quently provide the principal habitat over relatively 

 large areas for a number of species of birds and small 

 mammals. 



Past efforts of private groups and public agencies 

 have improved conditions for wildlife and fish and 

 have helped increase opportunities for use of these 

 resources on private lands. Conservation groups such 

 as the Audubon Society, Nature Conservancy, Isaak 

 Walton League, and The Wildlife Federation have 

 worked at national and local levels to foster protec- 

 tion and improvement of fish and wildlife habitat. 

 Organized groups of hunters and anglers have helped 

 increase the general awareness of the values of these 

 resources and have been sources of income to land- 

 owners. Some States directly compensate farmers for 

 damages to their crops by big game and some provide 

 relatively low tax rates for critical habitats, par- 

 ticularly for wetlands. Federal, State, and local levels 

 of government have provided general education 

 and limited technical assistance and cost-sharing 

 programs. 



But much more could be done. Numerous surveys 

 have shown that landowners often regard the enjoy- 

 ment of wildlife as a major benefit of owning a few 

 acres of land. There are inexpensive options for 

 attracting more wild animals available to most of 

 these owners. Leaving selected trees and shrubs when 

 clearing land, allowing weeds to grow along fences, 

 modifying harvest practices to favor certain types of 

 trees, and creating openings in woodlots all can 

 greatly improve conditions for a wide variety of birds 

 and small mammals. 



Limited access to private lands remains a major 

 complaint of sportsmen. But lands are posted against 

 pubUc use for many reasons, including the very real 

 threat of claims for liability if recreationists are 

 injured. Several States have passed laws that partially 

 relieve landowners of liability not involving negli- 

 gence when hunters and fishermen use their property. 

 Some insurance companies provide policies for hunt- 

 ing and fishing use, but most landowners do not 

 know about them. Such options for protection 

 against liability could be improved and expanded and 

 publicized more effectively." 



Even when liability and other problems such as 

 littering and vandalism are overcome, it is still 

 unreasonable to expect owners to open their lands 

 unless they are adequately compensated. This fre- 

 quently requires informing owners about the possibil- 

 ities for establishing a business and then setting up 

 some mechanism to help them get started. 





«K 



" See the chapter on outdoor recreation in this report for a more 

 complete discussion of the extent and reasons for closures of pri- 

 vate lands to hunters, anglers, and other recreationists. 



Technical and financial assistance for increasing and improving 

 habitat on private lands can contribute to meeting the growing 

 demands on wildlife and fish resources. 



A number of wood-products companies in the 

 South (where there is relatively little public land) 

 have been successful in converting the wildlife and 

 fish on their lands into cash crops by charging a daily 

 use fee or selling seasonal leases on hunting and fish- 

 ing rights. Some of these firms have entered into 

 agreements whereby State wildlife agencies are 

 responsible for wildlife management. Examples of 

 profitable fish and wildlife-centered operations could 

 be publicized and technical assistance provided to 

 landowners to get them started. 



To help owners of smaller tracts of land, several 

 State agencies also have programs for game and fish 

 management in which they manage aggregations of 

 private tracts for hunting and fishing. Recreationists 

 purchase annual hunting or fishing permits and the 

 landowners receive a portion of the receipts. Such 

 programs could be made more generally available. 



Since the second World War, many farm ponds and 

 other impoundments have been improved for fishing, 

 but little attention has been paid to the thousands of 

 miles of small warmwater streams on private lands. 

 Similarly, little attention has been paid to the control 

 of predators or to animal damage on private owner- 

 ships in the East. As on public lands, coyotes and 

 free-running dogs occasionally pose problems for 

 deer and other wild animals. Porcupines seriously 

 damage trees in particular areas. And through their 

 dam building and subsequent flooding of nearby 

 lands, beavers can have a devastating local impact on 

 timber management programs and destroy bottom- 

 land hardwoods that provide key habitats for other 

 species. 



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