Many fine meadows :in-:theUnit-ed--Sta-tes- had their- origin in the 

 industry of the "beaver," ^ivhich "built dams, cleared away trees, and when its 

 artificial lakes were finally filled with silt, removed to other localities. 

 Fur "bearers have "been greatly reduced in numhers "before the advance of 

 civilization, which drove the animals from their ha'onts and converted the 

 areas to agricultural uses. 



It is quite generally helieved "Dy those who are straggling with our 

 Federal land policies that too much agricultural land has "been developed, 

 yet they have failed to see that a considera'ble portion of our pu"blic and 

 private land should "be'utilized for the production and conservation of 

 this valua"ble natural resource. 



There are those who visualize a swamp or marsh as a place that must 

 be drained. Others helieve that such areas serve the "b-est purpose as a 

 dump for defunct automohile bodies. Yet many suc"Ja places are havens for 

 muskrats and other fur animals, as well as for migratory waterfowl. Some 

 of our tidal .and inland marsh areas are capable of producing five, some- 

 times more, muskrats per acre, not to mention the other wildlife which 

 inhabits such places. At present market prices, t"ne return on an acre 

 from muskrat pelts alone would furnish an income of from $? to $14 each 

 season. Wo system of cropping this type of land would produce as much. 

 Why then is serious consideration not given to fur animals as an annual 

 crop? Animals as well as human beings derive their very existence from the 

 land. They are fed, sheltered, clothed, and warmed out of the soil. The 

 land then should mean something more than just so many bales of cotton, 

 so many bushels of corn, or so many pounds of pork. Wildlife, one of our 

 greatest natural heritages, deserves serious consideration in any general 

 policy for land management. 



Every year millions of; acres are being destroyed for wildlife uses 

 by forest fire, soil erosion-, and by plowing large sections of land that 

 never should be plowed. Recently on a trip to the Pacific coast I saw in 

 one of the Southwestern Sta.tes large areas plowed for the first time, and 

 bordering these areas were clumps of large pine trees girdled to make room 

 for more cultivated crops. What a pity to destroy such natural wildlife 

 areas for the purpose of producing crops, when there are already millions 

 of acres of waste land that- -was once productive. 



The same neglect that has caused the extermination of the passenger 

 pigeon and the decimation of the buffalo herds, and that has brought the 

 migratory waterfowl population to a crisis, is bringing fur animals there 

 just as fast. Over-production of fur seldom,, if ever, occurs these days. 



If demand for certain species grows, naturally the catch is in- 

 creased; and if some furs are neglected in the trade, the reverse is true. 

 A strong demand for ;a particular kind of fur causes continued trapping, 

 which if pursued long enough will reduce the number below commercial 

 quantities and may eventually exterminate the animal. Continued increase 

 in the number of fur animals trapped does not mean that the anima.ls have 

 increased in numbers. On the contrary it most likely is an indication 

 that the species in question is being threatened with extermination. 



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