Creation of the Department of Natural Resources

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was created on July first, nineteen

sixty-four, to protect the population of unquestionable animals. Animal populations were

decreasing, and there was no environmental law before nineteen sixty-four. The creation of the

Department of Natural Resources is so crucial because environmental law and order were needed

to stop the poaching (killing of an animal illegally) and overkill or over fish which would help to

protect animal populations. The Department of Natural Resource’s role is to make and enforce

environmental laws, including seasons where people can specifically hunt and harvest these

animals. It is crucial that DNR creates these laws because without the Department of Natural

Resources there would be no regulations on the protection of animals. The creation of this

organization is significant in history because without the DNR today the populations of certain

animals would be remarkably low and the environmental law would be non-existent. While we

triumph over the establishment of the DNR, it is a real tragedy that we needed this organization

to be created.

The DNR has many purposes and jobs while making the outdoors a safe place for

animals and people. The Department of Natural Resources is responsible for monitoring,

managing and maintaining the populations of animals in South Carolina. When the DNR has to

hire more workers to help the conservation efforts, it could be an example of a tragedy because

the SCDNR had to be created to aid these things. The South Carolina State Library Digital

Collections states, “The current organization of the Department of Natural Resources is

composed of the former Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, Water Resources
Commission (non-regulatory programs), Land Resources Commission (non-regulatory

programs), State Geological Survey (State Geologist), and the South Carolina Migratory

Waterfowl Committee. The Department's mission is to serve as the principal advocate for and

steward of South Carolina's natural resources.” This quote leads us to know that the DNR is

made up of 5 different categories each with a different role that could help the natural part of

South Carolina be more enjoyable and safe. The Department of Natural Resouces continues to

work every day to make the State Of South Carolina a safe place while maintaining and

managing the populations of animals.

One argument that has been opposed is the argument of baiting deer while hunting. This

argument has been a controversy since deer hunting became popular. Some hunters think that it

is fair to bait deer into the desired location to harvest them for meat. On the other hand, some

people feel that it is unfair for the deer that they are being baited to death. The Department of

Natural Resources can help debate this problem and try to create a solution to the argument. The

Wildlife Management Section Staff Position on Hunting Deer Over Bait states, “The use of bait

for hunting deer is controversy and involves a complex set of biological, social, and ethical

issues. Biologically, population influences related to baiting can be important in the

dissemination and maintenance of disease and can affect the natural movement, distribution, and

behavior of deer.” This shows that the baiting of deer can be addressed from 3 standpoints and

the baiting on the biologic point of view can affect the herd movement and behavior which leads

to foolish actions by the deer which could mean getting killed. This argument is an example of a

tragedy that the Department of Natural Resources could be dealing with on a daily basis.
 One of the main reasons that the Department of Natural Resources was created was to

help maintain and manage the populations of certain animals including bobwhite quail, dove,

raccoon, beaver and more. The animal's populations decreasing could be an example of a

triumph that the Department of Natural Resources is involved in because they are working to

manage and maintain the animal populations in South Carolina. To manage and maintain these

animals the Department of Natural Resources is creating conservation efforts and individual

seasons to hunt them and how many you can harvest in a certain amount of time. The SC

Wildlife Magazine states, “The Small Game and Fur Resource projects were established to

provide for research, survey and management efforts for animals like bobwhite quail, doves,

raccoons, and beavers.” According to the quote the Department of Natural Resources is

researching lifestyles, habits, personality, and behavior of these wild mammals so that they can

follow up on the situation and try to help the cause. At the South Carolina Department of Natural

Resources office in Columbia South Carolina this research takes place, and then the employees

of the Department of Natural Resources go into the field and work to fix this problem. The SC

Wildlife Magazine also states, ”James A. Timmerman Jr. was named the first director of the

newly established Marine Resources Division. Construction started on the Marine Center (at Fort

Johnson in Charleston) to provide a facility for marine research and management.” This quote

tells us that the Department of Natural Resources is making new facilities all over South

Carolina so that they can better research and conduct data to help fix the problem. When the

Department of Natural Resources transfers the data to the field, the employees get to work every

day to help the South Carolina environment.

 Another reason the Department of Natural Resources was created was to help create and

protect habitats in South Carolina. Making habitats to protect individual animals could be a

triumph for the Department of Natural Resources because they get to help make homes and

protect homes for animals in different game zones. The SC GAP Data Overview collects and

analyzes data and states” The following index lists GAP Data by category: Land Cover, Species

Habitat, Species Richness, and Land Stewardship.” This quote is telling us that the database is

giving information to the field workers that will go and protect and build new habitats for

suffering animals. The database includes land cover, species habitat, species richness, and land

stewardship. The Department of Natural Resources is also leasing land to provide habitats for

these animals. Having to make habitats for animals that need help could also be an example of a

tragedy for the Department of Natural Resources because this organization was forced to be

created because of habitat loss and more.

An additional reason the Department of Natural Resources was created was to help

protect animals because people or natural causes are harming the animals. For example,

alligators have been being harmed/violated in South Carolina. People were killing alligators

without a nuisance tag and out of season. Alligator harassment could be an example of a tragedy

for the Department of Natural Resources because while they are trying to protect the animals,

other people are trying to harm them. Recently, people were trying to pour beer down a

three-foot alligators throat and as a consequence the Department of Natural Resources pressed

charges. Writing tickets for animal harassment is one example of what a Department of Natural

Resources worker does for a living. The Department of Natural Resources is making laws and

seasons to hunt alligators so that they are not violated like this in the future.. The Preservation
Hall Foundation states, ”From January 2012 to March 2017, 143 tickets were written by DNR

officers across the state for violations of South Carolina’s law pertaining to alligators.” The

quote shows that the Department of Natural Resources has been writing tickets to protect

alligators recently. The Department of Natural Resources continues to work hard and try to help

these alligators.

The Department of Natural Resources was created on July 1, 1964, for many reasons and

some being the populations of wild deer and turkey decreasing majorly, and there were no

environmental law pre-1964. When the Department of Natural Resources was created the deer

and turkey populations went up majorly and now in present-day South Carolina, these animals

are abundant. The Department of Natural Resources is making wildlife management areas and

collecting data on populations of individual animals so that they can work to bring the

populations back up. It is crucial that the Department of Natural Resources is also making

environmental laws so that the outdoor proportion of South Carolina is a safe place to be at all

times. It is essential that the Department of Natural Resources is creating and enforcing these

laws because they need to stop the poaching(killing of an animal illegally) so that they can work

to bring the populations back up again. One of the main reason that the populations are

decreasing besides poaching is overkill and overfish. To fix these problems the Department of

Natural Resources is creating seasons where people can specifically hunt or fish these animals

and a specific amount they can harvest. The Department of Natural Resources is working very

hard every day to bring the populations of certain animals back up. The Department of Natural

Resources was created to help maintain and protect the population of individual animals. This

event is significant in history because without the DNR today the populations of individual
animals would be remarkably low and the environmental law would be non-existent. While we

triumph over the establishment of the DNR, it is a real tragedy that we needed this organization

to be created.

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