Minerals Demand- 

 Supply — The Outlook 



The big increases in demands for nonconsumptive uses and all forms of fishing imply 

 that constraints on the use of public lands and increased access fees may be neces- 

 sary to match the availability of the resources with the desires of the American people. 

 This may create some investment opportunities on private land. 



Although demands for most forms of hunting are not expected to increase, there will 

 still be millions of people who want to hunt in the future. Management of fish and 

 wildlife resources to provide this experience will be especially challenging because of 

 the competing demands that will be placed on the forest and range resources by a 

 growing and affluent citizenry. 



Opportunities for Management— Management opportunities for increasing the 

 quantity and/or quality of the resource relate in one way or another to habitat, wildlife 

 and fish populations, users, and planning. 



Opportunities for management of habitat include: 



— Improving wildlife and fish habitats by increasing food supplies and suitable 

 habitat cover, improving water quality, and increasing the size, diversity, and 

 distribution of habitat areas; 



— Controlling land and water pollution, especially the use of pesticides, which can 

 adversely affect wildlife and fish species; 



— Expanding wetlands nesting habitats through fee purchase of key tracts and 

 easements in the United States and Canada, and preserving and enhancing 

 migration and wintering habitats; 



— Increasing efforts to define, protect, improve, and augment critical habitats of 

 endangered and threatened species and the important habitats of other species 

 being adversely affected by changes in management or use; and 



— Removing barriers to fish migration. 



Opportunities for direct management of wildlife and fish populations include prevent- 

 ing habitat deterioration by control of fish and wildlife populations. 



The outlook for minerals demands and supplies is based on the 1993 Minerals 

 Technical Document. (Shields, 1994) Key findings include: 



— Over 90 percent of total energy needs (as measured in Btu's) are met by 

 petroleum, natural gas or coal. Foreign sources currently supply over 40 percent 

 of the petroleum and 7 percent of the natural gas used annually. The United 

 States is a net exporter of coal. 



— Total energy consumption is expected to grow at a rate far lower than that of 

 overall economic growth, due to the moderating effects of energy conservation. 



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