WILD LIFE A FOREST RESOURCE 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Birds and mammals 489 



Wild life dependent on forest lands 489 



Present economic and social wild-life values 491 



Relationship of wild life to other forest uses 497 



Grazing of domestic livestock 498 



Wild-life management- _ . 501 



Forest land used by game 506 



Fishery management in forest w aters of the United States 510 



Influence of forests on fish life 511 



Economic and social values of fish in forest waters 513 



Fishery management 516 



Means of carrying into effect a program of fishery management in the 



forest areas 519 



BIRDS AND MAMMALS 



By PAUL H. ROBERTS, Administrative Officer, Branch of Research, and J. H. 

 STONE, Junior Forester, Forest Service, in Cooperation with the Biological 

 Survey 



WILD LIFE DEPENDENT ON FOREST LANDS 



Wild life since the mythical days of Robin Hood has been insepar- 

 ably associated with the forests in song, story, and in fact. European 

 history records the protection accorded the wild life of the forest that 

 the nobility might have the full enjoyment of the chase. In some 

 parts of Europe at the present time wild life is managed as one of the 

 forest resources. The close association of the forests and game and 

 the specific place given game as a forest resource in European forestry 

 probably goes back to the time when game production was the 

 primary purpose of the forest, and when foresters were in the main 

 gamekeepers. 



American history teems with accounts that show conclusively the 

 importance of game as a food supply, as a source of clothing and many 

 other materials needed in the everyday existence of our earlier 

 civilization, and as a source of commercial return. Lacking this 

 great resource of food and materials for livelihood and barter, the 

 westward progress of the pioneers would unquestionably have been 

 greatly retarded. Fur trading was one of the first, if not the first 

 economic activity of the westward movement. The rich value con- 

 tained in the pelts of fur animals was one of the important commercial 

 attractions that drew the white man into the westward regions. 

 Most species of these fur bearers thrived in the wooded areas. 



As industry and agriculture advanced westward the natural 

 ranges of wild life species were more and more restricted to the 

 forest regions until today a great part of our wild life, with the excep- 

 tion of migratory wild fowl and certain upland game birds, is depen- 

 dent on forest and wooded land in one form or another for all or part 

 of its habitat. 



Wild life, from the viewpoint of environment, may be divided into 

 four general classes, viz: forest, range, farm, and water and marsh. 



489 



