Hammsolo
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 16, 2020
- Messages
- 1,659
Hey All,
I have copy and pasted my comment below. I came at it from position of a Washington Resident, and Scientist. Feel free to use the email or information within to comment. Actually, please comment. Shane Mahoney and @Big Fin have really motivated me recently to start commenting more and getting to commission meetings. I will share my statements here in hopes of you taking action also. As I tell my students Change=Change. If I don't work hard for change, change will not occur. The recent Youtube episodes and podcasts have been inspiring!
Good Morning,
My name is Nick Hamm. I am a Spokane resident, husband, father, teacher, scientist, outdoorsman, and passionate animal and habitat conservationist. I work diligently to teach in school and out about wildlife biology, conservation and systemic thinking. In Washington we are blessed with bountiful habitat and wildlife thanks to the work of our citizens and policies. Habitat loss and degradation is the number 1 threat to all of our wildlife, and we must act now to preserve and enhance it if we want to support our cherished system. We must continue to actively use and follow the Washington Wildlife Commissions Mission and The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation if we plan to manage wolves, their habitat, and all other interconnected species (including ourselves) effectively.
Systemic thinking is key to conservation. We all must understand that a natural system is an innumerable group of factors/variables that interact through inputs of energy and matter and outputs of energy and matter. Imagine you build a fish tank ecosystem and it is sitting near you. This system begins with water, an air pump for circulation and aeration, a filter for the water, substrate/rocks for growing healthy bacteria for processing fish waste, snails for eating algae, and you. You observe the tank and the snails begin to die. You do some research and reach out to experts. You look for data and tested science. You infer that there must not be enough algae for the snails due to lack of algae from just starting the ecosystem. You move the tank closer to a window and also begin to feed the last few snails an algae disc daily. You observe the snails eating the algae discs and all seems in balance. Within a few days you start to notice algae growing quickly on the tank walls. You make the inference that you need to add more snails. You purchase many new snails, and they begin eating the algae on the tanks walls. Balance achieved! Next you start to observe snail eggs, and even tiny snails crawling around the tank. You believe the tank is in balance... Suddenly you realize there are hundreds of snails. The snails quickly eliminate all perceivable algae and begin to die. You begin to feed them algae wafers, and they continue to reproduce. You visit your favorite pet store and learn that goldfish love to eat snails. You purchase a goldfish and it begins eating snails, but there are just too many. You purchase 3 more fish. The fish go to work, and soon you realize your goldfish are spawning! The goldfish quickly eat any snail available to them. You begin to supplementarily feed them. They continue to spawn... This continues on and on. You observe and you infer... You are the manager of the system.
Who is the keystone species of this system? We are. We are the only one, because a true keystone species creates and/or holds the ecosystem together. Without the species the system doesn't exist. The true keystone species in WA is the beaver. According to the National Park Service, the North American beaver is a keystone species, a unique organism that supports the entire biological community. The term “keystone” refers to a wedge-shaped block that forms the apex of a stone arch, the brick that holds the entire span in place. If you remove the keystone the arch collapses. We hold the arch up. We must continually observe, research, infer, act, analyze, and adjust in order to manage the system effectively. We must realize that to conserve the system we must be active, because we cannot truly move away from the system. We are part of it. We live with it.
We are one of the keystone species in Washington, and the only way to not be would be to leave the planet. We breathe the air. We drink the water. We live on the land. We eat plants and animals for energy and matter to sustain life. Those plants and animals consume energy and matter to sustain their lives while needing habitat for safety, shelter and more. We consume other resources for shelter, clothing and more. We utilize energy and matter to sustain our life, while needing habitat for safety, shelter, and more. Everything we do from expanding cities to growing crops affects Washington Wildlife. If we live in Washington we manage Washington.
How do we want to manage the wildlife, including the wolves, of Washington? For decades the Washington Wildlife Commision has used their mission (The Commission establishes policies to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities compatible with healthy and diverse fish and wildlife populations.) and The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to bring wolves back from extinction and to manage vast other species effectively. The North American Model that has operated so effectively is based on seven interdependent principles: Wildlife resources are conserved and held in trust for all citizens, commerce in dead wildlife is eliminated, wildlife is allocated according to democratic rule of law, wildlife may only be killed for a legitimate, non-frivolous purpose, wildlife is an international resource, every person has an equal opportunity under the law to participate in hunting and fishing, scientific management is the proper means for wildlife conservation. Finally, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies formally endorsed the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation at its 100-year anniversary meeting in September 2002 in Big Sky, Montana.
I could go on and on, but the focus must stay clear and concise. The mission of the commission is clearly defined. The Commission is part of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is part of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. The Association follows the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This has worked to restore ~37 wolf packs to our ecosystems. The wolves in Northeastern Washington are even over the pack objectives at ~20. The goal is 18.
We are meeting our goals for wolves, and this tells us the Commission System and the Model of Wildlife Conservation is working. We must follow the mission and model. Do not change these two functional systems. I call upon the Washington Wildlife Commission to follow all applicable laws, rules, regulations, their own Scientists data, and the North American Model to manage wolves.
Thank you for your time, dedication, and efforts, Nick Hamm
Washington Wolf Policy Comments
I have copy and pasted my comment below. I came at it from position of a Washington Resident, and Scientist. Feel free to use the email or information within to comment. Actually, please comment. Shane Mahoney and @Big Fin have really motivated me recently to start commenting more and getting to commission meetings. I will share my statements here in hopes of you taking action also. As I tell my students Change=Change. If I don't work hard for change, change will not occur. The recent Youtube episodes and podcasts have been inspiring!
Good Morning,
My name is Nick Hamm. I am a Spokane resident, husband, father, teacher, scientist, outdoorsman, and passionate animal and habitat conservationist. I work diligently to teach in school and out about wildlife biology, conservation and systemic thinking. In Washington we are blessed with bountiful habitat and wildlife thanks to the work of our citizens and policies. Habitat loss and degradation is the number 1 threat to all of our wildlife, and we must act now to preserve and enhance it if we want to support our cherished system. We must continue to actively use and follow the Washington Wildlife Commissions Mission and The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation if we plan to manage wolves, their habitat, and all other interconnected species (including ourselves) effectively.
Systemic thinking is key to conservation. We all must understand that a natural system is an innumerable group of factors/variables that interact through inputs of energy and matter and outputs of energy and matter. Imagine you build a fish tank ecosystem and it is sitting near you. This system begins with water, an air pump for circulation and aeration, a filter for the water, substrate/rocks for growing healthy bacteria for processing fish waste, snails for eating algae, and you. You observe the tank and the snails begin to die. You do some research and reach out to experts. You look for data and tested science. You infer that there must not be enough algae for the snails due to lack of algae from just starting the ecosystem. You move the tank closer to a window and also begin to feed the last few snails an algae disc daily. You observe the snails eating the algae discs and all seems in balance. Within a few days you start to notice algae growing quickly on the tank walls. You make the inference that you need to add more snails. You purchase many new snails, and they begin eating the algae on the tanks walls. Balance achieved! Next you start to observe snail eggs, and even tiny snails crawling around the tank. You believe the tank is in balance... Suddenly you realize there are hundreds of snails. The snails quickly eliminate all perceivable algae and begin to die. You begin to feed them algae wafers, and they continue to reproduce. You visit your favorite pet store and learn that goldfish love to eat snails. You purchase a goldfish and it begins eating snails, but there are just too many. You purchase 3 more fish. The fish go to work, and soon you realize your goldfish are spawning! The goldfish quickly eat any snail available to them. You begin to supplementarily feed them. They continue to spawn... This continues on and on. You observe and you infer... You are the manager of the system.
Who is the keystone species of this system? We are. We are the only one, because a true keystone species creates and/or holds the ecosystem together. Without the species the system doesn't exist. The true keystone species in WA is the beaver. According to the National Park Service, the North American beaver is a keystone species, a unique organism that supports the entire biological community. The term “keystone” refers to a wedge-shaped block that forms the apex of a stone arch, the brick that holds the entire span in place. If you remove the keystone the arch collapses. We hold the arch up. We must continually observe, research, infer, act, analyze, and adjust in order to manage the system effectively. We must realize that to conserve the system we must be active, because we cannot truly move away from the system. We are part of it. We live with it.
We are one of the keystone species in Washington, and the only way to not be would be to leave the planet. We breathe the air. We drink the water. We live on the land. We eat plants and animals for energy and matter to sustain life. Those plants and animals consume energy and matter to sustain their lives while needing habitat for safety, shelter and more. We consume other resources for shelter, clothing and more. We utilize energy and matter to sustain our life, while needing habitat for safety, shelter, and more. Everything we do from expanding cities to growing crops affects Washington Wildlife. If we live in Washington we manage Washington.
How do we want to manage the wildlife, including the wolves, of Washington? For decades the Washington Wildlife Commision has used their mission (The Commission establishes policies to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities compatible with healthy and diverse fish and wildlife populations.) and The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to bring wolves back from extinction and to manage vast other species effectively. The North American Model that has operated so effectively is based on seven interdependent principles: Wildlife resources are conserved and held in trust for all citizens, commerce in dead wildlife is eliminated, wildlife is allocated according to democratic rule of law, wildlife may only be killed for a legitimate, non-frivolous purpose, wildlife is an international resource, every person has an equal opportunity under the law to participate in hunting and fishing, scientific management is the proper means for wildlife conservation. Finally, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies formally endorsed the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation at its 100-year anniversary meeting in September 2002 in Big Sky, Montana.
I could go on and on, but the focus must stay clear and concise. The mission of the commission is clearly defined. The Commission is part of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is part of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. The Association follows the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This has worked to restore ~37 wolf packs to our ecosystems. The wolves in Northeastern Washington are even over the pack objectives at ~20. The goal is 18.
We are meeting our goals for wolves, and this tells us the Commission System and the Model of Wildlife Conservation is working. We must follow the mission and model. Do not change these two functional systems. I call upon the Washington Wildlife Commission to follow all applicable laws, rules, regulations, their own Scientists data, and the North American Model to manage wolves.
Thank you for your time, dedication, and efforts, Nick Hamm
Washington Wolf Policy Comments
