THE FUR IS FLYING; DEBATE RAGES OVER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT : SPECIALTY GROUPS SEEK INVOLVEMENT.

Byline: Keith Lair

When the harbor seal population began to diminish, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made it illegal to hunt, touch or hurt the marine mammals.

This is one example of how government agencies and conservation groups became involved in wildlife issues. Their participation, however, has not been without controversy.

Is it the job of DFG director Robert Hight and the Fish and Game Commission - all appointed by the state governor, who is elected by the people - to determine what is best for the state's wildlife? Or is it the job of organizations to determine that policy?

``I absolutely oppose specialty groups getting involved in wildlife management,'' said Ed Hover, the California conservation director for the Izaak Walton League. ``That should be in control of the Department of Fish and Game. What these groups do is a lot of (political) lobbying. They're thinking of Bambi, dealing with sentiment.''

On the other hand, Mountain Lion Foundation executive Lynn Sadler said it isn't fair for the DFG to run roughshod over these organizations. Instead, the state should look at other methods of solving problems.

``It's not just about what to do with mountain lions, beavers or gnatcatchers,'' she said. ``We're saying that they should try to find other ways to do things. The agencies are not following the public's wishes. They've been like a bunch of kids that want their way. All we're saying is there are different ways to handle things and a lot of interpretations.''

Legislation protecting endangered species has had significant statewide impact:

Anglers now curse at harbor seals for stealing their catch as they reel in the fish. San Diego officials have had to resort to roping off a portion of the city's popular Children's Pool beach at La Jolla to protect the seals from people. Many boaters and anglers up and down the West Coast consider the animals a menace.

Since the mountain lion initiative was first passed in 1992, hunters claim it has ruined the state's deer population, resulting in fewer in-state hunting license purchases and less funds to support California's wildlife. There also have been increased reports of mountain lions attacking humans throughout the state.

After traps were made illegal in November's election, two coyotes attacked a San Jose-area hiker. Biologists note the only way to remove the animals safely is through traps; no other method will work effectively.

Part of the problem is that specialty groups want to protect one species - and sometimes that means at the expense of others, while other times that group's efforts provide a side benefit.

``Each group is beneficial,'' said Patti Krueger, a biologist for the Angeles National Forest. ``A group like Quail Unlimited may be interested in protecting and improving the habitat of quails, and their work benefits all other species.

``The problem with specialty groups that focus on one animal is that they may focus on the problems of that animal and overlook the overall picture,'' Krueger said. ``There are extremists everywhere.''

Hover is unhappy with the harbor seals decree, stating the animals have all but wiped out the Pismo clam population. ``They're scavengers,'' he said. ``They overeat and ruin pristine areas.''

Not everyone shares his view.

``The seals have rights, too,'' Dorene Carlson told one newspaper about the seals occupying La Jolla beaches. ``By leaving them alone, we're teaching our children to respect other creatures.''

Krueger believes at the heart of the debate is the management issue.

``The point is, who is managing the (mountain lion) herd?'' she said. ``The Department of Fish and Game feels by hunting it can manage the herd and they feel they can do that without a problem.''

When wildlife begins preying on humans and pets, wildlife management could be in trouble, she added.

``When an animal is consistently in backyards and not utilizing its habitat, that means it is being pushed into urban areas,'' Krueger said. ``If an animal is completely protected, then you're lacking the ability to look at the big picture. Wildlife is then being influenced by people.''

If it weren't for controls, the bald eagle and the gray whale would not have rebounded from the endangered lists, and the mountain lion and harbor seal might have replaced the eagle and whale on those lists.

``The question is,'' Sadler said, ``do we have a Mountain Lion Foundation to protect only mountain lions, or do we follow our mission statement to protect all California wildlife, with the mountain lion as a point of reference from which we look at the entire (eco)system?''

Some activist groups and agencies that lobby or work to protect fish and game within California include:

Mountain Lion Foundation (916) 442 - 2666

Sierra Club Angeles Chapter (213) 387 - 4287

California Trout (415) 392 - 8887

Defenders of Wildlife  (202) 682 - 9400

Ducks Unlimited (901) 758 - 3825

Dept of Fish and Game, Reg. 6 (562) 590 - 5126

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(202) 208 - 4131

Izaak Walton League (301) 548 - 0150

National Wildlife Federation (202) 797 - 6800

Nature Conservancy (703) 841 - 5300

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3 Photos

PHOTO (1--3--Color) Since California voters approved the mountain lion initiative outlawing their killing in 1992, the big cats, center, have wiped out a strain of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. The Department of Fish and Game was set to kill a population of beavers near Lake Skinner that was threatening the endangered gnatcatcher, pictured above right, until a citizens' group stepped in. Hunters say mountain lions have ruined the state's deer population, at left.

Gnatcatcher photo courtesy of Jim Gallagher; photos by John Fontes and Greg Andersen