National Park Service US Department of the Interior Natural Resources Stewardship and Science Wildlife Fertility Control in the US National Park Service Does it Make Sense Jenny Powers Rick Kahn Margaret Wild ID: 711516
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E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the InteriorNatural Resources Stewardship and Science
Wildlife Fertility Control in the U.S. National Park Service – Does it Make Sense?
Jenny Powers, Rick Kahn, Margaret Wild
Biological Resources Division Slide2Slide3
NPS Wildlife Management
Motivation for taking management action
Mission, mandates, laws, policyInterpretation is keyChanging paradigms over time
Preserve the “good” animals; provide experiencesLet nature take its course (Leopold Report 1963)Returning to active management to preserve and restore ecosystemsSlide4Slide5Slide6
NPS Mission
Organic Act of 1916:
“…[The] purpose [of the NPS] is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the
enjoyment of future generations” (54 USC §100101). Emphasis addedSlide7
NPS Policy
The NPS Management Policies (NPS 2006) directs managers to “…understand, maintain, restore, and protect the inherent
integrity of the natural resources, processes, systems, and values of the parks while providing meaningful and appropriate opportunities to enjoy them.” Additionally, “the Service recognizes that natural processes and species are evolving and the Service will allow this evolution to continue minimally influenced by human actions.” The “natural condition” is one that describes the condition of the resource “that would occur in the absence of human dominance over the landscape.”
…”intervention will be kept to the minimum necessary to achieve the stated management objectives.” Slide8
Ungulate Fertility Control in the NPS
Research
Yellowstone National Park elk – 1960sMammoth Cave National Park deer – 1970sVirgin Islands National Park burros – 1990sFire Island National Seashore deer – 1990sPoint Reyes National Seashore elk – 1990sRocky Mountain National Park elk – 2000s
Theodore Roosevelt National Park horses – 2010sManagement Assateague Island National Seashore - horsesCape Lookout National Seashore - horsesSlide9
Why did the NPS try fertility control?
Looking for options during a period of transition
Personal relationships and networkingSpecial interest supportLiving laboratoriesNo hunting in many areas with abundant ungulatesPopulations are often accessible
But did we ever ask ourselves the hard questions at the Service-wide level?Slide10
Asked the Service
Managers from across the NPS
Parks that have usedParks that haven’tParks that mightRegionsPrograms
2 daysExplore the scienceExamine our cultureDoes fertility control fit?Slide11
Technically can we use fertility control?
Allowed under our laws and policy
Product + application + feasibility = meeting objectivesTimeframeCostSlide12
Should we use fertility control?
Interpretation of NPS policies
“Naturalness”Ecosystem management“Hands off” Wilderness characterKilling animals
Incorporation of stakeholder viewsCoordination and collaboration for shared management States (wildlife)BLM (horses)NGOs (unique circumstances)Slide13
Workshop Outcomes
Common themes
NPS policy supports natural processesHowever, ecosystem change often necessitates active managementLow tolerance for uncertainty in collateral effectsManagement that is least manipulative and preserves or restores natural function is the most desirable Timeframes
Sustainability is important (e.g., cost, partner engagement)Co-management responsibilitiesThe ah-ha momentSpecies ecology and ecosystem processes are more consistent with NPS values than preservation of an individual animalSlide14
Under what circumstances?
Less likely
More likely
Domestic/exotic species, closed populations, highly disturbed ecosystems, certainty of outcome, regulated product, stakeholder agreement
Native species, open populations, functioning ecosystems, unknown collateral consequences, unregulated product, stakeholder disagreementSlide15
Limited applications in the NPS
Fertility control most likely to be used
Non-native species Intensive managementSlide16
Next steps
Where is the NPS likely to go with fertility control?
Parks determine how to apply workshop outcomes to inform management decisions
Accurate portrayal in planning documentsMore involvement with co-managersSlide17
Acknowledgements
(http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/)
Workshop participants: B. Hulslander, C. Zimmerman, A. Turner, K. Leong, J. Ransom, R. Monello, S. Stuska, D. Niosi, D. Jacob, L. Ries, S. Bates, M. Foley, N. Gates, K. Ferebee, T. Johnson, B. Whitworth, K. Heister, S. Windels, R. Wallen
Workshop Science expertise: D. Baker, T. Hobbs, M. Nelson, A. Moresco
Peer review: A. Kane, G. Sargeant, H. B. Underwood, D. EckerySlide18
Questions?
(http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/)