Straight-Talk on Tough Conservation Issues; Hunting and Clearcutting

Many may think it is risky to publicly approach controversial conservation issues on a blog. But the truth is, if we don’t educate and openly discuss these issues on a public forum, we will continue fighting an uphill battle with sustainable Conservation efforts in our towns and state.

I will start by posing two questions that many folks struggle with and often consider moral dilemmas.

IS HUNTING ‘WRONG’?
In some instances hunting is seen as a practical solution to keeping a healthy ecosystem in balance. If the carrying capacity (the average number of animals that can survive/live in an area from season to season) is exceeded, severe over population of deer or other species in an area, can lead to suffering and death of many species, including its own. Carrying capacity is determined and affected by several factors such as available resources, space, food, water, etc. There are a number of factors that effect wildlife population, such as age structure, birth and death rate, sex ratio, dispersal rate. CT is severely overpopulated with deer in zones 11 & 12, yet hunting can be difficult in these areas because of development and the large populations of people hiking on trails and in the woods. It is critical to follow all safety regulations and hunting rules in highly populated areas.

Hunting provides and supports a key funding stream to sustainable Conservation efforts, through tax collection on hunting equipment, and licenses. Taxes collected on hunting equipment are required to go towards conservation efforts. It is true that towns have no authority to regulate hunting on federal, state or private property within their borders.

Personally, I could never be a hunter, but I do understand the need for balancing populations to maintain sustainable healthy ecosystems, and respect those that do it for this reason, or to put food on their table. Many hunters donate to local food shelters as well.

I do not agree with gloating over a kill by mounting heads and pinning them to your living room wall. To me, that is disrespectful to the animal.

IS IT ‘WRONG’ TO CUT DOWN FOREST TREES AND VEGETATION?
Not necessarily. Many wildlife species rely heavily on young under story forest, and thicket habitat for food and cover. Therefore it is important to maintain or create more Early Succession Habitat throughout our state. Larger connected patches of this type of habitat are key for wildlife diversity, yet we have seen a rapid decline and fragmentation due to both development and mature reforesting of our land.

In some cases clear cutting connected patches of forest and maintaining forest edge by rotating cuts, is the right thing to do, as it creates a more diverse habitat for our local species. Several species have declined sharply in numbers due to the fragmentation and decline of this type of habitat. The New England Cottontail, of which we ‘New Englanders’ are globally responsible for, has been identified as a candidate for federal listing under the United States Endangered Species Act.

Some (but not all) invasive trees and plants can do harm to a healthy ecosystem by taking over or killing native species. In these instances it can be a wise decision to clear out an area wrought with harmful invasive vegetation to allow room for native plants to grow.

It is important to have environment and forest experts involved when considering these land management techniques on public or private land. Studies need to be done on the current condition of the forest, or forest edge to determine if it is the best solution for the overall wildlife population. There are public and private agencies that can assist you, if you are considering managing or creating this type of habitat on your private land.

Conservation should be looked at as a complex balancing act between man’s needs and managing sustainability of wildlife and habitats.