The National Wildlife Federation
—Its Aims and Objectives
Carl D. Shoemaker
Conservation  Director
National Wildlife Federation
Washington, D. C.
On May 25, 1900, President William McKinley approved a bill
of historic significance to the wildlife movement in this country,
which had barely been recognized at that time. Thij is better known
as the Lacey Act. It extended the powers of the Department of Agri¬
culture "so as to include the preservation, distribution, introduction,
and restoration of game birds and other wild birds." The Secretary
was "authorized to adopt such measures as may be necessary to carry
out the purposes of the Act and to purchase such game birds and other
wild birds as may be required therefor, subject, however, to the laws
of the various States and Territories." The Congress very wisely
recognized the jurisdiction of the states over the wildlife within its
borders. The Act further states that its objective and purpose "is to
aid in the restoration of such birds in those parts of the United States
adapted thereto where the same have become scarce or extinct and also
to regulate the introduction of American or foreign birds and animals
in localities where they have not heretofore existed."
The Secretary was also authorized to make such rules and regula¬
tions to carry out the purposes of the Act which, in addition to the
foregoing, provided for the regulation of the interstate transportation
of foreign game animals and game and song birds, as well as the inter¬
state shipment of the carcasses of any such birds or animals.
There was at that time the Bureau of Biological Survey within
the Department of Agriculture, and this agency became responsible
for carrying out the provisions of this new federal law.
Very little other federal legislation was enacted with reference to
conservation until the Congress passed the law making waterfowl come
within the jurisdiction of the federal government. This law was
attached successfully in the courts, and later in 1916 the treaty between
the United States, Great Britain, and Canada was entered into for the
protection of migratory birds.
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