the Institute for Fisheries Research for the State of Michigan, which appeared in the September-October issue of Outdoor America. The article is entitled, "Wild Trout Fishing Endangered in National Parks." The CHAIRMAN. Have you ever made any test of how much a trout will grow in a year? Mr. CAHALANE. Well, of course, it depends on the water, temperature, and food. In places I know that fish will increase 2 to 3 inches in size in a year. Or even in about 3 months. The waters in the national park system vary tremendously. There are the almost sterile waters of the high Sierras, where the amount of fish food is very slight, the water temperature is low, and the fish in places rarely grow to be more than 12 inches in size. Occasionally one grows to be bigger. But they can live out their lives in those waters and not get to be more than about 12 inches long. We have other waters that are in the optimum temperature range, that are well supplied with food, and where fish grow rapidly to large sizes. The general public does not appreciate that the aquatic environment of a fish is just as important as the land environment is to an elk or a deer, for instance. They do not understand the importance of proper environment, of course, and do not understand why Yosemite, for instance, cannot produce the fishing that Olympic does, or Acadia. The CHAIRMAN. Well, there are certain fish propagation experts in Virginia-the superintendent of propagation of fish in Virginia, for instance who claim the only practical thing is to grow the fish from 8 to 10 inches long in the hatcheries and then let them catch them in the next week. That kind of fishing has never interested me a bit and as long as you have certain areas like the national parks, where you can really protect a stream, I would like very much to see you try out a plan of restocking a stream one year, and testing it the next year to see what results-to see whether the fish are there, to see how much they have grown, so that we can get some idea on the relative merits of various methods of restocking. Mr. HOLMES. Do you not have certain times, a certain number of weeks you can fish for trout in Virginia, the same as we have up home? You can only take them within a certain number of weeks. The CHAIRMAN. We have a right long season that starts on the 20th of April, and it runs to the 1st of August, now, I believe. Mr. HOLMES. I think ours starts on the 15th of April and I think it only lasts 35 days. The CHAIRMAN. We have a long season, but-there is always the· conflict between the worm fisherman and the fly fisherman. The fly fisherman does not want to start until generally in May, and he complains that by that time the worm fisherman has cleaned the streams out pretty well. Even in a couple of months a fish does not get wild enough to afford any real sport. Mr. CAHALANE. Yes. Our policy in the national parks is, as far as possible, to provide quality fishing rather than quantity, and fishermen of the higher type have very much appreciated that. We have had some fine letters from anglers in Virginia, northern Virginia, who have wanted us to continue a management practice that we employed several years ago in Shenandoah National Park-of planting smaller fish in a couple of the streams, letting the fish grow under natural conditions, and then opening those streams for a short season. The CHAIRMAN. Of course, you do not allow any worm fishermen in the Shenandoah National Park and that helps some. Mr. CAHALANE. Yes; it does. Mr. HOLMES. But you could plant these streams after the season was closed and then they would have the benefit of that continual growth until the open season again. Mr. CAHALANE. By closing the season rather early and giving them a little time before winter to become acclimated. Mr. HOLMES. Yes. Mr. CAHALANE. I think we are going to have to come to that in many of the national parks, if this influx of visitors and use of the streams increases as much as the experts tell us it is going to after the war. I do not see how we will be able to provide practically unlimited fishing for everybody that wants to come in, especially in the eastern parks, but also in many of the western parks. The CHAIRMAN. Well, you have about 20,000,000 people within a day's drive of the Shenandoah National Park. Mr. CAHALANE. And I doubt that there is more than 50 miles of trout stream in the whole park, because each stream is so short. The longer streams can be hardly more than 3 miles long from the headwaters to where they leave the park. How are you going to provide for even the fishing enthusiasts among 20,000,000 people on 50 miles of stream? It is just impossible. Mr. HOLMES. It is a good thing they do not all go there the same day. Mr. CAHALANE. Mr. Chairman, what do you think of trying barbless hook fishing in some streams in a few of the parks? The CHAIRMAN. What would be your idea about that?' Mr. CAHALANE. Well, of making lots of fishing without taking out too many fish. Anyone except an expert would require quite a while to fill his creel. The CHAIRMAN. It is pretty hard to enforce. It takes pretty sharp eyes to see whether a hook has a barb on it. I expect a few worm cans have been sneaked in without you seeing them. Mr. CAHALANE. I will admit that. The CHAIRMAN. I am always reluctant to sponsor any law that I know cannot be enforced. I do know of a number of private owners that have a mile or 2 miles of stream that they restock, and they want to have some sport, but do not want too many fish taken out. When the guests come out, they have a pair of pliers and say, "We will smash down the barbs for you so you will not be bothered in releasing the small fish.” Mr. CAHALANE. Well, you understand that I would not extend that idea to many streams. I just thought of trying it on a few, perhaps one stream in each park. The CHAIRMAN. I doubt if that would be a wise idea, certainly with fish flies as hard to get as they are now. A man would have to mash down all his flies for one stream and then he could not use them to good advantage in some other stream when he really wanted to catch the few fish he hooked. Mr. CAHALANE. Surely. The CHAIRMAN. Does that complete your testimony? Mr. CAHALANE. It does. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, are there any further questions? The CHAIRMAN. We thank you for giving us this interesting report. Gentlemen of the committee, this concludes the witnesses that have been scheduled to appear before us. There are some State game departments that have not yet returned to us a report on their activities and their post-war plans as we requested. A motion would be in order to instruct the chairman to receive those reports and include them in the hearings, if they are received before the hearings go to the printer. And to also include at this point letters and resolutions received from the Western Association of State Game and Fish Commissioners, and the Council of State Governments. Mr. CHAPMAN. I will make the motion. Mr. HOLMES. Second it. The CHAIRMAN. Moved and seconded that the chairman receive and file those reports for inclusion in our printed hearings. Chairman of Select Committee on Conservation of Wildlife Resources, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Reference is made to your memorandum of November 16 to all State game and fish departments concerning work being undertaken in game and fish work, especially those where Pittman-Robertson funds are being used. We have in operation, at the present time, 10 Federal-aid projects with a total of approximately $52,935 involved. Of course, only three-fourths of this money is made available to the State through the Pittman-Robertson Act. Three of these projects are research; 5 are developmental; 1 land acquisition, and 1 wildlife management coordination. Some of the funds that we are spending at the present time are those that were made available 2 years ago, but we anticipate a shortage of Federal-aid funds during 1945 if our 1945 apportionment is not larger than it was for the year of 1944. We are planning for the near future an additional land acquisition project and a State-wide wild-turkey-restocking project which will entail a considerable amount of money. The more money that will be available the more counties we shall be able to include in this turkey-habitat-development project. For post-war plans, we have a tentative outline for 14 developmental projects which will entail the purchase of considerable land. We have also made plans for starting additional research projects as soon as trained men are available. These plans include the land-acquisition project, and will call for funds which will amount to at least $1,000,000 as the Pittman-Robertson Act's share. Of course, we do not expect to get a million dollars, but this is a long-time program and we feel that we have made our plans well in advance so that any amount of funds made available by Congress through this act will be well spent. Respectfully yours, ARIZONA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION, A. WILLIS ROBERTSON, Chairman, Select Committee on Conservation of Wildlife Resources, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: In response to your request for information regarding Arizona's present and future Pittman-Robertson plans of operations we transmit herewith copies of two general outlines of post-war plans of operation. They do not give estimates of possible costs since most of the future work will be based on the amount of money available, rather than how large each project could be expanded. The waterfowl development and wildlife water-development projects are both practically limitless from the standpoint of the amount of employment they could furnish. The outline dated February 20, 1943, includes both Pittman-Robertson work and work done exclusively by the game department. Because of the loss of practically our entire research staff to the armed forces, Arizona's present Pittman-Robertson projects are directed toward restoration and restocking through transplanting operations. We are trapping and transplanting turkey, antelope, quail, and squirrel from thickly populated areas to historical range from which the species involved has disappeared. Practically $21,000 has been budgeted to this project for the current fiscal year, and more will be needed next year. As research men become available we will be in constant need of additional funds to carry on the work we have planned. Any further information your committee may need will be gladly furnished upon request. Very truly yours, FRED MERKLE, State Game Warden. (A rough preliminary outline) PROPOSALS FOR WORKS PROJECT PROGRAM I. Develop a game farm and wildlife museum (operated preferably as a single unit). A. Purpose of the farm: 1. To propagate game species for restocking purposes and to sell to other States and zoos. 2. For studying all wildlife phases calling for close observations: (a) Disease studies. (b) Seasonal changes. (c) Food, water, and salt requirements. (d) Other phases. 3. For aesthetic value to the public. 4. To develop game farming practices of southwestern species which will become more important in the future. B. Work required on the game farm: 1. Construction of buildings: (a) Dwellings. (b) Barns. (c) Garages. (d) Supply sheds. (e) Office. 2. Construction of pens and pastures. 3. Construction of fish ponds, etc. 4. Construction of roads and walks. 5. Landscaping of the grounds. 6. Year-long employment of personnel: (b) One attendant. (c) One laborer. C. Purpose of museum: 1. Provide public recreation and information. 2. Provide a library of all wildlife publications on southwestern species. Proposals for Works Project Program-Continued 1. Deveop a game farm and wildlife museum (operated preferably as a single unit)-Continued. C. Purpose of museum-Continued. 3. Provide a monument to southwestern wildlife workers who gave their lives in the defense of our country. 4. To stimulate public interest in the wildlife of the State and Southwest. D. Work required on the museum: 1. Construction of museum building. 2. Construction of public rest rooms. 3. Year-long employment of personnel: (b) Taxidermist. II. Acquire and develop certain suitable military areas into game-management units: A. Purpose of the units: 1. Supply game in sufficient quantity to allow hunting, under a regulated system, in which all the participating hunters will be assured of a successful hunt. 2. Provide areas for wildlife study and management. 3. Provide sanctuaries for wildlife from domestic livestock. B. Work required on units: 1. Water development: (a) Drilling wells. (b) Erecting windmills. (c) Constructing catchment basins. (d) Constructing concrete dams. (e) Constructing dirt and concrete tanks. (f) Laying of pipe lines. (g) Constructing bird and small-game watering de- 2. Fencing unit boundaries against, domestic livestock. 4. Practicing erosion-control methods. 5. Restocking of game species. 6. Construction of roads and trails. 7. Construction of cabins for wardens. 8. Eradication of noxious plants. 9. Employment of extra management personnel: (a) Employing checking station operators during hunting seasons. (b) Employing extra wardens or overseers. III. Establish rifle ranges in vicinity of principal towns: A. Purpose of the ranges: 1. To provide areas where sportsmen may go to enjoy target practice. 2. To stimulate interest in the care and handling of firearms, which will result in better conduct in the field. 3. To alleviate the present situation of sportsmen having to target shoot on private lards or game ranges. 4. To utilize ammunition accumulated from war production. B. Work required on the rifle ranges: 3. Construction of target equipment. 5. Construction of shooting shelters. (b) Fireplaces. (c) Garbage pits. 7. Construction of boundary fences. |