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Imperial Valley in California: Southern California provides some bandwiled pigeon shooting as well The Pacific Southwest contains wintering areas for ducks, geese, and other water-loving birds especially along the Lower Colorado River and in the vicinity of the Salton Sea where the marshes, lakes, reservoirs, and other water areas provide good habitat. Much reduced in comparison with historical times, available waterfowl habitat in recent years has taken on significance because of its present limited extent. Hunting ducks and geese remains in high favor in the Pacific Southwest. Fur animals of the region do not have the economic importance they have in other sections of the United States but are of interest to a large segment of the human population and add variety to the wildlife of the region. Muskrats, beavers, raccoons, opossums, bobcats, coyotes, and ringtailed cats are part of the larger and more commonly recognized fauna of the Pacific Southwest, and coati-mundi are found in the extreme southern part of Arizona and possibly the southwestern part of the region in New Mexico. Minks are not uncommon in some localities while badgers and skunks are common in most of the region. The ubiquitous gray foxes and the desert-dwelling kit foxes also occur in the Pacific Southwest. Programs for Development Recognizing the great interest in fish and wildlife resources, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and the several State fish and game departments have expended much effort and money to meet the increasing demands for fishing and hunting in the Pacific Southwest. Broadly viewed, the programs of these agencies fall into several categories: regulation, habitat management and improvement, introduction and stocking, and research. The chief concern here is that adequate land and water be allocated and maintained to meet the human wants related to fish and wildlife. Because of its scarcity, water is of critical importance to fish and wildlife of the Pacific Southwest, yet the increasing attrition of the habitats of such natural resources for the so-called higher uses of man must be reckoned with here as elsewhere. Toward the end that land and water may produce more fish and wildlife, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and its state counterparts have shown great interest in the habitat, the physical plant on which fish and wildlife are so dependent Lands have been purchased and leased and agreements entered into with the objective of producing more of these resources and, relatedly, space in which the public may fish and hunt and otherwise enjoy fish and wildlife. 5Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 13,694,976 byte