Legitimate release/repopulation programs

[Stefan-A]

Dig deep enough, I think you'll find a few, the basic facts remain... it's illegal and it doesn't work.

I'd like to emphasize that part. The number of individuals is rarely the problem, it's just a symptom and then increasing the numbers is just going to make things worse. Anyway, there have indeed been other discussions and more detailed explanations can probably be found there.

[mtolypetsupply]

These opinions make me wonder, then, why the NJDEP insisted as a part of our contract that we hired herpetologists (the company used degreed biologists and non-degreed individuals) to catch herps from our jobsite at the exit 69 interchange on the Garden State Parkway to release in another location. They seemed to feel that removing them from a construction site and moving them to an appropriate safe location was a valid reason for release. Not every release or repopulation effort is about introducing a species where none is found, or into a foreign area. And since it was NJDEP protocol, perhaps a herper on here could have participated in something like that in their home area, or while an intern in school. Perhaps it was as part of herp society volunteer work.

With the economic stimulus package of Barack Obama having a good portion earmarked for infrastructure projects, there could be some opportunities to volunteer or create our own volunteer opportunities with local agencies. If anyone had already participated in that, they could help guide those of us who were interested in contacting the appropriate agencies, and get things started for others who wanted to design a volunteer effort where none exists. And, the herpetologists were actually paid to be at our jobsite. Perhaps someone would be interested in starting a business, seeking those gov't contracts, etc.

I don't see how it's illegal, if you are working with the DEP or FWS. And if it doesn't work, perhaps you could provide studies from legitimate agencies/scholarly journals so that we can start to lobby our government? If it's not working, I'd like them to stop spending money on it, that's for sure!

[Stefan-A]

These opinions make me wonder, then, why the NJDEP insisted as a part of our contract that we hired herpetologists (the company used degreed biologists and non-degreed individuals) to catch herps from our jobsite at the exit 69 interchange on the Garden State Parkway to release in another location. They seemed to feel that removing them from a construction site and moving them to an appropriate safe location was a valid reason for release.

I think we're talking about something completely different here. That's relocation, not captive breeding and release. It's just about getting a few individuals out of harm's way.

[snakeman]

even when you relocate.They usually die.Big waste of time and money.It's just a cover so they can build where they want.

[Stefan-A]

even when you relocate.They usually die.Big waste of time and money.It's just a cover so they can build where they want.

Many of them do die, but that's still (marginally) better than leaving them where they'll die for certain, from an animal welfare perspective. But I agree it's a waste of time and money from a nature conservation perspective, although I'd love to be proven wrong.

[MasSalvaje]

In our area, we have had coyote reintroduction programs, raccoon capture/vaccinate/release programs, fish reintroduction/stocking, not to mention the other programs across the country, such as the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone. Bison were endangered, and are now so plentiful they are a food source, because of captive breeding efforts. And integrated pest management is all about introducing living things that are beneficial to the environment into locales where they did not exist before, or did not exist in as plentiful numbers to create the desired impact.

Something that has been touched on but not explained is why the Reintroduction plans that you have stated have been successful is the reason they were taken away in the first place. *Note, not all reintroduction programs have been a success, some have devastating results, such as is the case in many of the fish introductions here in the West.

Bison, Wolves, Coyotes, and even the American Aligator were all put in jeopardy by over hunting, not by habitat loss. Leaving plenty of natural range for these animals to expand and grow naturally to previous numbers after a bit of a jump start from us. In the case of habitat loss there is much less we can do to help jumpstart the process because there is no natural land to exand. The example I will show with that is the American Crocodile. They will never reach the numbers they were previous or any where near the numbers of Gators because they have no where to go. There has been many of the same reintroduction programs with the Crocs and Gators, so why has one been so much more successful than the other? Again it is the reason for the numbers declining in the first place.

-Thomas