n6 Roosevelt Wild Life Bulletin 



lific. Its power of recuperation under abuse is astonishing, but the 

 adverse factors are becoming so great that the wild life can no longer 

 sustain itself without very definite measures of assistance. We now 

 begin to see that the rule-of-thumb methods of protection are no 

 longer adequate. We must provide an administration of wild life 

 by the public which is based upon a knowledge of the habits and life 

 history of the different species, upon a knowledge of their specific 

 requirements for food and for breeding places, a knowledge of their 

 productive capacity, a knowledge of their natural enemies and 

 diseases, etc. Such knowledge can be obtained only through intel- 

 ligent study and scientific research. We must have laws for the 

 protection of wild life, but no laws can be applied automatically. 

 There must be provision also for intelligent administration adapted 

 to the requirements for building up the supply of wild life. The 

 principles of public policy expressed in legislation and the methods 

 of administration will depend upon the results of the studies of 

 scientific agencies. 



Xew York State possesses a wild life resource which has a direct 

 economic value of many millions of dollars and an indirect value to 

 the people that cannot be measured. Very wisely the State has now 

 provided for research and experimental work that will lay the 

 foundation for maintaining and increasing this resource. The oppor- 

 tunities before the Roosevelt Wild Life Forest Experiment Station 

 for public service are very exceptional. Liberal support should be 

 given to it to make possible the conduct of investigations of the most 

 thorough scientific character. Through the work of this institution 

 sound knowledge will replace guesswork as a background for the 

 public policies and for field practice in matters pertaining to wild life 

 in the State. 



It is a gratification that the Experiment Station is intimately 

 related to forestry. Certain classes of wild life make their home in 

 the forests. No forester can overlook the increased service of the 

 forest through the presence of game and fish. In many instances 

 the provision for the needs of game constitutes an important factor 

 in the plans of developing and administering a forest. More and 

 more the responsibility for protecting and supervising the game and 

 fish will fall upon the foresters themselves. As they show their 

 competence, the public will increasingly place the work in their 

 hands. The work of the Roosevelt Experiment Station will be of 

 great educational value to foresters, not only through the results of 

 the research but in demonstrating the intimate relation between 

 forestrv and wild life conservation. 



