Figure 34—The future availability of fish and wildlife will depend on the availability and quality 
of habitat. 
for crops will probably decline over the 
coming decades, but this outlook could 
change depending on the world food 
situation and the future for use of 
fertilizers and pesticides. Surplus 
agriculture production was the driving 
force behind the Conservation Reserve 
Program of 1985. Much of the acreage 
of erosion-prone cropland converted 
under this program will go into grass 
cover, with beneficial effects for 
certain species of wildlife. Most of the 
wildlife and fish benefits from the 
Conservation Reserve Program will be 
in the Rocky Mountain and Great 
Plains regions. 
In general, it appears that any future 
changes in habitat as measured by land 
cover will occur slowly, except for 
areas affected by the Conservation 
Reserve Program. As timberland is 
harvested over time, there will be some 
changes in the type of forest cover, 
however. 
If, as projected, the number of hunters 
declines, more of the operating budgets 
of State management agencies will 
have to come from public 
appropriations, user fees will have to 
increase, or other innovative 
management structures will have to be 
developed if current programs are to be 
maintained or increased. 
Projected Populations and 
Harvests 
State wildlife and fish agencies 
estimated future wildlife population 
and harvest numbers with 
consideration of historical population 
trends, likely future changes in land 
use, and proposed wildlife- 
management practices. About future 
big-game populations and harvests, 
these agencies are optimistic. They 
expect stable or increasing numbers of 
animals for most species in all regions 
of the country. 
State agency projections of small-game 
populations and harvests are less 
optimistic. Historical declines in 
populations and harvests of bobwhite 
quail and other grassland-dependent 
species are expected to continue. The 
historical decline in the pheasant 
population in most regions is expected 
to be offset somewhat by habitat 
improvements as a result of set-asides 
for the Conservation Reserve Program. 
Projections of big-game populations on 
national forests generally show stable 
or increasing populations with the 
exception of the black-tailed deer in the 
Pacific coast region. 
Projections of Wildlife and 
Fish Recreation 
We based projections of numbers of 
participants in wildlife and fish 
recreation on various assumptions 
about factors affecting supply and 
demand. Nonconsumptive activities, 
warm- and cold-water fishing, and 
migratory-bird hunting are expected to 
experience increases in the number of 
participants over the next 5 decades 
(fig. 35). Nonconsumptive recreation 
and cold-water fishing show the largest 
percentage gains. The number of 
persons participating in big-game 
hunting and small-game hunting is 
expected to decline. More people are 
expected to be involved in migratory- 
bird hunting, however. Hunting in 
designated areas for a fee is expected to 
become more important in the future. 
Comparison of projected participation 
rates for recreational activities across 
ownerships shows that national forests 
are expected to become relatively more 
important in providing opportunities 
for hunting. This 1s especially true in 
the West, where, historically, the 
harvest of big-game species has come 
almost exclusively from Federal 
ownerships. 
