May 12, 1982 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 9759 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS FUTURE UNCERTAIN FOR among the thousands of Missourians who monitoring and computer analysis, is an im­ COOPERATIVE RESEARCH UNITS recently floated our Ozark National Scenic portant part of many unit projects. Riverways, you may have seen him an­ Marteney was accompanied on his night chored near a lazy river bend or prowling floats by two other fishery unit students. HON.HAROLDL. VOLKMER the shaded backwater pools across a gravel One investigated and compared the rivers' bar. Chances are he was scribbling in a note­ smallmouth bass populations. The other OF MISSOURI book or peering through binoculars, his at­ studied the characteristics of black and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tention rooted to a blue- and rust-colored golden redhorse sucker populations and how Wednesday, May 12, 1982 wading bird familiar to any Ozark canoe­ these rough fish are affected by gigging, a ist-the green heron. fall and winter sport with many devotees in e Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, along Kaiser has much more than a casual inter­ the Ozarks. Marteney also did some daytime with its cuts in many education and re­ est in these herons. A graduate student in floating and even snorkeling to find out search programs, the administration the Missouri Cooperative Wildlife Research what kind of habitats rock bass use. has once again proposed the elimina­ Unit, a part of the School of Forestry, Fish­ These projects may sound like more fun tion of Cooperative Wildlife and Fish­ eries and Wildlife at the University of Mis­ than work. Many of the students would eries Research Units. Two such units souri-Columbia, he is investigating the ecol­ agree the field work is an enjoyable necessi­ are located at the University of Mis­ ogy of green herons on Ozark streams. His ty of most wildlife and fisheries research. souri-Columbia, and are of particular float trips involved long hours of quiet, But for every hour a student spends out­ concern to me. I rise today to urge the careful observation and painstaking record­ doors, at least one hour, and often more, is ing of everything he saw relating to his sub­ spent indoors in order to compile, organize Appropriations and Budget Commit­ jects. Kaiser's master's degree thesis will and analyze the data. The final product, tees to provide the necessary funds to provide needed basic information to wildlife thesis or dissertation, is far more than an operate this useful, productive pro­ biologists about the feeding behavior and academic exercise. The three riverways fish­ gram. nesting habitats of these aquatic birds. eries studies, like the green heron research, The cooperative program began in That's the pure research part of the will provide National Park Service biologists 1935, and there are now 50 of these re­ project, describing how the green heron fits and managers with detailed information search units nationwide. These units into an Ozark stream ecosystem. Like most they want and need but otherwise could not utilize the combined physical and fi­ projects undertaken by the Missouri wildlife afford to gather. The benefits of coopera­ unit, Mark's study also has a practical, prob­ tive unit projects are mutual for both grad­ nancial resources of the U.S. Fish and lem-solving side. The question here is: How uate student and government agency. Wildlife Service, State conservation does man's recreational use of these streams The Missouri cooperative units' oldest and departments, and State land grant uni­ affect feeding and nesting of the heron, a closest association has been with the Mis­ versities. In addition to training wild­ colorful and necessary member of these souri Department of Conservation. The as­ life and fishery personnel, these pro­ rivers' wildlife? sociation began July 2, 1937, when the grams support valuable research in re­ Kaiser's research found that green herons newly created Conservation Commission, in source management. stop feeding and loafing along the river its first official action, authorized participa­ The Missouri units have been espe­ channel in direct proportion to the number tion in a Cooperative Wildlife Research cially useful in meeting local and na­ of disturbances, primarily canoeists. Some­ Unit to be located at the University of Mis­ times the birds will fly to nearby backwaters souri. A wildlife conservation building, one tional needs. Graduates have held im­ and return after the floaters pass. Constant of the first in the nation, had been complet­ portant positions in the Missouri Con­ disturbance, which is common on summer ed on the Columbia campus the previous servation Department, the University weekends as flotillas of canoes blanket year. <Separate fishery units were created of Missouri and other major universi­ many stretches of the Current and Jacks starting in 1962; Missouri's was among the ties and colleges, private firms, the Fork, often results in a heron completely first, established that same year.) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and abandoning the river for the day. Visual For many years, the Department's fisher­ other Federal agencies. Research re­ avoidance of humans is characteristic of ies and wildlife research biologists and their sults have been used in the vital devel­ nesting sites as well. The birds often choose lab equipment occupied the lower floor of opment of management schemes for thick stands of honey locust and boxelder the building, which later was named Ste­ for this purpose. phens Hall in memory of E. Sydney Ste­ various species of fish and wildlife, in­ The National Park Service, managing phens, the first Conservation Commission cluding deer, bass, and mourning agency for the riverways, provided the chairman. When the Department's research doves. Other worthwhile studies in­ major share of funds for this wildlife unit biologists moved into their new building in clude the assessment of wildlife habi­ project. Besides helping train a professional 1970, it was a short haul-just a few blocks tat quality and the effects of water de­ wildlife biologist, the park service will use down the street and still on university prop­ velopment projects. Recent findings Mark's findings in formulating a new man­ erty. The tradition of a close working rela­ will be used by the National Park agement plan for the riverways. tionship that has evolved between the coop­ Service in devising a new management Fishing is another popular form of river­ erative units and the Department probably ways recreation. Ron Marteney, a graduate exceeds Ding Darling's fondest hopes. plan for Missouri's popular Ozark ri­ student in the Missouri Cooperative Fishery Darling, a nationally known editorial car­ verways. Research Unit, spent last summer studying toonist and outspoken conservationist in the An article in the April 1982, Missouri rock bass (goggle-eye), a favorite quarry of 1930s, took the lead in promoting the estab­ Conservationist describes these units many anglers on Ozark streams. Marteney's lishment of cooperative wildlife research and their uncertain fate. I am submit­ project was aimed at gathering information units at land-grant colleges across the coun­ ting this article to the RECORD for my to fill the many gaps in biologists' knowl­ try. Professional wildlife management was colleagues' information, and urge you edge about rock bass in Missouri. He studied in its infancy. Darling envisioned a program to support funding for this important, and recorded size and age structure, growth in which graduate students would get useful program. and food habits of rock bass populations on hands-on, practical experience in wildlife re­ several stretches of the upper Jack's Fork search, the basis for wise management, by FuTURE UNCERTAIN FOR COOPERATIVE and Current rivers. tackling current questions and problems. RESEARCH UNITS Marteney accomplished some of his objec­ Advice and assistance would come from <By Jim Murphy, Student Intei n, Columbia, tives by regularly electro-fishing <shocking) both university professors and "real world" Mo.) the selected stretches from March to No­ professionals, particularly in state conserva­ Some people have all the luck. Mark vember, usually at night to avoid interfering tion agencies. Kaiser, for instance, spent a good part of with canoeists or fishermen. Learning about Darling's energies and some of his money the last two years paddling and walking the and using modern research techniques and bore fruit when the Iowa Wildlife Unit Current and Jacks Fork rivers. If you were equipment, such as electro-fishing, radio began operation in 1935. Responsibility for e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. 89-059 0-85-44 <Pt. 7J 9760 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 12, 1982 coordinating a variety of projects, allocating gratory wildlife, and many state conserva­ Misuse and abuse of Missouri's waters the funds and supervising graduate students tion agencies. The more that is known about occurs with alarming frequency. Gary Whe­ at each unit was given to unit leaders and a species and all the factors affecting its ex­ lan's master's project is looking into the ef­ assistant leaders, who are biologists in the istence, the better the success in wisely fects of heavy metals contamination in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This federal managing its populations. Big River in eastern Missouri. This is one of agency oversees the program nationwide. Regulated hunting is an important tool in several related projects at the Fish and Both Missouri units have three principal the managenment of white-tailed deer popu­ Wildlife Service's Columbia National Fisher­ funding and cooperating agencies-the U.S. lations. The extent of unregulated hunting, ies Laboratory, located a few miles from the Fish and Wildlife Service <one-half of the poaching, and its effects on deer long has college campus.