Memorandum on Transmittal of Fish and Wildlife Material for Secretary's Proposed Report, Pacific Southwest Water Plan

Memorandum: From James T. McBroom, to William I. Palmer, Transmittal of Fish and Wildlife Material for Secretary's Proposed Report, Pacific Southwest Water Plan, August 12, 1963 (carbon copy), page 2Angust 12, 1963 Language Proposed by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife for Incorporation in Secretary's Proposed Report on Pacific Southwest Water Plan Fish and Wildlife The Pacific Southwest Water Plan will provide splendid and significant new opportunities for outdoor recreation based on fish and wildlife resources. The new reservoirs, together with facilities planned specifically for fish and wildlife, and the management techniques proposed, will greatly increase the fish and wildlife resources of the region and the opportunties for fishing and hunting. The plan includes the construction of fish hatcheries and fishing lakes coupled with a scientific fishery management program to insure that thousands more will have a chance to fish -- whether for trout or for bass or for catfish. It provides for the development of wildlife refuges and other areas together with a scientific wildlife management program to insure that people in the future will be able to enjoy through seeing, photographing, hunting, or other means, the elk, the antelops, the deer, the bear, the pheasante, the quail, the rabbits, the ducks, and the geese which characterize the unique climate, physiography, and ecology of the Pacific Southwest. Hunting and fishing provided about 9.5 million days of recreation in 1960 for the present human population of 11 million. With the population of 39 million predicted for the area in 2020, opportunities for hunting and fishing to supply about 61 million days of recreation will be needed by that year. Money spent in the region by hunters and fishermen in connection with their sports amounted to nearly $50 million in 1960 and is expected to exceed $300 million by 2020 if the supply of hunting and fishing opportunities is adequate to meet the demands. A major portion of these recreational expenditures occure in the small communities near the hunting and fishing areas and represents an important segment of their economies. In addition to hunting and fishing, there are other recreational pursuits such as nature hikes, wildlife photography, and bird watching which are increasing in popularity and are also dependent upon the fish and wildlife resources of the area. The assurance of an adequate supply of fish and wildlife resources to meet this future demand for outdoor recreation will require the dedication of water for this purpose. Since much of this demand is for water-related recreation, it is essential that future water-development programs include recreation as a major purpose along with water supply, hydroelectric power, flood control, and irrigation. Of these, only water for minicipal and industrial purposes ranks higher in economic value than water for fishing, hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation according to Dr. Nathaniel Wollman of the University of New Mexico, an eminent authority on water-resource economies in the Southwest. The measures included in the Pacific Southwest Water Plan include two Federal fish hatchories, one Federal wildlife refuge, two State fish hatcheries, eight State wildlife management areas, and 79 State fishingEpson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 3,438,103 byte