522 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



been made, and biologists of the Bureau have made surveys during 

 the past 2 years in national park and forest areas in regions nos. 

 1 and 4, including Montana, Wyoming, and Utah, and in region 5 

 in California. In view of the importance of maintaining fish life, 

 especially in heavily fished areas adjacent to popular routes of 

 travel, the work should be continued as rapidly as possible. 



Fish-hatchery equipment is being extended in these areas. The 

 Bureau maintains two hatcheries expressly for the purpose of stock- 

 ing national parks and a third in Mount Rainier National Park is 

 nearing completion. A district supervisor of fish culture has been 

 appointed with headquarters at Salt Lake City, Utah, to coordinate 

 all activities in the intermountain region, embracing the greater 

 number of national parks and forests. 



In the course of the past year efforts were initiated to attain closer 

 contact with the Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior, 

 since the activities of that agency in constructing irrigation projects, 

 particularly in the Northwest, have a strong bearing on the welfare 

 of important fisheries. In most cases these fisheries may be preserved 

 or subjected to a minimum damage by giving attention to the 

 installation of adequate fish ladders in the dams or by the proper 

 screening of diversion canals for irrigation. The main thought 

 for consideration in connection with both State and Federal agencies 

 working in allied fields is to assure that the various projects shall be 

 actually carried on by the agency best qualified to effectively ac- 

 complish the object sought, at the lowest practicable cost. 



In view of the fact that Federal agencies assume responsibility 

 for maintaining stocks of fish in waters of the national forests and 

 parks, little need be said with regard to functions of State governments 

 in this connection except as concerns fishery legislation. Federal 

 influence on fishery legislation by States is indirect but generally 

 effective inasmuch as recommendations when offered to the States 

 are unbiased by local interests and are based upon authoritative 

 information. Moreover, the Bureau is authorized to discontinue 

 fish cultural or planting operations in any State if regulations are 

 inadequate or enforced insufficiently to protect the supply of fish in 

 the lakes and streams. The Federal Government directly aids the 

 States in the enforcement of laws prohibiting the sale or interestate 

 shipment of black bass through the recent enactment of a Federal 

 black bass law, and an enforcement officer with several deputies in 

 various sections of the country have been appointed. 



It would appear desirable, however, for the agencies responsible 

 for the full utilization of forest areas to have more direct control of 

 the utilization of fish in addition to the mere responsibility of produc- 

 ing and planting the supply. Such control is feasible in closely 

 controlled areas such as the national forests and indeed is an essential 

 feature of effective fishery management as mentioned above. It is 

 not proposed in this connection to abrogate State rights by an 

 extension of Federal authority, but regulative power, such as is 

 exercised in the national parks, might well be extended to the national 

 forests, ^specially those to be acquired in the future whereby the 

 responsible agency might provide additional protection for threatened 

 supplies of fish in particular waters by still further restricting bag 

 limits, size limits, or closed seasons or areas provided by State laws. 

 The entire question of legal restrictions upon fishing in forest areas 



