4.0 THE WILDLIFE 



4. 1 How is wildlife important to the public ? 



Aesthetic qualities . Hunting and fishing are not the only activ- 

 ities which make the LIS midlife important to the public. Birdwatching, hiking, 

 and nature photography are as important to environmental satisfaction as are 

 hunting and fishing. In the LISS region, only a small percentage of the pop- 

 ulation engages in hunting or fishing activities, but the numbers who enjoy 

 hiking or birdwatching far outnumber the former. An estimate of the LIS pop- 

 ulation interested in "non-consumptive" midlife activities, based on data in 

 the 1970 National Survey of Fishing and Hunting, shows approximately 210,000 

 birdvjatchers , 150,000 bird and wildlife photographers, and 810,000 nature 

 hikers in the LISS regions On Long Island alone, there are 62 nature preserves 

 and sanctuaries, 20 of which are located on the north shore. Thousands of 

 people visit these areas annually, actively participating in the enjoyment of 

 viemng wildlife species in their natural environment. 



Another source for the aesthetic appreciation of wildlife species 

 lies within the LIS region's park system. The attendance at parks in urban areas is 

 particularly high since, in many instances, parks are the one source of "nature" 

 available to the local residents. In Eisenhower Park (Nassau County) alone, 

 over one million picnics were held in 1973» While these persons are not 

 actively engaged in birdwatching or nature hikes within the parks, the presence 

 of birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and other midlife adds to the attraction of 

 the park areao 



The increased awareness of the importance of wildlife per se is 

 evidenced not only by the numbers of birdwatchers and photographers, but also 

 by the popularity of environmental studies programs introduced into school 

 curricula. These programs are designed not only to provide an understanding 

 of the ecological systems within the environment, but to emphasize the role 

 of wildlife species in making the systems work. Such programs, aimed at edu- 

 cating the public environmentally, will hopefully lead to greater appreciation 

 of midlife and valdlife habitat. 



Hunting . In 1970, the estimated number of hunters for Connecticut 

 and the Long Island area totaled approximately 16,000 (Table 7). 



Waterfowl and small game hunting constitute the principal hunting 

 activities in the LISS area. Mallards, black ducks, green-vvdnged teal, and 

 greater scaup comprise most of the waterfowl kill, but the species found in 

 the greatest numbers are scaup and scoter (Table 8). 



Table 8 shows the abundance of waterfowl along the LIS 

 coastline. Note that the total Long Island waterfowl populations, as esti- 

 mated in this table, tripled between I960 and 1970. The relationship of the 

 coastal wetlands to the abundance and survival of these wintering populations 

 is of vital importance. The wetlands serve as a major wintering terminus for 



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