Prof. Aldo Leopold

area. Meanwhile you keep putting out more birds and you have to if you are going
to shoot any, as I understand the law. The contemplating of your project puts
two thoughts into my mind. The first is what is to prevent the game preserve
members from individually securing shooting rights on neighboring farms. Under
these circumstances the overflow from the game preserve will first of all benefit
the individual members who have leased the adjoining farms, and that, of course,
is contrary to the intent of the law. As I understand it, the whole theory of
the law is to give private individuals sufficient encouragement so that they will
restock the neighborhood.
Then another thought occurs to me. Why shouldn't your project be a
twin project -- operate on one series of farms until they become thoroughly stocked,
and as that time approaches, start stocking the second series. When the second
series shows promise give up the franchise on the first series, but have the
individual members retain the shooting rights on those farms. Of course, they
could only shoot during the legal season, but by this twin idea they could shoot
out of season on the preserve and in season on the stocked land. Then if the
stocked series of farms ever became depleted, the preserve series would probably
be at the maximum and the process could be reversed.
I am particularly interested in this because of the possibility that
the Iowa Legislature will pass a game preserve law this session. If they do, I
will probably be consulted on it, and if consulted, I'd feel duty-bound to give
them honest advice rather than advice which would enable me or my friends to take
advantage of the law.
Your comments, criticisms, and suggestions will be very much appreciated.
Yours very truly,
GDF:1FB                                    G. Decker French
Enc.

January 8, 1941

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