Ballard, G. B., Jr., Louisville, Ky., telegram dated August 16, 1965.. Barnes, C. M., Jr., New Orleans, La., letter dated August 18, 1965- Barnickol, P. G., assistant director, Missouri Conservation Commis- sion, telegram dated August 16, 1965-- Beise, Charles J., Denver, Colo., letter dated August 16, 1965.. Bettencourt, Rod O., Al's Sports Shop, Vallejo, Calif., telegram Biggs, John A., chairman, Pacific Flyway Council, Olympia, Wash. Letter dated August 18, 1965, enclosing resolutions adopted by Boller, Ardene D., Arcadia, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965- Bransford, Wallace L., president, Chesapeake Duck Club, Salt Lake City, Utah, telegram dated August 16, 1965-- Brown, J. W., M. A. Saunders, Jr., J. H. Johnson, and George S. May, Memphis, Tenn., telegram dated August 16, 1965 - - . Burke, F. R., chairman, Dura Bond Bearing Co., Palo Alto, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965. Carraway, Jim, executive director, Mississippi Game and Fish Com- Clarke, Kingsley M., Des Moines, Iowa, letter dated August 20, 1965- Coit, Henry H., national trustee, Ducks Unlimited, Buffalo, N.Y., Dahl, Norman, Glasgow, Mont., telegram dated August 17, 1965- Davison, A. B., secretary, Butte Lodge Outing Club, Colusa, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965– Diumenti, Dr. G. S., Salt Lake City, Utah, telegram dated August 17, Feist, Irving, Newark, N.J., telegram dated August 16, 1965--- Gotschall, D. E., Palo Alto and Los Altos, Calif., telegram and letter Hager, Frank S., St. Louis, Mo., telegram dated August 17, 1965. Halsing, Robert E., secretary, Duck Hunters Association of Cali- Hinrichs, F. C., Clinton, Iowa, letter dated August 19, 1965- Holmes, Colin, Berkeley, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965. Hudoba, Mike, Sports Afield, letter dated August 18, 1965, enclosing Karnes, R. M., Alhambra, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965.. Keller, Jack, Fairfield, Calif., telegram dated August 15, 1965---- Kelley, Claude D., director, Alabama Department of Conservation, 141 Kralik, Sam, Jr., treasurer, Ohio Outdoors Club, letter dated August 140 Marcotte, Robert D., Omaha, Nebr., telegram dated August 16, 1965__ 129 Communications submitted by-Continued Marsolek, R. E., Palo Alto, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965-- Mitchell, Harry W., Vallejo Steam Laundry & Dry Cleaners, Vallejo, Moore, Herman A., vice chairman, Wildlife Committee, North Caro- Muehlberg, Mrs. O. H., Stockton, Calif., letter dated August 18, 1965, Novy, Jerry, United Outdoorsman of California, telegram dated O'Brien, George J., San Marino, Calif., telegram dated August 16, Olson, Wayne H., commissioner of conservation, State of Minnesota, telegram dated August 16, 1965- Page 131 129 15 129 139 129 134 132 15 127 128 Ottney, Garth H., Marysville, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965– Peacock, John B., Orchard & Wilhelm Co., Omaha, Nebr., telegram dated August 17, 1965- Phillips, Innes, State chairman, Ducks Unlimited, Wichita, Kans., Reily, Charles S., New Orleans, La., telegram dated August 16, 1965_ Richmond, Robert, Eureka, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965-- Schmidt, H. G., president, Ottawa Shooting Club, letter dated 126 128 135 127 153 132 137 Shepard, James M., director, Massachusetts Fisheries and Game, telegram dated August 16, 1965_ 130 Skae, E. A., Club Limited, Detroit, Mich., letter dated August 16, 1965. 140 Smith, J. R., superintendent of game management, Wisconsin Con- 132 130 129 Telegram dated August 13, 1965, to Congressman George Senner_ Treadwell, Tim, cochairman, Ducks Unlimited, State of Tennessee, telegram dated August 17, 1965_-. Vaughn, John V., Los Angeles, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965- Wilder, Norman G., director, Delaware Game and Fish Commission, telegram dated August 16, 1965- Wise, Sherwood W., Jackson, Miss., letter dated August 17, 1965---- Zall, Sam, Marysville, Calif., telegram dated August 16, 1965. WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1965 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 9:30 a.m., pursuant to call, in room 2253, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. John D. Dingell (acting chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. DINGELL. The Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation will come to order. This morning, the subcommittee will begin hearings on the subject of wildlife conservation as it would relate to migratory waterfowl regulations. For the past several years, there has been considerable controversy among the State, wildlife conservation organizations, and sportsmen over the administration of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by the Fish and Wildlife Service in connection with its determination of season and bag limits on migratory waterfowl. It appears that we still have not been successful in achieving the happy medium of sufficient protection to assure a continued supply of ducks while at the same time provide sufficient encouragement to continued hunter participation. This is the time of the year when studies preliminary to the determination of season and bag limits are under consideration, together with the recommendations of the flyway councils and national conservation organizations. The Chair is most hopeful that the testimony received today will be given serious consideration by the Secretary before a final determination on these regulations is made later on in the week. This hearing was set up on Thursday last at the request of the Louisiana delegation, which accounts for the hurriedly compiled witness fist. In the interest of time, since only 1 day exists for the purpose of this hearing, if any witness desires, he may submit a statement. It is the hope of the chairman, however, that everyone who is heard will be as brief and as concise as possible. The Chair notes the gentlemen from the Louisiana delegation are present and we welcome you. Mr. HÉBERT. I represent the Louisiana delegation. 1 STATEMENT OF HON. F. EDWARD HÉBERT, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF LOUISIANA Mr. HÉBERT. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, to identify myself, I am Edward Hébert, of Louisiana, representing the First Congressional District of Louisiana. I appear, this morning, Mr. Chairman, along with the members of the Louisiana delegation who are in Washington at the moment, and also with the representatives of the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission of the State of Louisiana, Mr. Hair, and his assistant, Mr. Yancey. These gentlemen will go into the details of the problem. However, in appearing for the Louisiana delegation, I must take cognizance of the fact, Mr. Chairman, as you well know, that our late colleague, T. Ashton Thompson, was probably one of the outstanding leaders in this field and occupied the Chair during his life when he served here in the Congress. Late Congressman Thompson had always showed the way in this particular field and it is in great tribute to him that the Louisiana delegation here this morning appears in saludo to present not necessarily the case, but to indicate their affirmation of that which Congressman Thompson stood for, and also to express to you their full confidence in Mr. Hair, who is an expert in this field. The delegation appears, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, not seeking a liberalization of the anticipated ruling on the forthcoming duck season, but seeking a justifiable and just ruling. We do not approach this problem in a matter of liberalization, but what is proper and what is just. Louisiana, as you well know, is probably one of the most famous duck grounds in the entire United States. Most of it is located in my congressional district, which is at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Other coastal members here also have great reserves and hunting grounds, and naturally thousands and thousands of Louisianians are particularly interested. However, again we don't speak just for Louisiana, but we speak for all of the duck hunters who come in our State and we welcome them. With your permission, I would like to introduce the Vice Dean of the Louisiana delegation, my colleague, Mr. Morrison, of the Sixth Congressional District. Mr. DINGELL. We certainly welcome Mr. Morrison, as we did you, and also my good friend Mr. Waggonner who is very interested in this hearing. STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES H. MORRISON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF LOUISIANA Mr. MORRISON. Mr. Chairman, I certainly appreciate the opportunity of being here on behalf of our State. I certainly reiterate the sentiments of our distinguished dean saying that our Louisiana delegation is solid in the backing of Mr. Hair in asking the committee to take into consideration the solution that would be satisfactory to us, one that we could live with which would be the same as we had last year. Congressman Edwin Willis wanted to be at this meeting and still may be able to be at this meeting. He had been in Louisiana, but he sent word to me to please have his name go on record as being solidly behind the Louisiana delegation. I have a few remarks I would like to make. I am here to present a statement of my views concerning the duck-hunting regulations that are to be established within the next few days by the U.S. Department of the Interior for the forthcoming hunting season. Last year Louisiana was given a duck season of only 40 days in length with a general bag limit of four ducks, of which no more than two could be mallards. I understand that last week a meeting was held here in Washington at which time the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife proposed that last year's hunting regulations be curtailed drastically on the Mississippi flyway, of which Louisiana is a part. This information has gotton back to Louisiana, and I have been beseiged with complaints about this proposed move. The people in my area have for several years been extremely dissatisfied with the hunting opportunities allocated to Louisiana. In 1961 and 1962 large numbers of duck hunters were forced to quit the sport altogether because they were allocated limited hunting seasons and small bag limits. The hunting season at that time was only 20 or 30 days, and the bag limit two or three ducks. As a result of these unnecessary restrictions, duck stamps sales in Louisiana declined from 106,000 in 1955 to 39,000 in 1962. Fortunately, in 1963 and 1964 hunting regulations were liberalized slightly, and many hunters again bought stamps and renewed their interest in the sport. Last year some 85,000 duck stamps were purchased in Louisiana, indicating that interest was being renewed in duck hunting and waterfowl management. If we now go back and make the same mistakes that were made in 1961 and 1962 and again drastically curtail hunting opportunities, we stand a good chance of killing the sport entirely. We sometimes wonder if this is the intention of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. Resentment against the Bureau's activities in Louisiana during recent years in curtailing this sport is well known. In spite of the tremendous program for the benefit of waterfowl that has developed on the private and State levels in Louisiana, little consideration of their views has been given by the Bureau. This attitude should be changed. During the past several years at the time that the Bureau was complaining about the tremendous duck shortages, Louisiana was wintering some of the highest populations on record; 5 to 7 million ducks have been using our State for the past several years because of the high-quality marshes and wintering grounds that we have there. These stories about duck shortages cannot be sold to the people of Louisiana when our sportsmen see these millions of ducks each winter. Neither can they understand the necessity of cutting hunting opportuntites to such an extent that they will no longer go into the marshes. We understand that they are talking in terms of having a daily bag limit of only one mallard and general bag limit of only two to three ducks with a season length of only 25 to 35 days. This is a ridiculous set of regulations and it will kill waterfowl hunting as an outdoor sport in Louisiana. |