302 Alaskan Science Conference 



States under totally different conditions. These breeding 

 grounds should be set aside to protect native food resources 

 and should be administered to permit natives to take waterfowl 

 for their own use. Neither is it necessary to close them to hunt- 

 ing in open hunting seasons prescribed by the annual water- 

 fowl regulations. The one necessity is to withdraw them from 

 entry and prevent the development of hunting lodges and 

 camps, with the concentrated hunting pressures they bring. 

 This is urgent. Areas in Canada that a lew years ago were con- 

 sidered safely remote already have been subjected to such de- 

 velopment with disastrous results to breeding waterfowl. It is 

 easily possible to destroy such a local population and thereby 

 decrease production of that area for years to come. The penalty 

 of such an error in management will be paid first by the natives 

 in impaired food resources, and secondly by the average water- 

 fowl hunter in the Canadian provinces and in the States through 

 which the birds migrate and in which they winter. Any tem- 

 porary benefits will accrue to a few resort operators and to a 

 limited number of citizens who are able to gratify their desire 

 to shoot without considering cost. 



2. Secure funds and assign personnel to survey such areas as the 

 Selewick Flats and other marsh units on Kotzebue Sound, the 

 Point Barrow-Colville River tundra breeding ground, the Yukon 

 Flats, Tetlin Lakes, Minto Lakes, and perhaps other units of 

 which less is known to determine: 



a. The importance of each to the continental waterfowl re- 

 source. 



b. To outline boundaries (for such as are found to be of major 

 importance) of the areas that should be protected by action 

 similar to that outlined for other key areas. 



3. Make similar surveys to determine the importance of the Copper 

 River Flats and Stikine Flats. If they prove to be as vital as 

 present information indicates, to develop a program for protect- 

 ing and preserving these areas of habitat, and for preserving 

 them for public use perhaps by withdrawal as waterfowl manage- 

 ment areas for shooting grounds. 



