ABSTRACT
Abstract .................................................................................................................... 38 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 38 A Survey of Southeastern Wildlife Agency Section Chiefs .....................................40 Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................46 Acknowledgments .................................................................................................... 47 References ................................................................................................................ 47
Wildlife management and the wildlife profession are based in scientišc research. Development of the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit program in 1935 and passage of the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937 enabled state wildlife agencies to formalize science-based management programs that have resulted in numerous wildlife restoration and management successes. However, many wildlife species and ecosystems are in need of efšcacious management. Increasing demands on state wildlife agencies for public services, coupled with budget and labor reductions, may reduce capacity and priority for research-based management. To evaluate this issue, we electronically surveyed the wildlife section chiefs of sixteen member states of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies relative to the following topics: (1) perceived importance and priority of research in achieving their management goals and objectives; (2) history, current status, and anticipated future organizational structure and allocation of labor and funding for research; and (3) perception of the role and effectiveness of universities, Cooperative Wildlife Research Units, and non-governmental organizations in meeting their agency’s research needs. The results and implications of this survey are presented and discussed.
