WILDMIS - A SYSTEM FOR ESTIMATING THE COST 



TO REMEDY HABITAT LOSSES 



Kenneth R. Russell 



This paper (I) identifies the conditions most likely to result in decisions and actions 

 favorable to habitat protection and enhancement; (2) addresses the actions necessary 

 to create those conditions; and (3) describes one recently developed system that can 

 be used to identify those actions most likely to result in favorable habitat. The 

 information produced by the system is intended to be useful to environmental 

 managers who are responsible for deciding how to remedy wildlife habitat losses. 



Federal, state and local policies, set by politicians and administered by appointed 

 officials, determine what resources will be developed and what resources will be 

 sacrificed either temporarily or permanently. Those policies also determine whether 

 and to what e.xtent public and private financial resources are used to protect or 

 enhance fish and wildlife habitat. Public policy amounts to the allocation of 

 advantages and disadvantages (of one resource being utilized at the expense of 

 others). Thus, protection of fish and wildlife habitat is ultimately a matter of politics. 



An effective habitat protection process, then, must be compatible with the political 

 process. 



CONDITIONS THAT FAVOR EFFECTIVE HABITAT PROTECTION 



There are numerous individuals who can decide (or influence those who do decide) 

 whether or not actions are taken to protect habitat or replace lost or damaged 

 habitat. Included are citizen advocates, persons locally responsible for wildlife in a 

 state or federal wildlife agency, and higher level staff members within those agencies. 

 Also involved are people in the agency or private interest promoting development, 

 public policy makers and administrators responsible for the proposed development 

 and policy makers who are not directly effected. 



A decision can be made at any of the many levels of the process to provide limited 

 or no habitat protection. Consequently, the likelihood that effective habitat 

 protection will emerge from the political process is related to the degree to which the 

 predicted results of environmental change can be clearly communicated to those 

 persons who make or influence the decisions. 



If habitat is to be protected, then several items of information would generally be 

 helpful. For example: ( I ) what is wanted and by priority (how many of what kinds of 

 animals are enough at the location in question); (2) what the extent of animal losses 

 likely will be if the proposed development occurs; (3) what action could be taken to 

 prevent or restore the expected animal losses; and (4) what would be the dollar costs 

 of each of the preventative or remedial actions. 



A second condition favorable to effective habitat protections is that the whole 

 procedure be a positive experience for those who must fund the necessary action or 



The Aiiihor Dr. Kenneth R. Russell is leader, Colorado Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Colorado State 

 University, Ft. Collins, and was Assistant Leader, Iowa Unit from 1969-1974. Principal professional 

 emphasis has been on population analysis and design of systems to assist during the management decision 

 process. 



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