which resulted in his dismissal a.
State Game Commission in 1919.
Given neither the opportunity to
hear the charges nor to defend himself
though defended by the press,
an outraged public and thousands of
school children
Finley withdrew
from the battle to pursue his career as
an independent naturalist and con-
-
-
sultant.
In his fight to conserve and properly manage Oregon's resources, however, he retained an even stronger
voice. The year after his dismissal he
wrote in The Oregonian:
"I stand with all those citizens in
Oregon who believe in the cultivation
of the soil, the building of homes and
factories and full development of the
State. At the same time, I believe this
citizenship is largely in favor of not
following commercialism to the ex-
treme."
He continued to move through
North America, Alaska, Mexico, he
and his wife joining expeditions to remote areas of the world, filling a
library of 200,000 feet of motion pic- .turc film and 60,000 still photo
graphs.
In 1926 Finley was again appointed
Fish and Game Commissioner by the
Page 6
FEBRUARY 1975
Governor. He served for 20 years as
naturalist for the National Associa-
tion of Audubon Societies, and vice
president of the Izaak Walton League
and the National Wildlife Federation
and member of the advisory council of
the National Parks Association.
He had also been a director of the
Outdoor Writers Association of
America and honorary president of
the Oregon Audubon Society and
Izaak Walton League "Man of the
Year".
With his wife he wrote hundreds of
magazine articles and three books:
American Birds, Wild Animal Pets,
and Little Bird Blue
all supportive of his philosophy: "To educate the
old and young to love the out of doors
and to arouse Oregonians to conserve
their outdoor resources and develop a
more healthful citizenship."
In 1936 he was honored by another
President Roosevelt, Franklin, who
called upon Finley to help form a
national program for restoration of
wildlife resources.
Two years later, in Oregon, he
launched a bitter attack on those he
-
accused of destroying wildlife
t-
"through promotional schemes for
flood control and new reclamation
projects."
He struck out at the way pollution
and overfishing were decimating the
Columbia River salmon runs and called for a cleanup of the Willamette
River and a curtailment of power dam
construction.
Someone must have listened. In
the 20 years since his death in 1953,
the Willamette, an open sewer in
Finley's time, is open to swimming
and this year fall salmon, absent for
decades, fill the stream.
More importantly, he left a legacy
of love and an awareness of the outdoors Oregonians defend proudly in a
perilous time perhaps even Finley
couldn't understand.
"We have wandered a great deal
with camera and notebook," he once
wrote. "Often the simplest things at
home make good stories.
"It has been a real satisfaction to
work toward the upbuilding of the
great outdoor resources of Oregon.
Years ago wild creatures were mistreated and killed without thought.
But education and publicity have
brought a gradual change in the
minds of our people. Our joy of living
is in the task."D
OREGON WILDLIFE
Un-endangered Environmental
Species List
Events
Released
Amidst growing concern for the
many species of wildlife which face
extinction, Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
has released a list of 375 birds,
mammals and fish the international
conservation organization calls its
Un-endangered Species List. "When
Ducks Unlimited was incorporated
during the Dust Bowl Days of the late
thirties, " explained Executive VicePresident Dale E. Whitesell, "there
was no endangered species list, just
endangered species. Many of the
species on our list faced extinction
then, " continued Whitesell, "and yet
today their populations have stabilized or in many cases have increased. In
fact, several species, such as the bald
eagle, black footed ferret and whooping crane call D.U. wetlands projects
home and it is hoped in the years to
come these too can be taken off the
Federal Government's endangered
species list."
The health of many species named
on the Un-endangered Species List is
dependent to a great degree on Ducks
Unlimited, Inc.'s program of wetland
and waterfowl development work in
Canada where more than 70% of all
waterfowl originate. In its 38 year
history, D.U. has created drought and
flood proof habitat covering 2,000,000
water acres and encompassing 11,000
miles of shoreline on 1200 projects
across Canada. Many of its habitat
development projects provide reliable
water resources for farmers, stockmen
and others, while many projects
provide flood and drought control.
More than $35,000,000 has already
been raised by D.U. from its over
110,000 members in America, Canada
and Mexico, businesses, corporations,
foundations and through special state
conservation agency grants.
"The key to keeping these animals
on the Un-endangered Species List,
and off the other one," Whitesell
pointed out, "rests with non-hunters,
hunters, men and women, young and
old; all of whom must realize it takes
dollars and hard work to keep practical conservation working. " D
The 93rd Congress
and
Environmental
Legislation
Summarized by Ted Fies
Environmental Management Section
The 93rd Congress, which adjourned in December, failed to act on many
major measures such as land use
planning, predator control, and an
organic act for the Bureau of Land
Management. However, three acts
passed that will directly affect fish
and wildlife management in Oregon.
The Endangered Species Act revamps
and strengthens statutes designed to
protect endangered species. The
Anadromous Fish Conservation Act
was extended and expanded to
provide federal grants to states for
various anadromous fish programs.
The Wildlife on Federal Lands Act
extends and expands authority for
conservation and rehabilitation
programs on certain public lands, including those administered by the
Bureau of Land Management and the
U.S. Forest Service.
Other legislation passed by
Congress includes the appropriation
of $2 billion for energy research and
development with the bulk of the funding going to nuclear and coal
research. Especially significant was
the massive increase in funding for
research and development of alternative energy sources such as geothermal, solar, and wind. Forest legislation enacted includes the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources
Planning Act which provides for long
-
term programs involving all
renewable resources of forests, ranges,
and associated lands.
Congress also authorized the acquisition of Klamath Indian lands for
inclusion into the Winema National
Forest. In addition, the John Day
Fossil Beds National Monument was
established as a unit of the national
park system. D
Page
7
Survey Shows Wildlife
Important Recreational
Resource
By Warren W. Aney, Systems Ecologist, Data Analysis Section,
Oregon Wildlife Commission
Charles D. Cowan, Manager, Survey Research Center,
Oregon State University
During the year from June 1973 to
June 1974, all but a few of Oregon's
adults were involved in some sort of
wildlife - oriented recreation, according to a survey conducted for the
Wildlife Commission.
The survey was designed by Oregon
State University's Survey Research
Center and conducted by GMA
Research Corporation in Portland.
Results indicated that 1,453,000 perSons or 95 per cent of Oregon's adult
population engaged in some wildlife oriented activity such as hunting,
fishing, and wildlife viewing. Trained
interviewers asked questions concerning the activities of 2,970 Oregon
residents 18 years of age or older. In
addition to asking about the individual's activities in the categories
of hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing or study, the interviewers sought
information concerning attitudes
toward the sport of hunting.
Hunting and angling activity were
rather easily defined; however, the
Hunting
An estimated 321,000 adult
Oregonians went hunting in the 12
months preceding this survey but
there are nearly twice that many
potential hunters in the state: An estimated 474,000 went hunting at least
once during the past five years and
658,000 expressed some degree of interest in hunting. An estimated 872,000 were not interested in hunting (57
per cent of the adult population).
Deer hunting was the most popular
activity with 92 per cent of the
hunters participating during the last
year. Elk hunting was next most popular, followed by upland game hunting, waterfowl hunting, and target
shooting.
Fishing
Although 658,000 adult Oregonians
went fishing in the 12 months
preceding this survey, there is a much
larger number of potential anglers:
948,000 had gone fishing sometime
during the past five years and 1,178,000 expressed some interest in
fishing. Only 23 per cent of Oregon's
adults, an estimated 352,000 persons,
expressed no interest in fishing.
Most of Oregon's anglers went trout
fishing
80 per cent of them or 526,000 individuals. The next most popular angling activities were salmon
fishing (296,000), steelhead fishing
(184,000), and warm - water game
fishing (also 184,000). Clam digging
showed a surprising popularity with
an estimated 145,000 participants.
When asked about methods used,
most anglers reported using bait. For
example, 34 per cent of all anglers
reported using bait for trout angling,
13 per cent reported using flies, 10 per
cent used lures, and 12 per cent used
a bait - lure combination. Bait was
also most popular for each of the
other major types of fishing: salmon,
steelhead, and warm-water.
-
*
broad field of wildlife viewing or
study was a bit more ambiguous. It
was broken into two general
categories. The first included passive
viewers or those who simply viewed
wildlife "second hand" through
books, television, and movies, but
still evinced an interest. Those who
actually became directly involved
with the wildlife by bird feeding, taking bird walks, etc., were classed as
active viewers. The accompanying
table shows the results as projected
from the survey.
Page 8
FEBRUARY
1975
Wildlife Viewing and Study
A surprising number of people participated in the active wildlife viewing and study activities: An estimated 719,000 watched birds or
other wildlife, 688,000 fed birds, and
245,000 put up bird houses or nest
boxes. An even more overwhelming
number of Oregon adults engaged in
the more passive wildlife pastimes:
1,254,000 watched movies or television programs on wildlife, 658,000
visited zoos or wildlife parks to see
native Oregon wildlife, and 566,000
visited fish hatcheries or fishways.
An estimated 811,000 adult
Oregonians favored the hunting of
wildlife (53 per cent) Around 245,000
were neutral (16 per cent) and 474,000
were opposed (31 per cent).
These survey results are one
measure of the recreational use of
Oregon's wildlife resources. Other
surveys and measures may give
different pieces of information, but
they all point up wildlife as being an
important resource to the state. With
.
these additional data, resource
managers can better plan to meet the
interest in and demand for wildlife.
Equally important, data gathered on
user characteristics will be used to
predict future trends in use and interest as Oregon's population grows
and changes.
OREGON WILDLIFE
What Oregon Adults Did
In
One Year
.
.
.........
engaged in some wildlife-oriented activities
1,453,000 persons
(viewed wildlife, went fishing, and/or went hunting)
viewed wildlife
1,423,000 persons
60% were "passive" viewers
918,000 persons
(watching TV programs or movies on wildlife,
reading articles or books on wildlife, etc.)
33% were "active" viewers
505,000 persons
(bird watching, bird feeding, wildlife
photography, etc.)
489f only viewed wildlife
734,000 persons
(did not go hunting or fishing)
went fishing and/or went hunting
719,000 persons
45% also viewed wildlife
688,000 persons
went fishing
658,000 persons
41% also viewed wildlife
627,000 persons
17% also went hunting
260,000 persons
1% only went fishing
15,000 persons
21% went hunting
321,000 persons
20% also viewed wildlife
306,000 persons
less than 1% only went hunting
less than 8,000 persons
16% did all three
245,000 persons
(viewed wildlife, went fishing, and went hunting)
5% had no wildlife-oriented activities
76,000 persons
(did not view wildlife, go fishing, or go hunting)
95
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Page 9
This and that
compiled by Ken Durbin
A List To Avoid
The Oregon Wildlife Commission
recently recognized a list of 12 animais which are considered to be
endangered or threatened in Oregon.
The list, which includes four mammais, seven birds, and one amphibian, was compiled by a task force
consisting of biologists from state and
federal resource management agencies and universities. Some of the
species are permanent residents in
Oregon; others are seasonal visitors.
Five species are considered endangered, meaning they are in danger
of extinction throughout all or a
significant portion of their ranges.
Included in that category are the
Columbian white
-
tailed deer,
California brown pelican Aleutian
Canada goose, American peregrine
falcon, and arctic peregrine falcon.
A threatened species is one which is
likely to become endangered within
the foreseeable future throughout all
or a significant portion of its range. In
Oregon, threatened species include
the sea otter, wolverine, and kit fox;
the northern bald eagle, northern
spotted owl, and western snowy
plover; and the western spotted frog.
Many factors can cause a species to
become threatened or endangered.
Habitat destruction or change;
overutilization for commercial, sporting, scientific, or educational purposes; predation or disease; inadequate laws and other natural or manmade factors can substantially affect
the continued existence of a species.
Wildlife Week Set
National Wildlife Week will be
celebrated this year during the week
March 16-22 and will center on the
theme "We Care About Wildlife
Habitat", according to the National
Wildlife Federation, the sponsoring
organization.
The Wildlife Week poster symbol is
a blacktail buck standing amid excellent game habitat. On the reverse
side of the poster is art work and information describing different kinds
of habitat including wetlands, forests,
open fields, fencerows, and wilderness
areas.
There are suggestions for what the
individual can do to create wildlife
habitat in his back yard.
,
*
Salmon-Steelhead Tags Needed
Steelhead and salmon anglers who
have not already done so are reminded all 1974 salmon - steelhead tags
must be returned to the Wildlife
Commission so the catch data (or lack
of catch data) recorded on therì can
be used for compiling the catch by
stream and port for the season.
The tags may be turned in at any
commercial establishment which sells
hunting or fishing licenses or may be
simply mailed to the Wildlife Commission, P.O. Box 3503, Portland,
Oregon 97208.
International Fur Crime
A major New York City fur
brokerage firm recently pleaded guilty to three counts charging it with illegally trafficking in furs taken and
exported in violation of the wildlife
laws of Brazil, according to the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Peter Andrea Corporation illegally placed in foreign commerce a
total of 473 ocelot, 49 jaguar, 140
otter, 24 giant otter, and 228 margay
skins from the Federative Republic of
Brazil. These skins were being
shipped to Europe via Canada. Brazil
has a total ban on the exportation of
these animals.
Records seized from the corporation indicated the skins then had a
wholesale value of $39,000. The skins
were mislabeled often as "seeds" or
"leathers". The convictions resulted
as a result of stepped - up efforts to
halt the illicit commercialization of
wildlife both at home and abroad.
The company was charged with
violating a section of the Lacey Act
which prohibits anyone under U.S.
jurisdiction from engaging in cornmerce of wildlife illegally taken or exported from a foreign country. The
law carries a maximum fine for
criminal violations of$10,000 for each
count although, at last word, no date
had been set for sentencing by the
federal judge.
Slide-Tape Series Available
The U.S. Forest Service ha
produced a slide tape presentation
entitled "Right to Live" dealing with
endangered and uncommon wildlife
species located on national forests.
The 30-minute program is available
on reel - to - reel tape for $64 or on
cassette for $59. The package includes
134 full-color slides. Orders should be
sent directly to Spectrum Studios,
905 5W Alder Street, Portland,
Oregon 97205.
World Population Conference
Though the world's population increased by three million additional
people during its two - week course,
the First World Population
Conference ended in Bucharest on
August 30 with a "plan of action"
aimed at slowing down international
population growth.
Some authorities are concerned
because the document failed to focus
on the prospect that overpopulation
of the world
now approaching four
billion
may overtax food and other
resources and eventually decrease the
quality of life, especially in underdeveloped countries. At the present rate of 2 per cent a year, the
world's population is expected to double in size in less than 35 years. According to experts, food resources simply
cannot be developed to meet such extensive needs.
Other authorities were not so
- -
pessimistic about the conference
results. "The fact that a population
conference of 135 nations has been
held at all has been a great ac-
complishment," said Caspar
Weinberger, Secretary of Health,
Education and Welfare and the chief
U.S. delegate. He hailed the plan as a
"landmark advance in international
understanding and agreement on
population matters."
The basic recommendation of the
declaration is that nations strive to
reduce the present 2 per cent annual
increase in world population to 1.7
per cent by 1985, with the reduction
to be effected entirely among the underdeveloped nations, which have
about two - thirds of the world's population.
Conservation News,
National Wildlife Federation
D
Page 10
FEBRUARY
1975
Barn Owls
Though most common west of the
Cascades, the barn owl may be found
in most any part of the state.
His unique appearance makes it
difficult to confuse him with any of
the other species. The large heart shaped white patch around his face
gives him the name "monkey - faced
owl". Adults have creamy colored
breast feathers with small dark spots
and the back and wings are brownish
gray with small white spots scattered
throughout. Their prominent long
legs also help to distinguish them
from other owls. Total length of an
adult is about 17 inches.
The youngsters
OREGON WILDLIFE
Barn owls are in a family separate
from the other owls, lacking ear tufts
and the ability to hoot. They very
often nest in old buildings, as the
name indicates, but may also make
their home in old snags. As is true
with all of the owls, their feeding
habits are largely beneficial to man
because of the number of rodents they
take.
Photographer Gary Martin of La
Grande followed the progress of young
developing in a nest in an old barn
and sent us the accompanying
photographic record. D
The home
The adult
Page
11
SOMEONE CARES
Continued from Page 2
if
,
/
'(i
ILI
Winegar Honored
Harold Winegar, habitat biologist
in Prineville, was honored December
20 by the Central Oregon Sportsmen's
Association with its first "Outstanding Conservationist" award, not
only for his work with the Wildlife
Commission but also for his
achievements for and personal
dedication to Oregon's wildlife in
many respects.
Chan Schenck, well known
sportsman and conservationist, passed away on December 24, 1974 at the
age of 89. At the time of his passing,
he was honorary president of the
Oregon Wildlife Federation, an
organization that he helped to create
in the 1930s. He had been a member
of the Multnomah Anglers and
Hunters Club since 1933 and was instrumental in formation of the
Columbia River Sportsmen's Council
and the Pacific Northwest Conservation Council. D
Turn In Your Card
If you haven't turned in your 1974
salmon - steelhead catch record card
yet, please do so as soon as possible.
--
0GON
WILDLIFE
/
couuissiow____1
1634 S. W. ALDER STREET
p. o BOX 3503
PORTLAND. OREGON 9720E
guilty of destroying species completely or permanently eliminating various populations. A special tax on land developments that reduce or eliminate wildlife
habitat could make funds available for acquiring other lands for wildlife use or
for improving the habitat on remaining areas. This type of tax would get directly
at a primary cause of the major current wildlife problems, but could such a
tax be passed?
So we end up right back where we started. The survey conducted here in
Oregon and the fact that the folks in Washington voted in the nongame funds
would seem to indicate that there-are quite a few people beyond the hunters and
anglers who are interested in having wildlife around.
Surely some of you reading this have some ideas that will work. Perhaps we
need a statewide wildlife fund lottery, or one horse and dog race at each track
designated as the wildlife conservation fund race. Though most voluntary plans
have proven rather unreliable, ones attached to something that folks get fun out
of might work. Perhaps a small tax on pet food; free - roving dogs and feral house
cats certainly take their toll of wild creatures!
But already we're in trouble with those against gambling, pet wners, and
probably many more. If you don't care for our suggestions (which are not official
Commission ideas, but just those of a rambling editor), what have you got to
offer? Nongame creatures need help. We're the ones causing their problems with
our demands on the earth. Surely we can come up with some funds that will help
soften the effects we are having on their living space.
R.E.S.
-
Hunting Season
Opening Dates Set
Opening dates for major 1975 hunting seasons were adopted by the
Oregon Wildlife Commission on January 10 in Portland. About 30 representatives of public agencies,
sportsmen's groups, and interested
citizens were present at the public
hearing with recommendations concerning one or more of the seasons.
The general deer season will open
on October 4. Rocky Mountain elk
will become legal game on November
1 and the season for Roosevelt elk will
open on November 15. August 16 was
selected as the opening date for
pronghorn antelope and the early
archery seasons will open this year on
August 23.
Chukar season was set to open concurrent with the deer season on October 4. The only other season for upland birds, for ring-necked pheasants,
was set to open on October 18.
The opening date of the Rocky
Mountain elk season was the item of
major concern for many of the
members of the public who came to
testify before the Commission.
The hearing for setting lengths, bag
limits, and other details of big game
seasons will be held May 31. D