I 4 PROBLEMS IN WILD LIFE CONSERVATION 



act was patterned after the Lacy Act, as amended in I9O9, 53 

 relating to the shipment of game animals between states. 

 The Act of 1930 charged the Secretary of Commerce with 

 its enforcement, and pursuant to that provision the Division 

 of Law Enforcement was set up in the Bureau of Fisheries 

 in March 1931, when an appropriation became available. 



The personnel is limited to two field officers in addition 

 to the division chief and office staff. Of necessity its work 

 to date has consisted chiefly of co-operation with the vari- 

 ous state authorities, inasmuch as violation of the federal 

 law implies violation of a state act also. 



Of the two field officers, one is stationed in New Eng- 

 land and New York while the other operates in Kentucky 

 and the neighboring states. The chief is able to keep in 

 touch with their work by a weekly itinerary report and by 

 special reports submitted at the conclusion of a specific in- 

 vestigation. It might be remarked in passing that the 

 present chief was transferred to this division upon its estab- 

 lishment from the Division of Game and Bird Conserva- 

 tion in the Bureau of the Biological Survey, thus illustrat- 

 ing the personnel possibilities between the two bureaus en- 

 gaged in conservation work. 



The federal law in as far as real protection of black bass 

 goes is dependent upon strict state laws. Therefore, the 

 division has taken the lead in suggesting changes in their 

 laws to various states in an endeavor to obtain uniform 

 legislation and closed seasons during the meeting periods. 

 The second major task confronting the new division was to 

 obtain publicity for the federal statute. This was done by 

 printing and wide distribution in leaflet form of the black 

 bass laws. 



Staff Functions of the Bureau: The activities of the 

 Division of Administration are similar to those performed 



53 35 Stat. L. 1137. 



