Statement of
Conservation Policy of the New Jersey State Federation of
Sportsmen's Clubs, Inc.
The Conservation Policy of the New Jersey
State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs has these objectives:
- To foster in the people of New Jersey a keen
awareness of the many priceless riches upon it's soils,
waters, forests, minerals, plants, wildlife, and natural
geographic features.
- To build and encourage in these same people a commitment to the wise use and proper management of those resources for the benefit of all New Jersey, present and future.
To reach these objectives, we adhere to the following policies:
Conservation Education
- The NJSFSC believes that conservation education is the principal tool available to enable New Jersey's people to competently appraise and understand the values and importance of all natural, resources, and to learn to husband and wisely manage them in perpetuity. It is the policy of the NJSFSC to support the development and promotion of improved educational programs that will disseminate ecologically sound knowledge to further wise management and conservation of natural resources; to provide useful education materials to schools, youth groups and adult organizations to advance these principles; and to promote increased cooperation and communication among all agencies and groups concerned with conservation education.
Cooperation
- The NJSFSC recognizes the essential interrelationship of the various elements of the natural world and of society, and the need for our structure of government, our social philosophies, and the husbandry of our natural resources to be one and inseparable if we are to achieve and continue an enlightened civilization. For these reasons, the NJSFSC aligns itself with other agencies and organizations, public or private, that concern themselves with the sound management and wise use of our natural resources. We recognize that the depletion of the natural resources of another state, or even of another nation or continent, may adversely affect the welfare of New Jersey by placing a drain upon our resources or by damaging contiguous areas. For this reason the NJSFSC pledges its cooperation and assistance to agencies and organizations of other states, our nation, and other nations toward our common objectives.
Partisan Influence in Resource Management
- Intelligent and successful resource management
requires not only understanding and respect for the
natural environment and its resources, plants, animals,
soils, and water, and their relationship to one another,
but also an accurate appraisal of the needs of society
and mankind, economic, esthetic, legal, social and
intellectual. The NJSFSC firmly believes that the
management of the State's resources should neither be
directed nor influenced on the basis of partisan politics
or special user interests which conflict with the
over-all public good. It follows that agencies charged
with the administration of resources cannot perform their
responsibilities with the highest degree of honesty,
objectivity, and in the best interests of the people when
subjected to and hampered by partisan considerations or
special interest associations. For these reasons the NEW
JERSEY STATE FEDERATION of SPORTSMEN'S CLUBS will call
for and encourage public recognition of:
- The legal protection of individuals on
policymaking boards and commissions, and of officials
from political pressures or special interest group
pressures, leaving them tree to discharge their
duties objectively and in the best interests.
- The selection and appointment of policymaking
groups for overlapping terms, selected on the basis
of their ability to carry out long-range planning and
programs so vital to conservation, that may take
decades to accomplish; and who possess the proper
qualifications, abilities and commitment to recognize
the need for, to plan and carry out the best possible
long-range programs designed for wise use of our
resources.
- The selection of fully qualified personnel in all
state and local agencies on a non-partisan basis.
- The continuous improvement of personnel standards in state and local agencies.
- The legal protection of individuals on
policymaking boards and commissions, and of officials
from political pressures or special interest group
pressures, leaving them tree to discharge their
duties objectively and in the best interests.
Resource Conservation
Multiple Use
- To meet the increasing and broadening demands of an
expanding technology and human population the NJSFSC
believes the state and nation must adopt and apply the
multiple use principle in the management of all natural
resources. In this respect, 'multiple use" means the
harmonious and coordinated utilization of resources in
the combination of purposes best suited to meet the needs
of the people of the state and nation, and not
necessarily all purposes, or those giving the greatest
monetary return or unit output. These values, therefore,
should be adequately provided for by governmental
agencies in planning and development at local, state and
federal levels, and any educational program on resource
management planning should include an understanding of
this concept. Application of the multiple use concept
should include the establishment of these priorities:
- When esthetic and recreational values and needs
come into conflict on public lands with commercial
demands, the issue should be resolved in favor of
esthetic and recreational use to meet the public need
and demand.
- When multiple esthetic and recreational uses come into conflict on public lands, the issue should be resolved in favor of the broadest possible use consistent with the general health of the resource and its permanent preservation for present and future generations, and the high quality of each user's experience.
- When esthetic and recreational values and needs
come into conflict on public lands with commercial
demands, the issue should be resolved in favor of
esthetic and recreational use to meet the public need
and demand.
Wildlife
- The NJSFSC recognizes the esthetic and recreational
values of both game and non-game species of wildlife to
the public welfare, and the obligation of man as earth's
most powerful and destructive animal to maintain a
reverence for all life.
- In the management of wildlife the NJSFSC strives by educational means to protect and enhance the esthetic and recreational values through a sensible and scientific approach. Chief in the esthetic values to be protected are a reasonable balance in the ecological community, the quality of wildness in game, and, in man, the principles of sportsmanship. These qualities, we believe, add to the recreational benefits accruing to man in the utilization of wildlife resources.
Sport Hunting
- The NJSFSC believes strongly that both sport hunting
of game species and lawful trapping under proper
regulation are important and valuable tools in the
management and preservation of a healthy and high quality
wildlife population, and the control of less desirable
species.
- The NJSFSC holds the position that wildlife management, seasons and bag limits should be set by the Fish and Game Council, under the guidance of their game managers and game biologists, with input from concerned citizens.
Firearms
- The NJSFSC supports the right of citizens to own and
bear arms as specified in the Constitution of the United
States.
- The NJSFSC feels that gun control can best be served by complete enforcement of existing laws, already on the books, but is specifically opposed to gun registration and individual licensing.
Animal Damage Control
- The NJSFSC supports only those animal control programs that are justified biologically, socially and economically and closely regulated by State or Federal laws.
Endangered Species
- The NJSFSC favors legislation that would protect any
rare and endangered species, either plant or animal.
- The NJSFSC supports research on the biology of endangered species and promotes public support to provide a basis for their restoration, management or protection.
Introduction of Exotic Species
- The NJSFSC recognizes the dangers and effects developed by the introduction of exotic species. We support a broad educational program to make the public aware of the problems that can be brought on by their introduction.
Wetlands
- The NJSFSC is highly concerned with our wetlands. We
feel that all our wetlands must be protected:
- To preserve them.
- To prevent despoliation and destruction.
- To accommodate necessary economic development in
a manner consistent with wetland.
- To make the public aware of the wetlands primary
ecological significance.
- To provide that only necessary alterations should occur to wetlands of lesser values.
- To preserve them.
Rivers and Streams
- The NJSFSC believes the presence of clear,
unpolluted, free-flowing streams in our environment
indicates the environment's general good health. In
addition, we recognize that certain streams are uniquely
rich in scenery, productive of wildlife and valuable for
human recreation and esthetic enjoyment. In such streams
the natural values outweigh in social importance the
artificial values and the products to be attained through
engineering structures or modification of the natural
stream bed. The NJSFSC therefore believes:
- The rivers and streams should be retained in
their natural and free-flowing state wherever
possible.
- The single source as well as general pollution
must be identified and reduced.
- The optimum use principle must be applied to
certain uniquely rich rivers and streams so as to
classify them and see that they are not altered by
dams, diversions, channelization or river corridor
destruction and development, but are preserved in a
natural state.
- The designation of certain natural streams and rivers as Scenic or Wild through State or Federal programs must be in the best interest for their protection and encouraged where appropriate.
- The rivers and streams should be retained in
their natural and free-flowing state wherever
possible.
Lakes and Impoundments
- The NJSFSC recognizes the natural lakes and man-made
impoundments as major esthetic and recreational resources
having unique management and environmental requirements,
and of increasing importance to the well-being of our
people. A complete understanding of these unique problems
is vital to the environment and the NJSFSC therefore
believes:
- Both point and non-point pollution of these
resources must be identified and reduced.
- The multiple use concept should be applied to
these resources, allowing full sport and recreation
use where ever consistent with the health of the
resource.
- Programs of research and education should be encouraged and supported which will lead to a fuller understanding of the management needs and problems of these resources for the benefit of all the people.
- Both point and non-point pollution of these
resources must be identified and reduced.
Stream and Wetlands Alteration
- The NJSFSC opposes alteration programs that cause
permanent damage to the physical and biological resources
of wetlands and streams.
- The NJSFSC supports programs and practices that promote the wise management of our wetlands and streams, including the retention of surface water at its watershed of origin, conserving natural reservoirs of underground water and maintaining a high standard of water quality.
Petroleum Development Off Shore
- The NJSFSC supports those petroleum developments deemed to be in the public interest, provided that alternatives to such developments have been thoroughly studied and determined to be environmentally and socioeconomically unfeasible. We also urge that practical measures be taken to reduce or mitigate all environmental and biotic damage resulting from petroleum development.
Toxic Substances and Pollutants
- The NJSFSC asserts the principle that the producer of
toxic chemicals and substances and the generator of
contaminating wastes, whether citizen, industry or
government, has a social responsibility and a moral
obligation voluntarily to prevent the fouling of the
environment. At the same time we recognize that
regulations and enforcement are necessary to preserve and
to restore clean waters, clean air, rich soil and a clean
and healthy environment. In recognition of the growing
threat to public health, esthetic and recreational
values, the NJSFSC declares the following objective
policies:
- To promote encouragement and development of
public education programs on the combat of pollution.
- To keep sound, adequate and effective pollution
control programs and laws throughout the State.
- To use investigative studies designed to
ascertain the sources, distribution and accumulation
of toxic chemicals and other pollutants.
- To help adequate authority and funding at the
local, state and federal levels to clean up pollution
in cases where the producer or generator cannot or
will not do the job.
- To promote adequate sewage and solid waste
treatment facilities in every industry; application
of land and water management techniques to curtail
siltation and eliminate pollution of surface and
subsurface water supplies by dangerous chemicals or
radioactive wastes or debris.
- To advise use of short-lived, organic and biodegradable chemicals and of environmentally responsible methods of pest control.
- To promote encouragement and development of
public education programs on the combat of pollution.
Private Lands
- The NJSFSC recognizes that the living standards of
this State will be conditioned in major part by the land
management practices and philosophies of her private
landholders; that the water resources of this state are
dependent on the proper management of private as well as
public lands; that much of the recreational opportunity
in the state today involves either access through or
actual use of private property; and that private land
tenure implies and a custodial responsibility of all
resource values for present as well as future
generations, not only to the landowner's family, but to
all the family of man.
- The NJSFSC, therefore, wishes to aid in developing a
proper public attitude and sense of responsibility toward
the use of private lands. Only through mutual and
intelligent respect and understanding between the public
desiring to use private lands for recreation the
occupants and/or owners of such land will this goal be
accomplished.
- We support and encourage research and educational programs, public and private, that tend to develop a fundamental understanding of the ecological relationships necessary to the management of land in New Jersey and all its products.
State and National Parks, Monuments and Historical Sites
- The NJSFSC endorses the principle of preservation of
all natural values upon which the New Jersey Park and
State Forest System is founded. As a matter of policy eve
stand ready to defend National and State Parks, Monuments
and Historical Sites against unseemly commercialization
or engineering developments which would alter or destroy
the natural, scenic, scientific and recreational values
for which any particular area was established or set
aside.
- We recognize the problems inherent in maintaining the ecological balances of nature on such limited areas in the face of pressure for overuse by man, and that special measures may be necessary at times to control them for the health and quality of the resource.
Natural Areas
- The NJSFSC recognizes that natural areas provide important public benefits including uses for wildlife, recreation, hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, watershed protection, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation, and historical purposes. We believe the values of natural areas will grow in importance as increases in human population and the demands of economic development continue to take their toll on the Nation's stock of wildlife and recreational lands. The NJFSCS is committed to working for management of natural areas that will leave their unique natural values unimpaired for future use and enjoyment. We pledge ourselves to educate and inform the public on the necessity of protecting the Nation's dwindling wilderness resources.
Soil Conservation
- The NJSFSC holds that the conservation of soil
resources, including the restoration of depleted term and
forest lands, is vital to the economy and security of the
State and to the health of her people. Good land use also
is basic to wildlife management and to the protection of
water resources through run-oft control and prevention of
siltation and eutrophication.
- The NJSFSC will continue in an attempt to educate the Public on the need for more effective soil conservation practices and programs, both on public lands and in cooperation with private landowners and operators, and will cooperate with and contribute to educational efforts aimed at making all users of the land familiar with soil conservation principles and techniques.
