Keeping An Eye Out For Wildlife Viewing Critters Carries Impact Too

Tundra swans - so what? Orca whales - who cares? Wolf reintroduction - no way!

The task seemed overwhelming. But for roughly 15 years, a new management field has gradually been rounding out American wildlife values.

Hunters have traditionally looked out for elk and anglers have promoted trout. But so-called “watchable wildlife” programs are reaching out to wildlife enthusiasts who have been slow to ante up for lower profile creatures such as bats and bluebirds.

Wildlife isn’t valued solely for table fare. Proof is in the marketplace, where industries are tapping the pleasure humans derive in simply watching fish, birds and animals.

Whale-watching charters are big business on the Pacific Coast. A festival celebrating trumpeter swans has been a boon to Courtenay, British Columbia.

But as the world tunes in to nature, watchable wildlife managers are struggling with ironic consequences.

“Cameras and binoculars can essentially be lethal instruments in the hands of an insensitive handler,” said Bill Gabriel, a biologist and professional photographer.

Birders have been known to trespass into restricted refuge areas to add a new species to their life list. Photographers have thrown rocks at park elk to make them lift their heads and hounded birds until they abandon their nests.

Rangers have killed numerous black bears in Glacier National Park after visitors turned the bruins into dangerous pests by addicting them to human food.

A 63-year-old woman was gored by a buck this year while feeding apple slices to mule deer in the Wallowa Lake campground near Enterprise, Ore.

Birding hotlines broadcast exact locations of rare birds. Tour boats have been cited for harassing pods of whales.

The dilemma is difficult. Critters without constituencies are losing ground in North America. But crowds of wildlife “appreciators” could have an impact rivaling the advancing bulldozers.

The phenomenal interest in bald eagles is a case in point.

Wildlife officials have issued a monthlong boating closure on a stretch of the Missouri River below Canyon Ferry Dam near Helena. Research indicated that boats could drive away some of the 300 bald eagles attracted each winter to feast on spawning kokanee.

A designated viewing area is established near the dam; walking along the river is prohibited. “The theory was that the more people-tolerant eagles would stay near the visitor center and the shy birds would have a place to feed undisturbed,” said Debra Richie, watchable wildlife coordinator for the Forest Service in Montana.

“But all the eagles are tending to shy away from the viewing area. It’s our continuing quest to get people near the birds without disturbance.”

Meanwhile, proposals for boating restrictions to protect eagles have been dropped on a 10-mile stretch of Washington’s Skagit River.

Spawning chum salmon attract up to 300 bald eagles attracted each winter to feast on spawning kokanee.

A designated viewing area is established near the dam; walking along the river is prohibited.

“The theory was that the more people-tolerant eagles would stay near the visitor center and the shy birds would have a place to feed undisturbed,” said Debra Richie, watchable wildlife coordinator for the Forest Service in Montana.

“But all the eagles are tending to shy away from the viewing area. It’s our continuing quest to get people near the birds without disturbance.”

Meanwhile, proposals for boating restrictions to protect eagles have been dropped on a 10-mile stretch of Washington’s Skagit River.

Spawning chum salmon attract up to 300 bald eagles to the river in the fall. Raft companies have been asked to voluntarily wait until at least 10 a.m. to launch. Tougher restrictions were on the table last year, but the issue became moot.

“Yes, we’re flushing eagles off the river, but in the big picture it’s probably not having much impact,” said Jeff “Bernie” Bernatowicz, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department eagle expert.

Silt flushing down from the Chocolate Glacier combined with changes in water releases from Gorge Dam have redistributed salmon spawning and made their carcasses less available to eagles.

“Boaters are low on the worry list,” he said.

But people are high on the list of concerns at Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Few wildlife watchers were on hand 10 years ago when Bureau of Land Management biologists counted a record 73 eagles at Wolf Lodge Bay. Since then, interest in eagle watching has mushroomed while the number of returning birds dropped to about 30 last year.

About 1,000 people a day paraded around the bay on Highway 97 last year between Christmas and New Year’s Day, said Scott Robinson, BLM eagle specialist.

The 4,000 people who registered at the BLM’s viewing display represented six foreign countries and 31 states from Florida to Alaska and Hawaii, he said.

“People are disturbing eagles and possibly displacing them,” said Susan Weller, an area bird surveyor. “The problem would be minimal if people would stay in their cars. But they get out, slam their doors, let their kids run around and scream, and now boats are encroaching, too.

“These people don’t know any better,” she said. “On the other hand, people want to do the right thing. The challenge is getting the information to them.”

Beth Paragamian is making a gallant try.

The Coeur d’Alene-based watchable wildlife coordinator for state and federal agencies is among hundreds of disciples nationwide preaching the importance of wildlife diversity as well as wildlife stewardship.

Since 1991, Paragamian has been packing a carload of critter parts to schools and campgrounds throughout North Idaho.

The wild victims of road kills and poaching live on in her collections of skins, skulls and stuffed birds. The props capture the attention of children from Bonners Ferry to St. Maries long enough for Paragamian to explain why deer have teeth that grind while cougars have teeth that puncture and rip.

A few songs or skits hold their attention through a discussion of a species’ food requirements, followed by a lesson in habitat preferences, which may lead to talk about adaptations ranging from ear shape to fur color.

Rubber critter feet allow kids to make tracks that help them understand how birds and animals run, jump and swim as part of their survival mechanisms.

“Watching and understanding wildlife requires patience,” she said. “That’s a hard concept to get across in a culture tuned to fast food and 10-second sound bites.”

In the week after Christmas, Paragamian will be sharing her knowledge at Wolf Lodge Bay. While she enjoys the interest the public shows in the eagles, she recognizes the dearth of interest for other creatures.

“Ospreys and hawks are just as interesting as eagles, but the marketing isn’t there,” she said. “The osprey isn’t on dollar bills.”

Paragamian coordinated the building of a blind at Thompson Lake near Harrison to help people observe the workings of a marsh without disturbing the wildlife.

But many Americans aren’t ready for this and other wildlife viewing sites in natural habitats.

“People see a viewing area sign and they expect to see wildlife,” she said. “It doesn’t always work that way. The concept is to help them understand habitats that wildlife use, but that’s a little dull to some.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color photos

MEMO: See related story under the headline: Where to see wild animals

This sidebar appeared with the story: VIEW GUIDE A series of books provides an excellent introduction to classic wildlife habitats and viewing areas in Idaho, Montana, Washington and 21 other states and provinces. Each state edition of the “Wildlife View Guide” series (Falcon Press, telephone 800-582-2665, $5.95-9.95 each) is written by a different regional author to provide details, maps, photos and ecosystem primers for specific regions. Just released from Falcon is “Watching Wildlife,” by Mark Damian Duda ($9.95) with a companion video ($19.95). The book and video are how-to guides, based on a biologist’s career, that help you get the most out of a wildlife watching experience.