The Spruce Grouse Controversy

Mike Lynch writes an article for the Adirondack Almanack about the reintroduction of the spruce grouse into the Adirondacks after their populations dwindled in the past decades. Today there may be fewer than seventy-five in the park. The Department of Environmental Conservation adopted the Spruce Grouse Recovery Plan in 2012. The DEC decided to boost dwindling populations by releasing twelve adult spruce grouse and eighteen young spruce grouse from out of state. The state monitors the birds that were released at three different sites in the park.  They hope to introduce more this coming summer. After first attempts failed, this second attempt seems more hopeful.

I did research specifically on this topic for my presentation on the decline of snowfall in this region. The spruce grouse relies on cold, snowy conditions and the diminishing intensity of winters in the Adirondacks hinders the spruce grouse’s habitat. The decline also began in the nineteenth century with the increase of logging and consequential destruction of their boreal habitats. Besides low populations, the reintroduction would help stimulate genetic diversity and the health of the overall population. 

There are some who argue, however, that this is just a fruitless attempt to stop the effects of global warming. No matter how many birds are reintroduced into the park, climate change will inevitably kill them off again. This brings up the question of what exactly is human’s role in stopping global warming, which we single handedly created. If there are no more spruce grouse in the Adirondacks, will there be a new, warmer climate species to take its place? I personally believe this is the most likely story. Based upon our class discussions, we know that climates will gradually move northward. In this case, what will the Adirondacks eventually look like in the coming decades?

Source: http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2014/11/spruce-grouse-help-for-a-rare-bird.html