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Show 'letter Living Conditions' for Birds, Beasts Is Objcctiuo o! American Wildlife Institute J 1 j r ' ' c7 . 7 : s - --. : By WALTER A. SIIEAD WXU Washington Correspondent. r) ELIEVE it or not, there is an or-ganization or-ganization in Washington which has no propagandist, no high-powered publicity staff, and is non-profit and non-political. It is the American Wildlife Institute, In-stitute, formulated back in 1911 under un-der the name of the American Game Protective association and incorporated in-corporated in 1935 under its present name, but with the same backers and sponsors, headed by former Senator Frederic C. Walcott, of Connecticut, Con-necticut, "daddy' of much of the conservation legislation which has been enacted into law during the past quarter of a century. So the American Wildlife Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan corporation, corpo-ration, supported by the voluntary contributions of industries, organizations organi-zations and individuals interested in the preservation of American wildlife wild-life and conservation of natural resources re-sources in all its phases. lis objectives are three-fold: (1) to encourage co-operation and coordination co-ordination of effort of all groups and individuals interested in conservation conserva-tion of natural resources; (2) to assist as-sist in finding and presenting to the public facts about wildlife and these natural resources; and (3) to provide pro-vide facilities for training young men in the latest scientific methods of game management and conservation. conser-vation. In carrying out these objectives the American Wildlife Institute has become a central co-ordinating agency in liaison and co-operation with and between such organizations as the Izaak Walton League, the American Forest association, the Audubon society, Zoological and Biological Associations, State Departments De-partments of Conservation, Land Grant Colleges and Universities, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife service, and the Conservation Division of the department de-partment of agriculture. Work on Broad Front. It spends its money to obtain these objectives by the publication of books and technical pamphlets at no profit, for the benefit of all phases of conservation; by sponsoring spon-soring and financing the annual North American Wildlife confer-- Research, training of young men for administration in game management man-agement and conservation, and scientific experiment for the conservation conserva-tion of all our natural resources are objectives of the American Wildlife Institute. ' r 1 l. :.. ,.i L M ' : . :.r:. - ' , .' 't c. . ; t L '- J led to the undertaking of an ambitious ambi-tious scientific research project of what happens to migratory birds when they reach Mexico and other Central American countries where they winter. So for two years this study has been going on, largely financed by American Wildlife Institute, but conducted con-ducted by the Pan American Union, an international organization composed com-posed of representatives of the Central Cen-tral and South American Republics. In its zeal to train young men in scientific knowledge in all phases of conservation, the Wildlife Institute Insti-tute has fostered and helped finance schools for this purpose at the land grant state universities in Alabama, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania. Texas, Utah and Virginia, Vir-ginia, while, through the influence of the institute, schools also have been established at Purdue university in Indiana and in New York. Quarter Million to Schools. The institute has expended approximately ap-proximately $250,000 In the establishment estab-lishment and maintenance of these schools. In so doing, it operates through the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State Departments of Conservation of Wildlife and the universities. Approximately 500 trained men are now engaged in various phases of wildlife conservation conser-vation and land use'. Many are holding hold-ing important government and state jobs in forestry, wildlife management, manage-ment, with zoological and biological biologi-cal gardens and organizations. Another instance of conservation fostered and largely financed by the institute was the restoration of the salmon fishing industry on the Atlantic At-lantic coast. Fifty years or so ago, Atlantic salmon disappeared from Maine due to the destruction of spawning grounds In the Maine fresh water rivers by the lumber industry. Sawdust coated the bottoms bot-toms of streams and tannic acid from the sawdust polluted the water to such an extent the salmon were killed off and a flourishing industry died. In 1940 a fellowship was established estab-lished in the University of Maine for the purpose of studying the pos- , sibilities of restoring the Atlantic salmon to the important streams In the Northeast. Through these studies and co-operation with the institute, a method so easy and inexpensive in-expensive was devised, that the sponsors are amazed at the results. Huge "egg beaters" were attached to small boats sent into the Ma-chias, Ma-chias, the Dcnnys, the Narraguagus and the Penobscot rivers. These egg beaters, operating In the spring of the year at high water, churned up the beds of these rivers so thoroughly thor-oughly that the sawdust caking was washed out and Into the sea. Then millions of salmon eggs were brought down from New Brunswick and installed in troughs for hatching hatch-ing in the rivers. This spring saw the first return of the Atlantic salmon for spawning and they swarmed back into these four Maine rivers by the millions. The American Wildlife Institute Is particularly Interested in land use on the theory that If land and water are utilized properly we will automatically auto-matically have wildlife. (Union It. Outer mu th, executive secretary of the institute, who occupies a mod est office In a downtown Washington building, declares, "we can't have wildlife without the co-operation of farmers." "Most certainly," the Hoosier-trained Hoosier-trained secretary said, "we can't take good farm land, and by the same token, farmers should not attempt at-tempt to farm land fit only for reforestation re-forestation or as cover for wildlife." wild-life." Thousands of acres of land in this country have been stolen from its natural state and thousands upon thousands of dollars of public money has been spent in the vain attempt to make farm land out of submar-ginal submar-ginal and other land fit only for Its natural state. One such area, it is pointed out, was the Kankakee marshes in northern Indiana and Illinois. The two states and the federal government govern-ment spent many thousands oi dollars dol-lars in the attempt to convert these thousands of acres of marshes into farmland. When it was found the land would not raise crops, after aft-er decades of frustration, the land is now being allowed to return to its natural state. And during the past few years, the financial return from the recreational and other features fea-tures of this natural wildlife habitat habi-tat each year has been more than was realized by farmers in all the years cultivation was attempted. Another such area is the so-called grand flats in Wisconsin, an area thousands of acres In extent where a few years ago nothing but abandoned aban-doned homes were seen for miles, and much of which is now being allowed al-lowed to return to its natural state. Grow Cover Where Possible. Mr. Gutermuth believes that every ev-ery farmer can correlate his land into the two schools, natural and agricultural. For instance, along the woods lot on almost every farm there is 50 or more feet which will barely raise a crop. This land could be permitted to grow into cover. The banks of ditches and streams would, within a few years, become a natural habitat for wildlife If permitted to grow into a natural state. And reforestation of some land, suitable for that purpose, will not only reap a rich harvest for farmers in the way of lumber and wood, but will also provide natural nat-ural cover for wildlife. The American Wildlife Institute is also vitally interested In proper land use of rolling land, in erosion and In contour plowing and cultivation to retain the rich top soil and the natural wealth of farm land. It has aided fn much research in this phase of conservation. The North American Wildlife conference staged each year by the institute is the forum where technical tech-nical men in all branches of conservation con-servation meet and exchange information in-formation and where results of the year's research are made public to teachers, professors, laboratory technicians, administrators and supervisors su-pervisors and to the general public. Approximately 1,000 delegates from every state, Mexico, Canada, England and France are expected to attend this year's conference at the Hotel Pennsylvania In New York. The general theme will be I "The Place of Wildlife in a Chang- I lng World." After an absence of more Uian 00 years Atlantic salmon have returned re-turned to spawning grounds in four Maine rivers, after American Wildlife Wild-life Institute bad cleaned out the Maine rivers ruined as spawning grounds by the lumber Industry. ence; by the establishment of chairs and ' schools of wildlife conservation conserva-tion in colleges and universities for training young men in every phase of natural resources, for technical research and in methods of game management and conservation; by conducting research itself and in co-operation with other organizations organiza-tions in wildlife and land management manage-ment and use, stream pollution, and by bringing about better co-ordination and co-operation between groups and Individuals engaged in the production, administration and use of natural resources. For several years the American Wildlife Institute has financed the research into migratory fowl at the Delta duck station in Manitoba, Canada, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin and Michi- ' gan State college, with James F. Bell, famous authority on migratory fowl, as superintendent of the project. proj-ect. In 1943, Ducks Unlimited became be-came a co-operator. This scientific study of migratory ducks and geese has to do mostly with these wild fowl on their breeding grounds. Other Oth-er studies of the birds in their migration mi-gration across the United States has Streams and their steep banks are not suitable for pasture or cropland. It Is much better to plant a broad strip along each side of the creek with clover or other rough, strong cover. Home willows or other trees that thrive near water should be set out too, both for cover and to help keep the banks from washing away. In Illinois and northern Indiana In-diana great areas of marshland were returned to their natural state after many unsucrensful years of attempted farming. ' ?!W""wwn .n-,"K' ;y y -. ' : ,..,VJ.W.. ,..,.w - ' ' ' |