The world is changing at a pace that boggles the mind.
I could write dozens of blogs on the reasons and the effects, but very few of them have to do with the outdoors.
Many of these things will, however, have a great impact on the outdoors.
That is why it is crucially important that a new era of conservation begins and comes quickly.
The high costs of virtually everything and the declining wealth of the average American will alter the conservation landscape in ways that might seem unimaginable today.
How long will people be able to pour millions of dollars into conservation for individual species like turkey, elk, trout, and dozens of other creatures? The same people typically support many varieties, and at some point, there will be a choice between paying the bills and sending a check to help quail, for example.
The quail will lose.
Habitat needs to be the core of conservation efforts from here on out. There has been a very promising move toward habitat conservation in the last few years, but it needs to continue and get more specific.
For example, waterfowl conservation should center the heaviest on the areas where ducks are produced (Prairie Canada, where TPWD just helped DU with much-needed funding and the Dakotas). Wintering grounds are also important, but if you have no ducks, they are a moot point, aren’t they?
When habitat is protected and enhanced, many species benefit. So in the duck factory area, pheasant, grouse, and other game species get a big boost from waterfowl efforts and vice versa. Once again, the key is targeting the areas with the highest production first and spreading out from there.
On the other side of the equation, there are some conservation efforts that need to be taken care of at a local level.
Let’s take poaching, for example.
The illegal take of flounder in Cameron, La., in the fall run is a serious problem. Numerous individuals have bragged about taking home ice chests full of flounder and there have been some busted with pretty astounding catches. This has decreased since Louisiana has instituted a closure during the main part of the fall run but it still goes on.
Add to that the huge number of flounder taken in shrimp nets over there and enough boats stacked in the hot spots to talk across, and you could see where at some point in the future action might need to be taken. A fishery can only take so much of a beating. It’s great now, but how will it be in 10 years?
This would be the kind of action that needs to happen at a local level. Louisiana anglers with a stake in their state would need to make a decision to make changes.
It’s not unlike what happened when redfish were banned from commercial harvest more than 40 years ago. Local people got involved and changed history.
We have come to a place in society where we believe everything needs to come from the government or a large bureaucracy and be doled out as issues arise.
That works sometimes, but no one has a better perspective on issues than those most intimately involved, and that is why I believe local activism will be at the heart of successful conservation efforts in the future.
Chester Moore
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