Wildlife Refuge Essay Research Paper GrayLodge Wildlife

Wildlife Refuge Essay, Research Paper

Gray

Lodge Wildlife Area, located in Butte County of Northern California, serves many

purposes to surrounding communities, including wildlife. Divided in two

segments, this refuge serves the wildlife and recreational desires of visitors;

one segment is for the waterfowl to rest, and the other designated for hunting.

Approximately 50,000 visitors come to this Wildlife refuge every year. Various

activities and events bring spectators of nature and sport hunting year round,

regardless of weather. Hunting is only allowed three days a week in the season

designated. Visitors travel here to observe waterfowl in courtship activities,

migration, or to bird watch in general. Of the 50k visitors every year, 15,000

are hunters. Through fees paid for the privilege to hunt this protected area,

the hunters pay for the luxury of viewers or spectators. Grey Lodge Wildlife

Area when first bought in 1931, being only 2,500 acres and 9,200 acres

presently. An abundant water supply is needed to manage this area, with most

water coming from Lake Oroville. Although a wildlife refuge areas are initially

viewed as natural, they factually are not different from any ranch. The land is

totally managed, with the same tactics and equipment, with one thing different;

this being the harvesting of crops. All crops are actually harvested by the

waterfowl and wildlife. In parts of the year, marshes are burned, and some land

is disked to regenerate new growth. The management of this area is a 365-day

job, with flooding, seasonal hazards, and poachers. Forty percent of management

time is spent on water management, being the whole livelihood to the refuge

area. Along with bird watching sites and special segments for hunting, there are

special access sites for the disabled hunters. These are special blinds

accessible with a placard from the Department of Motor Vehicles, and are an

outcome from the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. The walkway to these

special blinds is laid with sand and other materials, somewhat solidifying, for

the use of a wheelchair. Like any community, disease and sickness occur in the

wildlife area. Prompt action is vital to the population of waterfowl, and

overall wildlife. Fowl Cholera is a nasal born disease occurring during a severe

cold spell, or water conditions available just are not right. Mammals and small

rodents are also known to perish as a result from this disease. All waterfowl

and animals need be disposed, for the attempt to save remaining in jeopardy.

Vegetation management is also an issue on this wildlife refuge. The use of

herbicide to control various exotic, unwanted, class one pests is common. The

Arundo, a giant bamboo cane, is a flood control inhibitor, and difficult to do

away with. Most of the biomass to this plant is underground and in this area.

Grey Lodge in the fourth year of treatment has an Arundo Eradication Team,

emphasizing the need to rid of this weed. Other plants on this wildlife refuge

native, or not; desirable or not; are-milkweed (undesirable), native blackberry

(desirable), non-native blackberry (undesirable), and parrots feather

(undesirable aquatic weed). Summary Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, located in Butte

County of Northern California, serves many purposes to surrounding communities,

including wildlife. Divided in two segments, this refuge serves the wildlife and

recreational desires of visitors; one segment is for the waterfowl to rest, and

the other designated for hunting. Only three days of the week are designated as

hunting days, leaving the other four to strictly sightseeing and management

time. The three days of hunt are Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. The privilege

to hunt includes a fee, which in turn, allows other events on the refuge to be

free of fees. Approximately 50,000 visitors come to this Wildlife refuge every

year. Visitors travel here to observe waterfowl in courtship activities,

migration, or to bird watch in general. All crops are actually harvested by the

waterfowl and wildlife. Vegetation management is also an issue on this wildlife

refuge. Other plants on this wildlife refuge native, or not; desirable or not;

are-milkweed (undesirable), native blackberry (desirable), non-native blackberry

(undesirable), and parrots feather (undesirable aquatic weed).