How to Legally Protect Wildlife

Take part in land acquisition programs. One way to protect wildlife is to transfer ownership (or possession) of private property to the government. In certain situations these transfers can be made for the purpose of wildlife conservation. One example of this is the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) easement programs. If you utilize these programs, the NRCS will provide financial assistance as well as easement oversight when you enter into a conservation easement with them. While you will maintain possession of your land, NRCS will hold certain property rights.^[9]

• Some states also offer programs to help transfer private lands into public hands. For example, in Massachusetts, there is a Land Protection Program meant to protect biologically diverse lands in the state. If your land is eligible (i.e, biologically diverse and accessible), the government will pay you to transfer certain property rights to the government. At a minimum, you will usually need to allow for wildlife protection and public access for certain activities.^[10]

Urge the federal executive branch to vigorously enforce conservation laws. The federal executive branch (i.e., the President and executive agencies) is responsible for executing the laws of the United States. A number of these agencies are responsible for enforcing conservation laws. For example, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for implementing the ESA. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers are responsible for implementing the Clean Water Act (CWA). These agencies can enforce federal laws on public lands, which include Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, national parks, and federal wildlife preserves.

• If you want to advocate for wildlife protection on public lands, contact one or more federal agencies and let them know you would like to see better enforcement. If you see a potential violation, contact the agency and ask them to look into it.
• In addition to contacting the agencies, you may also want to write a letter the President of the United States. The President is ultimately responsible for executing the laws of the U.S. and if they want to be reelected, they will listen carefully to your concerns.

Encourage Congress to create more national parks. National parks are created by acts of Congress. When a national park is created, that land is protected by the National Park Service. Employees work to recover and protect all the species located on national park land.^{[11] [12]}

• Because Congress is responsible for creating national parks, you should talk to your representatives about public lands you believe would be good candidates for national parks. You can write them a letter and explain your stance. Members of Congress will usually respond to your letter and discuss your stance with you. Your representatives depend on you to get elected so every one of them is likely to take your concerns seriously.

Report illegal hunting or fishing. Hunting and fishing on some public lands are permitted so long as you obtain the correct permits. Permits to hunt on public lands allow you to hunt at certain times and at certain locations. In addition, permits regulate what animals you can hunt and how many you can take. So long as everyone in your group follows the rules, hunting on public lands can actually be positive for the ecosystem.^[13]

• However, if the rules are broken, the person or people hunting or fishing can be punished. For example, if a game warden sees suspicious activity and they catch you doing something you shouldn't be doing, you can be fined or even charged with a misdemeanor.^[14]
• If you see someone breaking fishing or hunting rules on public lands, you should call your state fish and wildlife service or other law enforcement agency responsible for patrolling the area you saw the activity.

Contact NOAA if you think you see violations. NOAA is a federal agency responsible for executing laws pertaining to the ocean. Some of those laws help protect oceanic mammals, marine fisheries, and habitat from destruction. One piece of NOAA's mission is to support fisheries in order to maximize the productivity of sustainable fisheries. In addition, NOAA helps protect, recover, and conserve protected species.

• While NOAA patrols, inspects, and monitors fisheries, they cannot do it all by themselves.^[15] If you see a fishery being overfished, or if you see a restricted fishing area being fished, contact NOAA immediately. When you contact NOAA, give them your information, a description of the activity you are seeing, and in depth instructions about where you are at.

Reach out to nonprofit organizations. Government agencies are not the only organizations trying to protect marine wildlife. There are countless nonprofit organizations around the U.S. with the mission of protecting and conserving these animals. If you have any question about laws or regulations, or if you need help bringing a lawsuit against someone you think has broken the law, contact a local nonprofit.

• For example, the Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) is a nonprofit organization working to protect marine wildlife around the globe. They have multiple offices staffed with attorneys, scientists, and outreach specialists ready to help you.^[16]

Fish responsibly and sustainably. Ocean fishing is a huge industry around the world and accounts for a large supply of our annual seafood. Unfortunately, if fishing is not conducted in a sustainable manner, it can lead to overfishing and population depletion. When a fish population becomes depleted, it can be hard for individuals to reproduce. If fish can't reproduce, you can't continue to eat them. Therefore, it is important to understand the laws and regulations regarding what can be fished, when it can be fished, and the manner in which it can be fished.

• Some species can only be fished at certain times during the year and in certain areas. For example, salmon fishing in the ocean of the coast of Washington state can only take place at certain times and in certain locations.
• In addition to having fishing seasons, some species can only be fished using certain methods. For example, some fishing can only be done with a hook and line, while in other situations you may be able to use a trawl netting.

Avoid buying wild animals. Wildlife is often sold around the world to collectors, tourists, and other individuals with an exotic eye. This is particularly true overseas, where national laws may not outlaw the sale of wildlife like the U.S. does. Even if the sale of certain species is outlawed, law enforcement is often corrupt and will look the other way.

• While you should personally avid purchasing wildlife, especially if it is endangered, you can also help prevent the whole process. If you think you see an illegal animal being sold, you should contact the local law enforcement agency in your area. If you are on a tour or at a hotel, tell an employee.^[17]

Support wildlife conservation groups. Countless nonprofits around the world fight for the conservation of wildlife every day. However, nonprofits cannot run without funds. If you have the ability to donate to this cause you feel strongly about, you should do so. Donating money will allow scientists to continue to protect habitat, lawyers to continue to fight on wildlife's behalf, and legislative teams to lobby legislatures.

Think twice about visiting zoos and aquariums. While some zoos and aquariums are in existence to help conserve wildlife, there are others that simply exploit it. Before you visit a zoo or aquarium, do some research about it. For example, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is run by the nonprofit Heal the Bay. Heal the Bay runs the aquarium to raise money in order to protect the species you are going to see. The aquarium is also meant to give people an idea of the type of wildlife living right of the coast of Southern California.^[18]

• On the other hand, some people might claim an organization like SeaWorld exists to exploit wildlife. Instead of trying to conserve and safe marine mammals, SeaWorld takes them from their natural habitats and trains them to do things they would not do in the wild.

Be conscious of where products come from and how they are tested. A lot of tourist products, especially those in biodiversity locations, come from parts of wildlife. For example, when you go to Africa you might see little trinkets made from ivory (elephant tusks). If you go to a coastal community, you might see shells for sale. When you see these products, you should avoid purchasing them. When you purchase these things you are promoting the killing of the animals that use them. This tourist trade is driven by demand and if you don't buy the products, people will not make them^[19]

• In addition, a lot of products are tested on animals in labs. For example, some makeup and other beauty products are tested on monkeys before they are sold to humans. Before you buy these products, make sure you know if they were tested on animals. if they were, do not buy them.

Dispose of trash properly. Trash can harm wildlife in a variety of ways. For example, birds can get their heads caught in plastic rings. Other wildlife can consume trash, like plastic bags. To avoid poisoning wildlife, you should properly dispose of your trash.^{[20] [21]}

• You can also pick up other people’s trash. Once a month, you could go out for a walk with a giant trash bag. Pick up as much garbage as you can.

Recycle. Try to reuse as much as you can.^[22] By reusing products, you reduce the stress put on the environment. Most cities have recycling programs even if they are not mandatory. Call your town or city manager’s office for more information.

• You should be especially careful to recycle electronic devices. The Environmental Protection Agency publishes a list of places where you can recycle mobile phones, personal computers, and televisions.^[23]

Use pesticides sparingly. Pesticides can run off your plants and into rivers and streams, where they can kill off fish. Try to follow these rules for using pesticides so that they do not harm wildlife:^{[24] [25]}

• Choose the least toxic products on the market. If possible, don’t use pesticides unless you absolutely must.
• Avoid applying pesticides when it is raining.
• Clean up all spills immediately.
• Always leave a buffer between the plants you treat and any body of water.
• Don’t spray flowers directly when bees are visiting the flowers. Only apply pesticides at night, when bees aren’t visiting.
• Avoid disposing of pesticides in storm drains, sewer systems, or waterways. Instead, follow disposal methods recommended on the label.

Eat responsibly and sustainably. Think about what is on your plate before you eat it. You should try to eat plants (e.g., fruit and vegetables) whenever possible. Not only will this result in less animals being killed for food, it also helps reduce freshwater withdrawals and deforestation. If more freshwater and forests are available and healthy, more wildlife will have habitats to live in. You should also reduce your meat intake if possible. Meat production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn perpetuate climate change. When the earth's climate changes, wildlife lose habitat and die off. When you eat seafood, try to choose sustainably fished and local seafood only. A lot of species are at risk of being over-fished and should therefore be avoided.^[26]

Purchase green products. The materials that make up the products you buy come from the environment and some are harvested more sustainably than others. If you consciously choose what to buy and where to buy it from (e.g., coffee, chocolate, furniture), you will be able to help reduce the harmful impacts certain products have on wildlife.

• For example, when you buy wood furniture, ask where the wood was harvested from and if it was harvested sustainably. If the company cannot give you a direct answer, do not buy their products.^[27]
• When you buy chocolate, one of the ingredients in it is cacao. If cacao is not harvested sustainably, it can lead to deforestation and destruction of bird habitat.^[28]