What is the Model, exactly?
The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is a set of principles that guides wildlife conservation work, theory and practice in the United States and Canada.
The Model has seven basic principles:
- Wildlife resources are a public trust. Wildlife is not owned by individuals but rather is considered a public resource that is held in trust by the government to ensure its benefit for the present and future generations.
- Markets for game are eliminated. Though legal markets exist for the sale of fur, antlers, and other items, there are few legal markets for hunted game meat. In the past, unregulated hunting and selling resulted in population declines and loss of species.
- Allocation of wildlife is by law. Unlike some countries, North American people have equitable public access to wildlife which is not influenced by class, wealth or other personal attributes.
- Wildlife can be killed only for a legitimate purpose. Wildlife cannot be killed for unethical or inappropriate reasons. All hunting should be fair chase, done with respect for the animal and make use of all hunted game to eliminate wasteful killing.
- Wildlife is considered an international resource. Because animals migrate across borders, it is each country’s responsibility to look after them both in practice and in policy.
- Science is the proper tool to discharge wildlife policy. Decisions regarding wildlife and conservation policies should be informed by science. In this way, objective research that specifically studies these topics guides critical decision making.
- Democracy of hunting is standard. Theodore Roosevelt believed that the right to hunting opportunities was intrinsic to humans of good standing, and because of that, it is a freedom we share within our democracy.
The Model’s success toward ensuring healthy wildlife populations has been critical for the species it aims to conserve, with some like white-tailed deer and snow geese even flourishing to hyperabundant numbers that now pose their own unique set of challenges.
Though a set of principles, the Model has been guiding conservationists, policymakers and sportsmen alike on how to exist ethically and sustainably among all in the wild for generations. We hope you take this to heart too!
For more information, watch the video here.